How would you feel about reigniting your senses on a Culinary Tour of Ireland? Perhaps you would like to participate in a cooking class or forage for seaweed and wild herbs on the Wild Atlantic Way. Taste our succulent grass feed beef, mountain lamb and ocean fresh seafood. Bake bread, sample cheese or learn about Irelands famous dairy products. If so join our Culinary Tour of Ireland. Pack your jacket, suitable foot ware, camera, note pad and join us. Along the way enjoy our breath taking scenery, friendly people and stunning sights.

You will find the best food and hospitality Ireland has to offer at Neven Maguire’s award-winning MacNean House and Restaurant, nestled in the foothills of the Cuilcagh Mountains, Blacklion, Co. Cavan. The Neven Maguire Cookery School is located beside Mac Nean House and Restaurant. All courses conducted by Neven personally who has carefully selected a range of his own recipes for participants of all cooking levels.

Course numbers will be deliberately kept small so participants can enjoy direct instruction and assistance from Neven and his dedicated team. Courses begin with a demonstration of the dishes by Neven. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to cook the dishes under his helpful, friendly guidance in a fun, hands on setting. The Neven Maguire Cookery School is the ideal location for all aspiring chefs and budding food enthusiasts.

Seaweeds are marine algae, both macro and large. Seaweeds are sea plants grown in the sea and when harvested and digested have remarkable nutrients, vitamins and trace element values. Since the 18th Century over 500 different species of seaweed have been identified around the shores of Ireland. With the Gulf Stream and Ireland being located between 51 and 55 N, many warm water species of seaweed are at their Northern Limit and also some cold water species are at their Southern Limit.

Of the 500 species around the shores of Ireland, only a few are harvested and used commercially. Dr Prannie Rhatigan is author of a marvelous seaweed book called Irish Seaweed Kitchen and certainly worth reading. Dr. Rhatigan is a medical doctor has a lifetime experience of harvesting, cooking and gardening organically with sea vegetables. Born and raised in North West Ireland, she has a lifelong interest in the connections between food and health.

This highly acclaimed, award winning traditional smokehouse is owned by Peter and Birgitta Curtin and located in the village of Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare. The smokehouse produces exceptional smoked salmon and locally caught trout and mackerel. The Organic Smoked Salmon comes from Clare Island Co Mayo, while the Premium Smoked Salmon is from County Donegal. The latest addition is tender and succulent Hot Smoked Salmon with honey, lemon and dill or pepper, infused with delicate oaky flavour.

Peter is a master fish smoker, adding nothing but time, skill and patience to his raw ingredients. Fish is smoked on site and you can get a serious waft of it as you walk up the street. Next door to the smokehouse, there is a visitor centre showcases the history of fish smoking in a media presentation style, and the food shop attached stocks all the Burren Smokehouse products and other Irish artisan producers.