National Geographic Traveller Article
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE NEW The cultural heritage of the Emerald Isle stretches back millennia, but what about modern Ireland? We explore the source and raise a glass to Irish culture, whether it’s tasting its culinary revolution, exploring the thriving arts movement, tapping our feet to the best new music or diving into the surf scene for a weekend away. The island of Ireland — North and Republic — is alive with stories and experiences IRELAND WORDS PÓL Ó CONGHAILE IMAGE: DAVID SCIORA 74 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel April 2020 75 IRELAND IRELAND CULINARY REVOLUTION LIMERICK GO TO MARKET Limerick’s storied food scene is informed by its setting, sandwiched between the River Shannon and pastureland — and now its historic market is the focus of a new food tour At Limerick’s Milk Market, I’ve eaten a sausage are changing. There are festivals like roll, and muesli sourdough bread slathered in Pigtown Culture & Food Series, an autumn homemade marmalade, followed by paprika- programme of food-related events. There are battered monkfish fritters, and then somehow also casual stops, such as La Cucina Centro made room for some ‘spiralaytos’ — crisps (Italian) and Canteen (Asian) serving up whizzed from potatoes with a hand drill zingy eats, while a tasting platter I order at device. I’m glad I skipped breakfast. No. 1 Pery Square, a chic Georgian townhouse “Growing up, this was somewhere we hotel, is a hymn to local ingredients like always came on a Saturday morning,” says Ispíní charcuterie and Castleconnell honey. my guide, Siobhán O’Neill. “For the bit of By King John’s Castle, a bold new mural of shopping, or the turkeys for Christmas; local hero Dolores O’Riordan, the late lead there was a little more blood and guts in the singer of The Cranberries, feels like a splash market back then. I remember I’d kick and of intent. scream about things I couldn’t have.” “There’s a subculture in Limerick,” says Well now, she can have her fill, and then Stephen Cunneen during a chatty tour of his some. Last summer, Siobhán and her partner, new Treaty City Brewery, on Nicholas Street, Tom Downes, set up food tour company just steps from the castle. “This city is a Teacht Linn Tours. Having travelled abroad, place for the smallholders, and we’re saying: tasting their way across the world, the couple this is who we are and this is what we do, and realised Limerick’s historic market was this is how we’re going to do it.” crying out for curated tours. ‘Teacht linn’ is Stephen tells me he’s the first new brewer Irish for ‘come with us’ — and that’s just what in Limerick in over a century. “Ten years ago, I do, following the pair through what’s both a King’s Island in central Limerick would’ve storied local crossroads and the cutting edge been considered one of toughest areas in of the city’s evolving food scene. southwest Ireland,” he says. “Now there’s a real The Milk Market runs Friday to Sunday, resurgence. I feel very excited about where this but Saturday morning is when it reaches city can be; we haven’t even started yet.” “boiling point”, as Siobhán puts it. Sausages Back at the Milk Market, Siobhán and Tom sizzle, fresh fish is slapped down on ice, are laying out tasters of farmhouse cheese. hundreds of baps are sold. Produce ranges Limerick may be late to Ireland’s food party, from farmhouse cheeses to stallholder Tom acknowledges, but, he says, it’s catching CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The Milk Sefik Dikyar’s baklava, made to his Turkish up quickly. “If you put heart and soul into Market, one of Ireland’s oldest markets, granny’s recipe. your food the word will spread and people which now sells a wide variety of Beyond the market’s walls sprawls will come,” he says. “It will happen.” foodstuffs, much of which is produced locally; cheese for sale at the Milk Ireland’s third-largest city. It’s also the Market; Sarsfield Swivel Bridge, one of hardest to define; Limerick lacks the touristy MORE INFO: Teacht Linn Tours’ tours the three main bridges in Limerick that glow of places like Galway and Cork. It’s of Limerick’s Milk Market from €30 cross the Shannon River found it tough to shake gritty stereotypes (£25) per person. teachtlinntours.com PREVIOUS PAGE: Surfers walking along and the aura of Angela’s Ashes, but things milkmarketlimerick.ie a cliff in stormy weather, Co Mayo IMAGES: SEAN CURTIN/TRUE MEDIA; GETTY 76 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel April 2020 77 IRELAND IRELAND RISING STARS LEFT FROM TOP: Majken picking sea beet on a coastal foraging trip; Jordan prepping for service at Aimsir; Jordan Since