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Irish Examiner
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner Eats: Magical 'after hours' dining at iconic Farmgate Café
The Irish Examiner Eats Club kicked off its summer season with a truly unique offering, an exclusive 'after hours' evening dinner in Cork's iconic English Market. Exclusive to Irish Examiner subscribers, a special menu awaited diners at the Farmgate Café, after the historic market had shut up shop for the day. Following the roaring success of last year's IE Eats Club dinners, in Goldie and Good Day Deli, anticipation was high for this first event of 2025, and delighted diners were rewarded with a luxury Farmgate menu served up in the restaurant, as the evening sunlight filtered through the market's soaring rafters high above. Irish Examiner food editor, Jillian Bolger officially welcomes the guests to the event in the Farmgate Café. Picture: Chani Anderson The Farmgate Café was originally opened by Máróg O'Brien and her sister, Kay Harte, in 1994, with Kay then taking over the reins and it is now operated by Kay's daughter, Rebecca Harte. Over the years, it has become a local favourite and a national institution, and is very firmly on the map for international tourists and visitors seeking the finest Irish food, sourced locally, much of it from the market below, and delivering menus of traditional Irish dishes with a contemporary twist. Under head chef Pamela Kelly and front of house manager Tricia Cronin, IE Eats Club diners were first greeted with a welcome drink and then served up a fabulous four course menu which was rapturously received. Beginning with canapés (Arancini with Toonsbridge scamorza, and corned beef and caper turnover), it was then followed by a first course of mackerel, soused beets, remoulade, before moving on to the main course of lamb cutlets, barley, and vegetable broth, colcannon potato, and then finishing with dessert of buttermilk Panna cotta, served with Bushby's strawberries, from Rosscarbery, in West Cork. Deirdre and Denis O'Mahony clink glasses in the Farmgate cafe. Picture: Chani Anderson Exclusive tickets to IE Eats Club events can only be purchased by Irish Examiner subscribers and before the wonderful night was out, excitement was already building in anticipation of the next such event in August, as part of the Cork on a Fork food festival, and with details to be announced in the very near future. The Irish Examiner food writing team also dined, with food editor Jillian Bolger introducing the dinner and the team, with wine writer Leslie Williams introducing the wines, before the curtain was drawn on yet another magical night out of wining and dining for the Irish Examiner Eats Club. Read More Winning €250m EuroMillions ticket sold in Cork city centre
Irish Examiner
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colm O'Regan: You know about crisp sandwiches, but what about 'work biscuits'?
Work biscuit: It sounds like a unicorn $100 billion company that promises an AI platform that will revolutionise how we blah blah. But it's not. Work biscuits are just biscuits that are suitable to store at work. My wife coined it for biscuits that need to be nice enough to give a little bit of a kick but not nice enough to be all eaten in one crumb and regret laden orgy. Now that's a tribute to her wife's self restraint. Regardless of what they are, I will eat my village's entire winter stores of biscuit while standing at the sink, without any memory of ever having eaten them. It gets me thinking about the other things that are surprisingly suitable. Things that fit the moment... Sandwich crisps Like the choice of 'sandwich crisps'. Crisps that are the right flavour and shape to be laid delicately on top of a layer of bread, strong enough to hold their own against the sandwich filling flavour, and not break up into a million pieces. For me it's the Manhattan Cheese And Onion variety in its sleek black packaging. Too strong to binge on them neat but in a sandwich, perfect. They are pub crisps and rarely found in shops unless it's a small shop where the owner knows a fella. Hotel TV What are the programmes you can watch from the bed or listen to from the jacks? It can't be too long. You're there for a stag/hen even though truth be told you'd rather stay in as this is the best chance of doing nothing that you'll get in yonks. But to leave your partner at home and then go away and just sleep is nearly worse than going out and getting balubas. It's an unauthorised change in the contract. For Hotel TV I recommend one episode of an average American procedural cop show like NCIS, one episode of a baffling British quiz show presented by someone who used to be funny, or just inexplicably getting stuck into a documentary on solar power in Botswana on Bloomberg Africa. Colm O'Regan: "They come and go in fashion but the basic denim jacket has a surprisingly suitable trick up its sleeve..." Picture: Chani Anderson Ireland's Own Next up, you're in a waiting room. The TV NOW! magazines are not doing it for you. But peeping out from underneath a GET 100 ABS! men's health magazine, there's an Ireland's Own. You haven't read it in yonks but now you're finding out a surprising fact about Philomena Begley or wondering how amateur detective Miss Flanagan will get to the bottom of this week's mystery (...she was a retired school