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Shop Till You Drop – Where To Find Top Irish Food Products
Getting a kick from buying something nice always works to cheer the mood. It doesn’t have to be a leather handbag, Manolo Blahnik shoes or a designer... -
Food For Thought
Easter Traditions in Ireland, It’s Not All about Chocolate and Easter Eggs. Irish Easter traditions From dinner to desserts, hot cross buns to whipping the herring, we take a look at some of the ways Easter is celebrated in Ireland. Easter in Ireland is always an enjoyable occasion. It is an important event for Irish people, as it has deep historical, cultural and, of course, religious significance across the country. Easter in Ireland is about renewal after deprivation, fasting and feasting. It heralds the arrival of spring and an abundance of local ingredients after the harsh winter when food stocks were low. Celebrating the arrival of Easter in Ireland involves many traditions, some of which have lasted for generations and some of which are more modern, but most revolve around food, delicious Irish food. So, let’s take a look at the unique, and tasty, traditions and customs of Easter in Ireland. The Ultimate Easter Chocolate Hamper A delicious feast of 14 handmade Irish Artisan Easter Chocolate products. Will make the perfect Easter gift for the chocolate lover in your life. Limited Stock Available So Get Yours Now!!! €189.99 Buy Now When is Easter in Ireland? Easter Sunday falls on a different date each year. It takes place on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal (spring) equinox. Vernal means fresh or new like the spring. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is the next Sunday. The spring equinox falls on March 20 or 21, therefore, Easter Sunday can be between March 22 and April 25 each year. Once the date of Easter Sunday is known, the people of Ireland can start preparing. Shrove Tuesday aka Pancake Tuesday in Ireland Shrove Tuesday takes place the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. Lent is when the fasting practices start. Shrove Tuesday is the day that people in Irish homes use up all the delicious, tempting ingredients that they cannot eat whilst fasting. The tastiest way to use up eggs, milk, flour, butter and sugar is to make pancakes. Traditional Irish pancakes are thin and usually served sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice. Here’s a great recipe for buttermilk pancakes by Good Food Ireland member, Cuinneog. On Shrove Tuesday, in Irish homes, the eldest unmarried daughter flips the first pancake. If the pancake falls to the floor, she would have little hope of getting married during the coming year. The Artisan Easter Egg Hamper The Artisan Easter Egg Hamper is an affordable selection of delicious Irish Artisan Chocolate Products. This Hamper will make the perfect Easter gift for the chocolate lover in your life. Limited Stock Available So Get Yours Now!!! €59.99 Buy Now Lent in Ireland In the old days, Lent in Ireland was a time of religious contemplation and fasting, as it commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert. Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday until sundown on Maundy Thursday evening, however, the fasting continued until Holy Saturday. People were allowed to stop fasting on Sundays as these were feast days. In Ireland, people were also allowed to stop fasting on March 17, the feast of St Patrick. They were also allowed to consume one alcoholic drink to wet the Saint’s head. Ash Wednesday in Ireland Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday. On Ash Wednesday in Ireland, religious people attend a special mass where the priest makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads. The priest makes the sign using ashes from the burned palms of the previous year’s Palm Sunday ceremony. Then lent and the period of fasting and deprivation begins. For centuries, most Catholics in Ireland would have fasted during Lent, giving up meat, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, and alcohol and attending mass every day. However, nowadays, in Ireland, not many people practise fasting, though many still do ‘give up’ something for Lent, for example, alcohol, chocolate, cigarettes, etc. Spoilin meith na hInide During Lent, it was also customary to hang a small piece of meat, usually salted bacon, on the wall or from the rafters. This would act as a symbol of temptation — an analogy with Jesus being tempted by the Devil in the desert. On Easter Sunday, the meat is taken down and thrown in the lit fire to fill the home with a tantalising aroma that hints at the feast to come later in the day. Eating Fish During Lent Fish, especially salted herring, was the mainstay of the Irish diet during Lent. There are several reasons why fish is an important part of Easter. First of all, meat was not allowed during Lent, so fish was a nutritious but most importantly, readily available and cheap alternative in Ireland. Fish is also a holy food and is featured throughout the Bible. Jesus carried out the Feeding of the 5,000 with just five loaves, two fish and a very big miracle. Jesus also used fish to encourage Peter to join him as an apostle. Having fished, unsuccessfully, all day, Jesus told Peter to cast his net again and when he did, he caught such a haul his little boat could hardly bear the weight. Jesus said: “Follow me and soon you will be a Fisher of Men.” Another fish often enjoyed at Easter time in Ireland is the John Dory. The distinctive round black marks on either side of the body of John Dory are said to be the fingerprints of Peter. The apostle left his fingerprints on the skin of the fish as he held it firm to retrieve a coin from its mouth. What could be a more appropriate Easter food than the very fish that is said to have been touched by the Patron Saint of Fishermen? The Easter Bunny Chocolate Hamper The Easter Bunny Chocolate Hamper is a delicious sample of some of Ireland’s best Artisan Chocolate Producers. This Hamper will make the perfect Easter gift for the chocolate lover in your life. Limited Stock Available So Get Yours Now!!! €64.99 Buy Now
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Our Best Chocolate Gift Hampers for Valentines Day
February 14 is Valentine’s Day and what could be more synonymous with Valentine’s than Chocolate? Although Valentine’s Day dates back... -
Drink
Christmas Cocktails With An Irish Twist
Christmas Cocktails With An Irish Twist Ask a group of friends to name their favourite cocktail, and you’re as likely to get as many different answers... -
Guide to Winter Stews and Casseroles
Is there anything more homely than the fragrance of a home-cooked stew or casserole, wafting in the air? That nostril twitching aroma, heady with a taste... -
Gift Ideas
The Ultimate Irish Drinks Cabinet
The Ultimate Irish Drinks Cabinet This Christmas, skip the mainstream brands and serve up a selection of artisan drinks from Irish producers. John Wilson... -
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8 Favourite Cookbooks By Irish Writers
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Food For Thought
Christmas In Ireland
Christmas In Ireland With a Foreign Twist Sascha Viertel, from New Zealand to Sligo Sascha grew up in Rotorua, in the North Island’s Bay of Plenty, spending... -
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10 Fabulous Festive Gifts From Good Food Ireland®
10 fabulous festive gifts from Good Food Ireland® Looking for fantastic Irish food- and drink-inspired Christmas gifts? Look no further. We’ve picked... -
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The Butcher’s Christmas In Ireland
The Butcher’s Christmas In Ireland Higgin’s Family Butcher “A lot of work goes into Christmas. It’s the one dinner of the year... -
Food For Thought
The Road Less Travelled Part Three
The Road Less Travelled – Part Three Introduction It is really only in the last five years that fresh vegetables such as Ballymakenny Heritage... -
Porter is Ireland’s drink. Has been for years. It’s a long and fascinating story. John Wilson dives into a pint.
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Fireside Feasts – Ireland’s Cosy Pubs
What makes a cosy Irish pub? Is it the warm welcome when you walk in? Perhaps the friendly bar staff waiting to serve you? Or the sound of chatter...