opening in May 2019 at Bailey and Majken Bech-Bailey, co- Cliff at Lyons hotel, County owners of Aimsir restaurant, foraging in Kildare, Aimsir restaurant a wood in Enniskerry has already picked up two RIGHT: Dish of oyster, cucumber and Michelin stars. Husband and arrow grass at Aniar, a Michelin-starred wife owners Jordan Bailey restaurant in Galway and Majken Bech-Bailey say their 15-course menu aims to ‘put Ireland on a plate’. Local produce ranges from lamb, seafood and cheeses to oysters, garlic and even rare Irish nashi pears JORDAN: “We spent months on the road before we opened, travelling around Ireland looking for GALWAY suppliers, craftsmen, fishermen, foragers and whatever else. We TOP 4: FOOD started with what we thought was 14 HOURS IN... a very extensive list, but once we EXPERIENCES spoke to one farmer, they’d refer From gastro stops to great museums and theatre, the European Capital of Culture us to another down the road, and it BREAD SCHOOL, 2020 is ripe for exploring — and is arguably Ireland’s most delicious city just went crazy after that.” FIREHOUSE BAKERY, CO CORK 8AM SNACK AND STROLL 4PM GALWAY CITY MUSEUM MAJKEN: “We live in a world ‘Where bread is king’. That’s Grab a warm cinnamon bun and locally Exhibits at this small museum range from where it’s very easy to get the motto of this bread school roasted Red Eye Coffee from Marmalade a Galway hooker (a type of sailing boat) to everything year-round — you on Heir Island, in Roaringwater Bakery on Middle Street, before walking prehistoric finds and a collection of local can buy strawberries in Tesco Bay. Full-day classes include along the River Corrib and the Long Walk author Pádraic Ó Conaire’s books and in December. But Jordan, as a lunch with wine. €125 (£104) per promenade. Or do as Galwegians do and walk belongings. There’s a super view of the River chef, gets more creative when person. thefirehouse.ie the Salthill Prom, kicking your foot against Corrib and Atlantic Ocean from the top of he focuses on pure ingredients, the wall at the end, as tradition dictates. the building, too. galwaycitymuseum.ie instead of having the whole world ARMAGH FOOD & CIDER marmaladegalway.com at his fingertips. It’s also about FESTIVAL, CO ARMAGH 5PM PEOPLE-WATCH AT TIGH NEACHTAIN sustainability; there’s no reason to Armagh is Northern Ireland’s 10AM A DELA-CIOUS BRUNCH The corner perches at this cosy pub, bang in buy from across the world when apple country. This event is the Dela is a colourful cafe that sources much of the middle of the medieval quarter, are the you have everything here.” perfect excuse to explore, with its produce from an organic farm near the best places in the city to watch the world go showcases, markets, orchard city. From a Dela Fry, with sizzling Herterich’s by. Sample a local Soulwater IPA or oatmilk JORDAN: “One of the main reasons tours and special dinners. 24-27 sausages, and Kelly’s black pudding to stout while you’re at it. tighneachtain.com we came here was because it’s so September. visitarmagh.com buttermilk pancakes and veggie options, untouched — that excited me. But there’s plenty to choose from. dela.ie 7PM MICHELIN STAR MAGIC you saw with last year’s Michelin BLACKSTAIRS ECO TRAILS, Galway has two restaurants taking local Guide [18 restaurants on the island CO CARLOW 12PM TOUR THE LATIN QUARTER ingredients to Michelin-starred heights: have one or two stars] that Irish Mary White runs foraging tours The beauty of Galway is its ability to squeeze Aniar and Loam. “We’ve the best ingredients; restaurants are kind of taking over. from her home outside Borris. big city buzz into small streets. Soak it up we just need to present them in the best We have amazing potential; it’s You’ll be making wild garlic by strolling from the Spanish Arch up Quay possible way, and that’s often the simplest just about getting the right people pesto and gorse ice cream in Street towards Shop Street, stopping at Hazel way,” says J P McMahon, chef-patron at to do the right thing and put it on a no time, and there are cosy Mountain Chocolate (bean-to-bar chocolate Aniar, where simple descriptions like world stage.” shepherd huts for overnight made in the Burren region of County Clare) ‘brill, sea beet’ and ‘potato, lovage’ belie the stays. blackstairsecotrails.ie and Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop along the way. sophistication of the creations they refer to. MAJKEN: “Jordan and I looked If you’d prefer a guide, Brian Nolan’s Galway’s From €89 (£74) per person. aniarrestaurant.ie at over 100 different restaurant ENGLISH MARKET, CORK, Horrible History tour leaves from Eyre Square names and narrowed it down to CO CORK at 10.30 and noon.