Articles

Our national love affair with chocolate continues apace. Now pretty much synonymous with indulgence at Christmas, Easter and Valentine’s Day, it seems that any excuse will do - and, in fairness, we have an exceptional choice of very high quality gift ranges to choose from...
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Though St Brigid’s Day (Feb 1st) is considered the start of spring, it’s really still winter outside in the veggie patch. Come February I am always itching to get started with my seed sowing and of course you can get lots of vegetables started in seed trays on a sunny windowsill indoors.
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Abalone are a highly prized shellfish delicacy, now scarce in most countries where they were once plentiful. Known as much for their beautiful iridescent shells as for the delicately flavoured meat, this exotic shellfish is not something one might expect to find in the rugged surroundings of the West of Ireland...
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Lucy Madden ponders the benefits of Self Improvement – and the dangers of Self Promotion....Travelling home by plane to Ireland the other day I noticed that all three passengers in our row, myself included, were reading Self-Help books.
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One of an occasional series on diversification and added value in Irish hospitality – finding new ways for hotels and restaurants to thrive also brings good news for customers.
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Who could fail to be charmed by a book that arrives carefully wrapped in stout brown paper, tied up with white string, labelled with a manilla tag label (like the ones my father used, when sending produce on the overnight train from Cornwall up to Covent Garden) and neatly finished with red sealing wax…?
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This beautiful hotel dates back to the 16th century, and is serenely situated on its own 310 acre wooded island (complete with 18-hole golf course), reached by a private ferry.
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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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