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Souvenir comes from the Latin, and then French word “to remember”.
This is what we brought back from a recent trip to County Clare, and a brief visit to GranGrans in Kilcolgan, and Sheridans in Galway, to help us remember our journey.
County Clare
Burren Smokehouse
The Burren Smokehouse, from Birgitta & Peter Curtin in Lisdoonvarna, is a fabulous resource for County Clare foods, as well as a fascinating place to visit. Groups are offered a mini food trail and interactive journey of the smoking process. We brought home some of their smoked trout and mackerel.
Hazel Mountain Chocolate
Hazel Mountain is a bean to bar chocolate crafted in a diminuitive chocolate factory and cafe in the Burren. Founded by Kasha and John Connolly, the factory and its cafe is an fun stop off in the Burren, with manys a great souvenir to take home.
The Cheese Press
County Clare cheese are distinctive and different, fragrant from the mountainy terrain. Look for St Tola goat’s cheeses, Burren Gold from Ailwee, and Cratloe Hills. You can find the Clare cheeses, plus cheeses from the West of Ireland at Sinead Ni Ghairbhith’s Cheese Press on the main street of Ennistymon.
Granola from Slieve Elva B&B
Slieve Elva is an eco-B&B just outside Lisdoonvarna, and if you miss staying here, know that you can buy their superb granola in the Burren Smokehouse.
The Markethouse Ennistymon
A great local butcher, specialising in meats from County Clare, and their own black and white pudding, sold together in a pack.
The Clare Jam Company
County Clare’s teeny weeniest wee shop sells the complete range of Clare Jam Company preserves, and they are fairly widely available beyond the Clare borders. Some of the best, jammiest jam you can buy.
County Galway
Our recent stopover in Galway was brief, but of course we took time to visit our two favourite Galway shops: Sheridans and Gran Grans, where we bought the following foods from the West:
Dúlra Seaweed
Dúlra is a seaweed farm in Co Mayo brought to life by locals Anthony Irwin and Angela Healy, who both share a history of environmental and infrastructural agriculture and aquaculture. Their little packets of winged and sugar kelp are essential kitchen staples. Add to, or sprinkle onto anything, and you capture the West Coast’s iconic maritime ingredient.
Gran Grans Relishes
Gran Grans have broken beyond the borders, with everyone relishing their extensive range of open pan, artisan preserves. We bought the last few jars from the winter range with a recipe in mind from a Smokin’ Soul BBQ course. Next time we’ll buy from the summer range including their special tartare sauce, their sweet and sour, or some of their wonderful curds.
Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano
Known to those who love Sheridans as Giorgio’s Parmesan, we can’t leave Sheridans without buying a lump of the superb Cravero cheese. This one should last us the summer.
Galway Sinnan
We bought this natural rinded, semi soft, grass fed cow’s milk cheese, made like a Tomme, simply because we hadn’t yet tried it. It’s made by the Galway Cheese Company who make a range of excellent cheese, including fresh cheese and a goat’s cheese log.
Hynes Hazels
Good heavens! Someone picking and selling wild nuts in Ireland. How splendid. And these are the best hazelnuts we’ve ever tasted. If we find out more, we’ll tell you, but in the meantime, enjoying the hazels and wondering why this is so unusual to find in Ireland.