teacher in it decades ago, so could be well into her eleventies now). Denim jackets They come and go in fashion but the basic denim jacket has a surprisingly suitable trick up its sleeve. Or rather next to its sleeve. The Denim Jacket's Inside Pockets. An anomaly of physics. How a simple jacket that is barely the length of your torso has inside pockets that hold as much as a small van. Scarves, books, cans, shopping, umbrellas, a spare jacket. An underappreciated design classic. Replacements And one final, category of surprisingly suitable are Things You Bought Because Your Forgot Your Own One. These iconic replacements are still around decades later. These are the Michael J Fox in Back to the Future, the Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act. Stars who were not the first choice but turned out to be perfect in a role. Black shoes bought in a hurry in Dunnes 10 minutes before a wedding. That coat that wouldn't normally be you but it helped you out of a hole so you're fond of it. These have all stood the test of time and you've forgotten who they replaced. The Bette Midler (Sister Act) and Eric Stolz (Back to the Future) wardrobe items have long been sent to the charity shop. What's your surprisingly suitable? Colm can heard weekly in a new podcast called A Few Scoops with Aoife Moore on GoLoud or wherever you get your podcasts Read More
Irish Examiner
29-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
'It's keeping him going': Families call for more funds for Alzheimer Society Cork centre
A call has been made for increased funding to meet the growing demand for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's (ASI) Cork centre, which has around 200 people with dementia on a waiting list. The centre offers day-care with activities, as well as home services and activities for under-65s with dementia or Alzheimer's. Alzheimer Society of Ireland southern region operations manager Breda Twohig set out the pressures during the annual Tea Party fundraiser on Saturday in Bessboro. Kieran and Maria O'Donovan with their newest grandchild enjoying the Alzheimer Society of Ireland annual Tea Day fundraiser at Bessboro Day Centre, Cork, on Saturday. Picture: Chani Anderson 'We'd have about 10 under-65s and that's only the people we can accept. We've over 22 clients here every day,' she said. 'We've 200 on the waiting list. There's people here who could come for five days but we can't take them five days. We take them for one day and some come for three. [That] is the most we can do.' She welcomed funding increases in recent years but stressed: 'The staff are key really. They are the whole experience for somebody with dementia.' Claire and Betty Keohane enjoying the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's annual Tea Day fundraiser in Cork on Saturday. Picture: Chani Anderson They are trying to expand further in west Cork but have found it challenging to hire carers. 'People all genuinely want to mind their loved ones at home but they can't do it alone and they actually break down,' she said. 'Families would take 10 hours [a week] if we could give it to them so we have to be fair to people and be fair to where carers are situated.' Breeda Horan, 70, from Carrigaline with her husband Ger, 72, was one of those at the fundraiser. Breeda Horan, 70, from Carrigaline with her husband Ger, 72, at Saturday's Alzheimer Society of Ireland annual Tea Day fundraiser in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson Ger was diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia in his early 60s, leaving the former National Maritime College of Ireland lecturer unable to work, Breeda said. It's been very hard for him, very hard. He looks perfect to people but if you go five minutes beyond that, you know there's something wrong. He attends the centre two days a week, which she said is 'a godsend really for both of us' now. 'I think it's keeping him going with all the therapies, the caring and he loves the music,' she said. 'I think it's the people here, the environment. He was always a people person.' For herself, she noticed a difference from the start also. Pat Dillon enjoying some time in the memory garden at the Bessboro Day Centre with her grandson Aaron during the Alzheimer Society of Ireland annual Tea Day fundraiser on Saturday. Picture: Chani Anderson 'It was like a weight off your shoulders,' she said. 'I could relax for a bit and I knew he was very safe here.' She is unsure what the future holds and is already discussing this with their adult children. 'I'm 70 now, so you can keep doing it as long as you think you can,' she said quietly. Alzheimer Society of Ireland southern region operations manager Breda Twohig in the memory garden at the Bessboro Day Centre in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson Minister of state for older people Kieran O' Donnell announced this month the HSE has commissioned the first national dementia registry. This will map services and identify gaps nationally. It will gather data on medications and people's quality of life also.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Top 8: Chutney and relish options for the perfect summer sandwich
