Articles

Whether you’re planning to have people around for a drink or just like to be prepared for unexpected guests, everyone needs a few tasty standby dishes to hand at this time of year. We’ve all been to parties where the finger food falls apart and ends up down the front of your best dress, so what’s needed is something more robust that not only tastes good but is also easy to manage. These tried and tested recipes are just the job – no hassle to prepare...
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Dried fruits are available all year round but, for truly memorable Christmas cakes and puddings, the experts agree that using top quality new-season ingredients makes all the difference.
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Festive baking is a joy and many people especially enjoy both making and eating the traditional plum pudding, which is a very appealing hot dessert throughout the colder months. Artisan producers offer good alternatives for anyone who hasn’t time to make their puddings and some outstanding traditional examples to look out for in Ireland include...
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A round-up of interesting foodie titles to consider for the Christmas bookshelf... There are always plenty of Irish interest food books to choose from coming up to Christmas, and this year is no exception.
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Not so much a book review this month, more an introduction to our own latest book - after that we’ll be back to normal in December, with all the Christmas books. Speciality local products were pretty thin on the ground when we started travelling regularly on research trips in the 1980s, but every year there have been ever more wonderful local foods to enjoy.
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Feargal O’Donnell and his wife, Fiona, chose well when they took over a pub in the charming almost-waterside village of Glasson, near Athlone – immortalised by the 18th century poet Oliver Goldsmith as the ‘village of the roses’, it’s a name that’s still well-earned today. The O’Donnells’ informal style, with food that offers a timely combination of gastro-pub and contemporary fine dining in a family-friendly atmosphere, is bang on the nail – and this new venture is already very successful.
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Visitors to Ireland often seek simple traditional food based on local ingredients, as it has a real sense of place - and, although this kind of food has been out of favour with many Irish residents in recent years (and therefore harder to find than it should be), it is now deservedly enjoying renewed popularity.
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One of the unsung heroes of the Irish food scene, oats are widely grown, inexpensive, nutritious and extremely versatile. There’s much more to oats than breakfast but, whether in porridge or other oat-based dishes like granola, their slow-release energy means they’re pretty much the perfect start to the day.
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Apples have been grown in Ireland for at least 3000 years. Indeed, St. Patrick is said to have planted a number of apple trees in Ireland, including one at Ceangoba, a settlement close to where Armagh is now situated. Early monastic records tell us that the monks were given apples with their meals, especially at festival times. The Brehon laws (originating between 2000 and 1000BC) stipulated that anyone cutting down an apple tree would be subject to a severe penalty; namely a fine of five cows, and even removing a limb or branch would warrant a fine of some sort.
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Georgina Campbell Guides is yet again at the forefront of technological development in the hospitality guide market in Ireland. Following the unprecedented success of our first IrelandGuide App, one year later sees the launch of the all new Georgina Campbell's IrelandGuide iPhone Application (v2.0).
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