Articles

Home to the Leslie family since 1665 and now run by Sammy Leslie (the great-great granddaughter of the man who built the present castle), Castle Leslie and its fascinating history still intrigue today’s guests - who can stay in the Castle itself, or in The Lodge at Castle Leslie Estate, an attractive mainly modern hotel just inside the castle gates.
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Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh is a place that has long been on my list of must-visit spots in Ireland - now happily checked off the list following a fascinating press trip.
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September is synonymous with the beginning of the native oyster season in Ireland and, whether or not they are native, all Irish oysters benefit from the PR boost that the "months with an 'r' in them" bring - and all varieties are at their best in the colder months.
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Some days you have to wonder about the qualifications of restaurant designers? There are times I think some of them can't have dined out in public at all. And if they have, are they actually paying attention to their surroundings?
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West of Ireland food writer Anne Marie Carroll, tells us all about a brilliant Galway food initiative - an online farmers’ market called Larder 360
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I have been aware of Pissaladière for as long as I have been cooking, certainly I remember producing large quantities in The Wife of Bath in Kent when I worked there in the seventies. I would have regarded it as a sort of French take on the Pizza, made with a less doughy crust but having the ubiquitous tomato topping.
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Traditionally known as ‘the poor man's meat' onions (allium) are perhaps an undervalued item in our shopping baskets, but indispensable in the kitchen and very nutritious. Irish onions are not seen on supermarket shelves as often as they should be, but they’re coming into season now and should be easily available in shops and markets, so pounce on them when you spot them.
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Recently I was introduced to a new and thrilling world, one that I would never have imagined I would enjoy quite as much as I did - and I have a Texan by the name of Doug Deason to thank for this. Although a native of Arkansas, he now resides in Dallas, Texas. He began flyfishing at the age of ten and has fished all over the world. This was his first time fishing in Ireland and it was their first time visiting Ireland.
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Long Meadow Cider is produced by father and son duo Pat and Peter McKeever in the heart of Ireland’s Orchard County, where their family-run farm has been growing apples for fifty years. Talking to the Portadown Times, Pat said making cider was a natural progression when they decided to diversify back in 2010.
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I own more cookbooks than is sensible, and though I can sometimes be accused of being a little slow on the uptake, I've spotted a trend in them of late – yes my fellow laggards, I bring you astonishing news: to an increasingly large number of our fellow citizens, carbs are bad.
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