Ballymaloe Relish 310g €3.95 White wine vinegar, sugar, onions, sultanas, tomato purée, sea salt, mustard seed, and spices are added to a tomato base. This is a good, flavourful relish with a pleasant aftertaste. It is a top favourite with tasters. It is also available in a plastic squeezy bottle version (350g €3.89—handy for picnics). It is very good in sandwiches and gives a lift to a dull stew. Made in Cork. Score: 9.5 Aldi Ploughman's Chutney 300g €1.89 Aldi Specially Selected Ploughman's Chutney: Picture Chani Anderson Another top marker, and at a very reasonable price, this mix of onions, tomatoes, Bramley apples, brown sugar, red peppers, good-quality sultanas, and two types of vinegar gave us just what we expect of a ploughman's chutney. It has a decent kick with some sweetness and a chunky and pulpy substance to take cheese, a pie, a tranche of ham, paté, and hard-boiled eggs. It is not runny, making it easy to handle for picnics. Score: 9.5 Aldi Mango chutney 300g €1.89 Aldi Specially Selected Mango Chutney: Picture Chani Anderson Tasters liked this more than most mango chutneys we tested, which are a delicious accompaniment to spicy curries. The mango flavour came through best here and there are flecks of back onion seed which don't add flavour but look interesting. Garlic purée adds depth and the white wine vinegar is not overpowering. A pleasant, well balanced chutney, even nice on baguette. Good value. Score: 9 Geeta's Lime & Chilli Chutney 230g €2.59 Geeta's Premium Lime & Chili Chutney: Picture Chani Anderson This is the only exception to our Irish-only lineup. Made in India, we tested it because a tester who is an experienced traveller recommended it. Others found it a little too tart, but our traveller convinced us the flavours were genuine, and we had to agree we could taste the lime easily through the chilli. Not for the fainthearted. Delicious with poppadums. Score: 8 Folláin Chargrilled Red Pepper Relish 320g €3.19 Folláin Chargrilled Red Pepper Relish: Picture Chani Anderson Nicely roasted, flavoursome red peppers, grape juice, tomatoes, onions, and white wine vinegar blend well together here, with a minor chunkiness, balanced well with a generous dash of mustard seeds, spices, garlic, and salt. A dynamic lift to a ham sandwich. Score: 8.75 SuperValu Signature tastes Apple & Plum Chutney 300g €1.99 SuperValu Signature Tastes Apple & Plum Chutney: Picture Chani Anderson Apples, sugar, plums, white wine vinegar, onions, sultanas, blend well with mustard seeds, spices, and salt. The vinegar overpowers the plum taste, but most tasters liked the slightly chunky texture and the hit of spices. Made by the Leonard family in West Cork. Score: 8 Eves Leaves Piccalilli Relish 250g €4.95 Eves Leaves Piccalilli Relish: Picture Chani Anderson Piccalilli is a mix of chunks of vegetables cooked in vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard and turmeric (which gives it its distinctive yellow/orange colour). The sauce, thickened with cornflour, is smooth and the vegetables (here, courgette, cauliflower, onion) have kept a little bite. Good on the side with a simple meat or vegetable salad, or try with grilled mackerel. Made in Caherciveen, Co Kerry. We bought at Roughty Foodie, the English Market, Cork. Score: 8 Gran Grans Beetroot, red onion & ginger chutney 200g €4.50 Gran Gran's Foods Beetroot, Red Onion & Ginger Chutney: Picture Chani Anderson Bramley apple, beetroot, red onion, combine with sugar, distilled vinegar, ginger, vegetable oil, and salt. A nice, natural texture here, but taste-wise, a little too mild for cold meats – not quite enough ginger for interest for most tasters. However, as suggested on the jar, good to add to a quiche mixture or hummus. Made in Co Galway, we bought in Bradleys, Cork, which has a good selection. Score: 7.5 Read More
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Cobh's proud history is told in three top quality museums
Few towns in Ireland treasure their history as does Cobh. There is so much to value. From the early 19th century, as Cork asserted its status as a port of strategic importance for North Atlantic routes, the harbour often accommodated up to 300 ships. Many were British naval and commercial ships stopping off for repairs and refuelling. Tall ships too dropped anchor, when transporting prisoners to Australia or bringing emigrants to America, with export cargo departing for all corners of the globe. Of the six million emigrants who left Ireland from 1848 to 1950, half departed from Cobh. In 1849, Queen Victoria's visit saw the town named Queenstown in her honour. Later, Cobh would become synonymous with Titanic and Lusitania as the curtain of history rose to reveal tragedy of global proportions. Cradled within these events was a social, political and economic landscape that could not save the population from starvation and emigration. Cobh, as a gateway, reflected the turmoil, while offering a route to escape it. As the nation fought determinedly and successfully to survive, Cobh was at the coalface of national evolution and global tragedies. Inside the Cobh Heritage Centre, interactive exhibitions trace the stories of Irish emigrants, convict ships, and the final hours of the Titanic and Lusitania. The centre's atmospheric setting and detailed displays make it a must-visit for anyone curious about Ireland's seafaring and emigrant heritage. Picture Chani Anderson The town not only treasures this legacy, but also shares it through ever-evolving, off-street exhibitions and tours. Cobh Heritage Centre The Queenstown Story is one of