I'm in Galway for the Saturday street market some of which runs along the street in front of…read moreSheridans. And I was hungry. You know how you're not supposed to shop when you're hungry. Oops. So I waited in the (fast moving) queue inside Sherdans, looking over the crackers, cured meats, sauces, jams and the other treats before I was helped by a very pleasant young woman behind the counter. I provided my wants - a firm or hard cheese not from cow milk - and she instantly knew what was available. A sample of the first one and a sample of the second one, and I took a small wedge of each. Reasonably priced and wrapped properly. They lasted in the bag for about an hour or so until I shared them with my friend for a picnic in Eyre Square. [Review 1936 of 2024 - 118 in Republic of Ireland - 22958 overall]

Simply amazing. If you're a fan of cheese and charcuterie, welcome to your wonder land. The staff…read moreare very knowledgeable and friendly. Tons and tons of Irish and local cheeses, along with meats, sweets, crackers, olives, all that you need for the perfect picnic. It's so well done inside, fitting so many foods in a rather small shop. Pure joy and Irish cheese!

On a recent visit to Ireland we had the opportunity to tour Cooleeney Farm and see the cheese…read moremaking process. We finished with a tasting in the farmhouse occupied by the farm owners. There's a cheese shop on the grounds where you can purchase cheese without appointment. The tour, however, called for advance reservation and a prepayment of 10 Euro. Once greeted, we met the husband and wife who own and oversee operations. We were handed off to our guide who got us the required hair nets, booties and smocks. We were then walked through the cheese making process able to observe curd being separated from whey, the aging and packaging stations. It was interesting and all the employees were cheerful and friendly. Of course the highlight was tasting! A combo of cow and goat's milk varieties including a brie. The cow's versions were creamy, buttery and earthy. The Daru was a universal favorite.The goat cheeses were more firm but robust and equally flavorful. I recommend making arrangements to visit the farm and tour the cheese making operation as a unique way to spend a morning or afternoon.

Amazing cheddar cheese with one of the weirdest names ever:…read more Poets and Writers of Ireland. Who named this thing? It's tasty but the fact that Oscar Wilde's mug is on the packaging is kinda creepy. Good thing this Irish cheddar has flavor to make up for it.

ARDRAHAN FARMHOUSE CHEESE Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese is one…read moreof the best around and has got the awards to prove it. I have come across it regularly enough. Bought some recently from the Pig's Back in the English Market and enjoyed it. It is a semi-soft cheese with a complex delicate flavour which most people like. It is hand-made in Kanturk - North Cork seems to be quite a place for making farmhouse cheeses - by Mary Burns of Ardrahan House and comes in two sizes. The large wheel weights about 1.5 kilo, the smaller one about 300g. As the product is handmade, the weights will vary slightly form piece to piece. The cheese is generally available in Ireland and also in England and Scotland. See website for details.

This is by far my favourite irish farmhouse cheese…read more It is produced in the scenic North Cork area, near Kanturk, in lush grren pastures by Ger and Mary Burns. Mary decided to make her own cheese when her young family were picky about what they ate. The family have gone from strength to strength with their wonderful offering. The Ardrahan chhese is a semi-soft chhese with a washed rind. When fresh it is soft and creamy, however when left to mature it has a strong, pungent flavour and aroma (which I love). I finishes of a special dinner beautifully when accompanied by the right wine. It is also great to cook with. The Ardrahan Smoked cheese is soft and creamy with an not-overly strong smokey flavour. It's a nice cheese but doesn't grab me the way the farmhouse cheese does. The cheese is readily available, in the English Market, many Super Valu stores (most notably Kanturk) and further afield. I found it in Kanturk many years back and have bought it in London and the UK midlands, in delis, supermarkets and specialist cheese shops. I even had a large round of it delivered to my work place in London once by Mary Burns after i had sent a thank you card to her for delivering some small rounds to my mother at home in Kanturk for me to take back to London after my holidays. I was in cheese heaven! And I still am.

FERMOY CHEESE Met Frank from the Fermoy natural Cheese…read moreCompany at the Cork Good Food Week and meant to get around to their products before now. The small company is found in Strawhall, Fermoy and makes Raw Cows Milk Specialty Cheese. Frank and Gudrun Shinnick are members of Good Food Ireland and CAIS (Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers Association). They make five different cheeses: Cais Dubh, Cais Rua, Saint Brigid, Saint Gall and Hibernian. Hibernian is not easy to find but the others can be bought at the farmers markets (at Mark Hosford's stalls) and at the Pig's Back in the English Market. Nash 19 also use them in their restaurant. And indeed it was Mairéad from Nash 19 that directed me over to the Pig's Back where I bought a wedge of St Gall. This is a hard Swiss type cheese and was certainly a hit in our house and I immediately added it to my short list of favourites. St Brigid didn't go down as well - let's say we had a disagreement. It is a semi-hard smeared ripened cheese and, though described as mild, is somewhat more pungent than St Gall. I certainly didn't find it overpowering, or anywhere near it, and would love to have it on my plate at anytime. Still, if forced to make a choice I would go for the five and a half star St Gall. The Gudruns are an award winning couple as they picked up a Gold Medal double in the 2008 World Cheese Awards. The cheese is made from the milk of their pedigree Friesians who graze in the fertile valley of the Blackwater. Now for the Cais Dubh and the Cais Rua!

I found Fermoy Natural Cheese Compnay cheese a number of years ago when organising my husbands and…read moremy engegement party. A deli in Mallow, since closed, had a great selection of irish and internationally renouned cheeses. We sampled the Fermoy offering and quickly became fans. I love the Cais Dubh and St. Brigids, while my husband is a lover of the St. Galls cheese. Unfortuantely with the closure of the cheese and deli counter in O'Crualaoi Buthchers in Fermoy we have to go to the Pigs Back in the English Market to get our supplies. But it's worth the trip!!

I always stop in here for a coffee when visiting Limerick. Love it - staff are friendly and helpful…read moreand the coffee is made just how i like it. It is never bitter or overly strong. I don't think I've ever got a 'bad' coffee in this place and I've been going there for 10 years. They also use 'real' freshly whipped cream unlike many other places where it's from a can. Selection of all plant milks too - soya, oat, almond. Food is good, nice selection of cakes, gluten free is also catered for. It is a pleasant place to sit and soak up the atmosphere of the bustling pedestrian street. Comfortable inside and also large outdoor seating area - great in summer, but there are also heaters in winter. Owners are very hard workers, I hope they keep going for many more years. Only minus is that it's not open on Sundays.

This spot looks great so I decided to try it for morning coffee & a toasted sandwich. It was rather…read moredisappointing & blah. The staff were great & more than helpful but.. The sandwich was tasteless & the coffee just blah. I would definitely not return here.

Leonidas is a very small Belgian chocolate maker right on O'Connell St. (Note that the chocolates…read moreare not made on the premises.) Despite the small size, you are certain to find your favorite chocolates here for yourself (ask for a bag) or as a gift (ask for a gift box). From truffles to chocolates flavored with nuts, alcohols, fruits, etc, to children's chocolate lollies to marzipan treats, there's sure to be something! They have a good mix of milk chocolate versus dark chocolate and if you're feeling confused, the ladies behind the counter are more than happy to help. In our house, my husband loves the vanilla-infused chocolates, and I'm partial to the dark chocolates with lemon or the dark chocolates with the hazelnut center.

I can not say enough wonderful things about this shop. The chocolates are to die for. The customer…read moreservice is wonderful. The shop is well kept - very clean and eye catching. I just love this shop! You can get an array of things from a few chocolates in a bag to chocolate spread - which is to die for! You can pick out what chocolates go into your box from a massive selection. The ladies behind the counter are so very accommodating. There is a great personal touch as the same few ladies (four I believe) are there all the time and they are so polite. If you have not tried it yet I highly highly recommend!