Ár mBia, ár mBeatha.
Gaeltacht Mhúscraí offers more than just a destination - it offers an experience for the senses and the soul.
This area is steeped in rich cultural traditions, vibrant music, song, and breathtaking natural beauty.
And at the heart of it all is the food: honest, soulful, and deeply connected to the land and people.
“The food we live by” is more than sustenance - it’s heritage, community, and celebration.
The Irish language flourishes - and so does a unique and deeply rooted food culture, and tradition meets innovation on every plate.
“The food we live by” isn’t just a turn of phrase - it’s a way of life.
The food on your plate is not just a collection of local ingredients. The cheeses, jams, beef, sausages, honey and beer all have a story that connects you to family traditions, folklore, and the pioneering spirit of the area that has attracted new Mediterranean influences.
You enter this connection through the food that you eat.
The best way to experience the full range of Gaeltacht Mhúscraí’s culinary gifts is to sit down to a meal.
The Gougane Barra Hotel, situated in an area of outstanding beauty, celebrates local produce in every menu.
The Mills Inn in Baile Mhúirne and the Abbey Hotel also celebrate local produce not just as ingredients, but as stories on a plate - stories of families, land, language, and legacy.
Among the region’s proudest offerings is its exceptional cheese. Coolea Farmhouse Cheese, is a golden, creamy delight with a smooth, nutty finish.
The adventurous cheesemakers, Lost Valley Dairy are now producing raw milk cheeses and Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella could not be fresher, made from water buffalo raised on a farm in the heart of the Gaeltacht. A new offering is organic lamb, reared on open pasture and heather-covered hills.
This is lamb with character - raised the old way, in harmony with the land.
There is also a sweet side to Múscraí’s food story! Local beekeepers produce honey - infused with the wildflowers of the region - and this is part and parcel of our heritage as our St Gobnait is the patron saint of bees.
Her association with healing and protection gives this honey a sense of spiritual nourishment, in addition to its golden flavour.
And as the legend goes, St Gobnait founded her monastery here because she saw nine white deer.
The local craft beer makers adopting this name for their beer, once again shows the deep connection between people and place.
Preserving that goodness is the award winning maker of jams and relishes, Folláin.
Now a household name, Folláin, means ‘wholesome’ and they have stayed true to its roots, using simple, natural ingredients in their selection of relishes, red pepper jam, and tangy marmalades.
For a savoury bite, De Róiste’s sausages and puddings are hard to beat. Whether grilled for breakfast or paired with one of Folláin’s relishes, these sausages are what you want in your full fry for breakfast.
And what better way to enjoy the food than to come to an event, whether it is the weekly trad music sessions or one of the local festivals, or markets. In Gaeltacht Mhúscraí, food is not just nourishment.
It’s heritage. It’s community. It’s the food we live by.
To catch up on What’s On go to gaeltachtmhuscrai.ie