several themed tours and exhibitions at the Cobh Heritage Centre. As an interactive, multimedia experience, the Story remembers three centuries of emigration, including the experiences of over 2.5m Irish people who emigrated via Cobh on board steamers and ocean liners. Their lives before and during their departure are poignantly portrayed, as are those journeys on what became known as coffin ships during the height of the Famine from 1848 to 1850. Indentured 17th century Irish servants taken to the U.S. and West Indian colonies are remembered, along with the early Irish settlers in Canada, Brazil, Argentina and America. Mass transportations to Australia are re-lived, as are the Titanic and Lusitania tragedies, which are both strongly connected to Cobh. Individual stories abound, such as doomed Jeremiah Burke throwing a final note in a bottle off Titanic and which was washed up close to his home in west Cork. A bronze sculpture of emigrants stands poignantly outside the Cobh Heritage Centre, overlooking the harbour from which millions departed Ireland's shores. Framed by boats in the background, the scene captures the bittersweet legacy of emigration that defines Cobh's identity as Ireland's last port of call for so many hopeful journeys: Picture Chani Anderson The last photos of Titanic, taken by Catholic priest Francis Browne, are also displayed at a centre that is simply a magnet to the emotions. School and group tours available. Advance booking available online. Open: Daily 9.30am-5pm. Tel: (021) 481 3591 Web: Titanic Experience The Titanic Experience marks the most famous maritime disaster of them all. Using trained personnel, audio visual displays and a sharp eye for detail, the museum creates an 'immersive' experience that comprises a guided tour and access to an unrivalled exhibition. A typical third-class sleeping area on view at the Titanic Experience, situated in the original White Star Line ticket office in Cobh. Notably, the museum occupies the old White Star Line building and the remnants of the dock where the passengers boarded tenders to Titanic remain. Central to the attraction are the personal stories of the 123 men, women and children who boarded Titanic in Cobh. On arrival, visitors receive a boarding card with details of one of those passengers, before undertaking a guided tour in which they experience 'the sights, sounds and smells of the harbour as it was in 1912'. The tour evolves into guides sharing passengers' stories, life on board the luxurious ship and the tragedy as seen through the eyes of survivors. The exhibition area teems with stories of sadness and survival, along with cabin recreations, a touch screen documentary and an interview with a survivor. Visitors learn of Margaret Rice and her five young children who perished, of the Odell family who disembarked in Cobh, of a stoker who secretly and fortuitously sneaked ashore and a Wexford-born chief purser who went down with the ship. Titanic Experience, Cobh, a replica of a first-class cabin on the liner. Artefacts include a chair from the rescue ship Carpathia, an original letter from a surviving passenger and original dinnerware from the White Star Line. On leaving, the visitor learns what was the fate of their assumed passenger. Advance booking available online. Open: 9am-6pm Tel: (021) 481 4412 Web: Cobh Museum Small and intimate, the Cobh Museum occupies a converted church nestled on a hillside close to Cobh Heritage Centre. A voluntary enterprise, its mission statement is 'to preserve and interpret' local history and to 'collect, record and preserve' artefacts and information pertaining specifically to the social, cultural and commercial history of the area. Housed in a former Scots Presbyterian Church, the Cobh Museum offers a more intimate look at local history. Its exhibits include personal artefacts, naval memorabilia, and archival documents that reflect the town's deep connections to the sea, religion, and the changing face of East Cork over the centuries. It too explores the Titanic connection, with a centrepiece featuring the pilots' log book, detailing the exact arrival and departure times of Titanic at Cork harbour on 11th April 1912. The museum meticulously shines a light on Cobh's social and political past but it's excellently researched exhibitions also focus on the town's military connections. A historic Cunard Line plaque hangs in the doorway of the Cobh Museum, marking the town's vital role in transatlantic travel. Cobh served as a key port for Cunard vessels, and the plaque is a lasting reminder of the town's deep ties to maritime history and global migration. Picture: Chani Anderson These currently include exhibitions on the sinking of the Lusitania, WW1 American naval forces in Queenstown and the scuttling of the German gun-running ship, the Aud, in Cork Harbour days prior to the 1916 Rising. Roger Casement and the Rising itself are also portrayed. Cobh's commercial life throughout the 20th century and encompassing two world wars, is also the focus of a current exhibition. A black and white photograph displayed in the Cobh Museum offers a glimpse into the town's history. It is wonderfully explored in a friendly, intimate setting that is tireless in research and rich in fascinating facts and paraphernalia. Open: Monday-Saturday, 11am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. Tel: (021) 481 4240. Web:
