Food and drink
20 questions, answered plainly.
What should I order for a first traditional Irish breakfast, and what are black and white pudding?
Order the full Irish, and know what is landing.
What Irish dishes should I try beyond stew, and where does each come from?
Stew is only the start.
What is boxty, colcannon, champ, coddle and a farl?
All five are potato country, in different coats.
How do pub opening hours, last orders and food serving times usually work?
Pubs in the Republic may serve alcohol from 10.30am to 11.30pm Monday to Thursday, to 12.30am on Friday and Saturday, and from 12.30pm to 11pm on Sunday, with half an hour's…
Which Irish cities have the best nightlife?
Dublin for depth: the biggest choice of pubs, gig rooms and clubs, with Temple Bar aimed at visitors and Camden Street and Wexford Street where Dubliners drink, and late licences…
What is the legal drinking age in Ireland, and what ID may visitors be asked for?
You must be 18 to buy or drink alcohol anywhere on the island, and it is an offence for anyone to buy a drink for a person under 18.
Can children be in an Irish pub, and until what time?
Yes, within set hours, and family lunches in pubs are an ordinary part of Irish life.
What should I order in a pub if I do not drink alcohol?
Plenty, and nobody will blink.
How is a traditional Irish coffee made, and where is it from?
The Foynes Flying Boat Museum in County Limerick keeps the original method, and it has not needed improving since 1943.
Which towns are best for a food focused stop: Kinsale, Galway, Dingle or elsewhere?
Kinsale built its name on a tight cluster of serious restaurants in one small harbour town in County Cork, and it still earns an overnight on a food trip.
What food markets are worth planning around in Galway, Cork, Belfast and Dublin?
Four markets repay building a morning around.
How do I find a proper farm shop, bakery or local produce market on a road trip?
Plan around the week rather than luck.
What Irish foods and drinks can I take home, and what may customs restrict?
Packaged goods travel well and cause no trouble: tea, chocolate, biscuits, preserves, smoked fish in sealed packs and whiskey within your duty free allowance.
Are vegetarian, vegan, coeliac and gluten free options easy to find in Ireland?
Easier than in most countries, because coeliac disease is common and well understood in Ireland, with about one person in a hundred affected.
How are allergens labelled in Irish restaurants and cafes?
By law, and in writing.
What is a spice bag, a jambon and a chicken fillet roll in Irish food culture?
Three staples of the Irish takeaway and deli counter.
When are oysters in season, and what happens at the Galway oyster festival?
Native flat oysters run from September to April, the months with an r in them, when the water is cold and the oysters are at their best after the summer spawning season.
Can I tour a whiskey distillery or brewery, and do I need to book ahead?
Yes, and Ireland does them well: the big experiences are the Jameson distillery at Midleton in County Cork and the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, with smaller working…
What should I eat and drink in County Kildare?
Kildare feeds you plainly and well rather than famously.
Where do people eat in Kildare Town: markets, bakeries and good plain cooking?
Start at Firecastle Lane on Market Square, the town's artisan grocery with its own bakery and a café serving breakfast and lunch daily: it is the provisions stop locals point…
Useful pages: Irish food · Irish food and drink experiences · Food and drink basics · Irish pubs and music · What to eat in Ireland · Best Irish souvenirs · Tours · Events · Plan your journey
Sources
- An Garda Siochana: the National Age Card proof of age scheme, garda.ie
- Belfast City Council: St George's Market days and hours, belfastcity.gov.uk
- Bord Bia: Irish food, drink, seafood and farmers market information, bordbia.ie
- Citizens Information and the Courts Service of Ireland: alcohol licensing hours, alcohol and the law, and children in licensed premises, citizensinformation.ie and courts.ie
- Coeliac Society of Ireland: eating out guidance and the Eating Out Pledge, coeliac.ie
- Failte Ireland: food and drink visitor information, failteireland.ie
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland: the 14 allergens and allergen information for loose and prepacked food, fsai.ie
- Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, Foynes, Co. Limerick: Joe Sheridan and the 1943 Irish coffee, and the museum recipe
- Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival: festival dates and the oyster opening championships, galwayoysterfestival.com
- Revenue and US Customs and Border Protection: traveller allowances and food import rules, revenue.ie and cbp.gov
- The English Market, Cork: market history and opening hours, englishmarket.ie