Plant-Based Ireland
Cliffs of Moher
My husband and I recently went on a week long vacation to
Ireland. It was actually our second time going. The first time we stayed exclusively on the west coast. On this trip we were going to see more of the east coast. We went with a few of our
relatives on the Garvey side (the Garveys originally came from County
Roscommon). Like many large family trips, there were various
dietary preferences to consider. In Ireland,
it was fairly easy for me to stick to a plant-based diet. Every single place we ate at had dishes using seasonal, fresh, local produce. There were usually vegetarian options, and many places had a vegan menu as well. This should really come as no surprise
though. Present day menus in Ireland might be heavy
on the meat and dairy but this was not typical of the Irish
diet in the past. Throughout most of their
history, the Irish were forced to live as subsistence farmers, eating lots of
root vegetables and cabbage. The fact
that the Irish famine occurred because of a devastating potato blight says a
lot about the tremendous nutritional value of the potato and how much the Irish depended on it.
Castle in Trim Ireland, 1200 AD
We flew into Shannon and stayed a few days in Ennis and
Limerick. The hotels had complimentary
breakfasts which featured lots of food. I
ate Irish oatmeal, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans, and fresh fruit. They also had almond milk or soy milk upon request. The Irish oatmeal was like nothing I have
ever had before. It was so creamy and
delicious. Breakfast always featured potatoes
but they were fried so I limited my intake.
Representation of Celtic goddess erected recently by people celebrating the summer solstice on ancient Celtic grounds
At all the local pubs, there was a vegan vegetable soup of
the day. It featured the local produce
and was simply delicious. Many places had an
Indian vegetable curry. Other common items included veggie burgers, vegetable wraps, or a hearty salad with lots of mixed
greens. On the rare occasions where the soup of the
day was not vegan, I picked several standard side dishes like baked beans and a
hearty salad.
Trinity College, est 1592
I was surprised to see a fairly robust vegan community
in Dublin encouraging a lot of vegan restaurants. For this trip, however, the exclusively vegan
places were not an option for the entire group.
We tended to eat at small, traditional pubs or nice, traditional restaurants. But because of the robust vegan community in
Dublin, all the restaurants had a vegan option for me. We also went out for Thai food, Japanese food
and Italian food. I had fantastic tofu
in green curry, amazing miso soup, wonderful sushi, pasta with mushrooms, and sautéed dandelions. I even splurged on our last night and had some vegan gelato.
Selfie taken at the geographic center of Ireland where ancient kings met
In addition to sticking to my plant-based diet, my husband
and I made sure to walk a lot every day.
We averaged about 5 to 8 miles a day between nature hikes, touring the
ancient Celtic ruins, walking tours of Limerick based on the book Angela’s
Ashes, and checking out as much of Dublin on foot as possible.
I had a wonderful time in Ireland. I found the people of
Ireland to be friendly, progressive, and interesting. Their history, from ancient times to more recent,
depicts a complex and proud culture that has influenced the rest of the world
greatly. I will go back. Erin go bragh!
www.drpadmagarvey.com
Other articles by Padma Garvey