11 of my favourite Irish cookbooks

The Irish have been welcoming guests for centuries. They were not however known for their food culture but over the past 30 years that has changed and the Irish are at the forefront of the local food movements taking place around the world.

One of the earliest foods in the world was found in Ireland – butter. Yep, a gigantic haul of butter was pulled from a peat bog and it was perfectly preserved.

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Table Of Contents

11 of my favourite Irish cookbooks
- Traditional Irish Cookbooks

This is my selection of great Irish cookbooks and they include some Irish traditional food recipes along with Irish traditions. Written by some of Ireland’s most famous chefs and cooks these books concentrate on Irish “cookery”.

While some of these Irish cooking stars focus on foraged or wild ingredients, some take a look at specific local area flavours like Donegal and Dingle and the ingredients found there.

Some include fabulous recipes for using Irish Guinness and Whiskey and there is always room for a Brown Soda Bread recipe or Boxty.

Traditional Irish Cookbooks

#1 Grow, Cook, Nourish: 400 Seasonal Recipes from the Ballymaloe Cookery School Kitchen Garden

A passionate advocate for Irish food Darina Allen is one of Ireland’s most famous chefs. Founder of the Ballymaloe School of cookery. This edition of her best-selling cookbook contains 400 dishes using Irish local ingredients. There are also 100 new recipes and all of Darina’s recipes are enhanced with great tips, historical insights, Irish customs, folklore and legends.

Choose from Bantry Bay mussels, Dublin Coddle, Kerry apple cakes, traditional fruity barmbrack — the Hallowe’en favourite — Guinness stew, Bailey’s cheesecake and of course the famous Irish Coffee. The book also contains related anecdotes, about the recipes, Irish folklore and legends. All the recipes include metric, imperial and US measurements.

#2 Anna Haugh’s Irish Kitchen: Modern home cooking with Irish heart

For Anna Haugh cooking is in her bones and sharing in her nature. A born and bred Dubliner, Anna was raised on her mom’s Irish home cooking. In this, her debut cookbook, she shares 85 recipes that are as straightforward as they are delicious, such as Braised beef cheeks with sweet potato and basil crush, Dad’s fish pie from Howth, Vegan pulled pork, and Guinness chocolate cake.

Knowing full well the reality of juggling busy family life with work, Anna includes mouthwatering recipes that are easy to prepare for weeknight dinner without using every pot and pan in the house, such as Mammy’s shepherd’s pie with forked spuds, baby gem lettuce and chicken taco night, lentil bolognaise, coconut cod curry, and Anna’s Tuesday night stir-fry. And for when you have some time and want to push the boat out, there’s a celebration roast, or the duck breast and potato waffle with a mushroom and black garlic puree, or even Aunty Ann’s show-stopping carrot cake.

#3 Irish Traditional Cooking: Over 300 Recipes from Ireland’s Heritage

More than 300 traditional dishes, each recipe is complemented by tips, tales, historical insights and common Irish customs, many of which have been passed down from one generation to the next through the greatest of oral traditions.

#4 Donegal Table Brian McDermott

Brian McDermott grew up in Burt County Donegal and has built a reputation as a Chef by creating healthy tasty food based on traditional recipes and local produce. Whether it’s cooking freshly-caught mussels for the fishermen at Greencastle pier or sharing his skills with others at his cookery school, Brian loves to celebrate the best of his home county’s warmth and traditions.

#5 The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook: Traditional, Authentic and Easy-to-Follow Recipes for Beginners to Experts

Everybody loves a pub in Ireland whether you are a drinker or not and Irish pubs serve some of the best-homecooked food in the country. From breakfast and homemade bread to stews and pub food, this awesome pub cookbook will take you on a tasty journey filled with timeless mouth-watering recipes and unforgettable feasts.

#6 Coast recipes from Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

Ireland’s favourite TV Chef Rachel Allen takes a journey along the Wild Atlantic Way and showcases over 100 of the most delicious recipes using local ingredients and produce, foraged treasures and gifts from the land and the sea along the way.

The west coast of Ireland is a rugged place of wild natural beauty, and the traditional food of these coastal towns and villages complements this perfectly. Simple meals made with the freshest ingredients, these are fuss-free recipes packed with flavour. From rustic seafood and rich stews to heart-warming sweets, this is Irish food at its finest.

#7 Bakes and Wee Treats: 100 easy traditional Irish recipes you can make at home

Thanks for stumbling across my wee book. I’m Jonny, aka The Hungry Hooker. I used to be a professional rugby player, but after an injury led to my retirement I jumped straight into my other passion, baking. It has totally changed my life and this book has all the recipes that have helped me find my way again. And they’re seriously delicious. If you enjoy baking without all the fuss, I’ve made this book for you. Jonny x

#8 My Irish table

Cahal is an Irish Chef who ventured out to Washington from Dublin and opened 7 internationally recognized 4-star restaurants. A leader in the sustainable food movement this cookbook showcases 130 of his best recipes. Cahal celebrates the food of his homeland and chronicles his journey from Washington to Dublin where he now owns 7 restaurants beloved by critics.

The cookbook features 130 recipes from Shepherd’s pie to his Mam’s Apple Pie.

#9 The nations favourite food Neven Maguire

Neven Maguire is Ireland’s most popular chef, and his restaurant McNean House in Cavan is booked to the hilt. In this fantastic cookbook, Neven has assembled his all-time top 100 recipes. These are Neven’s all-stars – the foolproof tried and tested definitive versions of the dishes Ireland makes every day of the week. Each section contains 5 absolute Irish classics. With this book soon you will be cooking Irish dishes like a pro.

#10 The Irish Market Cookbook: Recipes from the City & Farmers markets of Ireland

The Irish Market Cookbook is not just a collection of recipes; it’s a unique account of the vibrant food
markets of Ireland. In this his second cookbook, Sean Monaghan gives witness to the rich, diverse
flavours available in Irish food markets. Inspired by the produce from the wonderful markets of Cork,
Galway, Sligo, and Limerick, these unique recipes from a passionate local food advocate celebrate not
only the excellent seasonal produce available but also the passionate people producing it.

#11 Lismore Castle: Food and Flowers from a Historic Irish Garden

EAs well as giving a glimpse into one of the great Irish house interiors and a short history of the castle, this book offers over forty recipes inspired by the Irish locality and the garden’s variety of produce including Irish Soda Bread, Beetroot Gravadlax fished from the Blackwater River, and an assortment of chutneys and jams. With a farm to fork ethos, these recipes, created by the castle’s resident cook Teena Mahon, journey through the seasons and are made with what is fresh and available from the garden. The kitchen works hand-in-hand with Lismore’s gardeners, farmers and riverkeepers to oversee the ingredients’ short journeys to feed the Castle’s residents and guests.

What food do you miss the most from Ireland? Do you cook it at home?

Author

Faith

Faith combines anthropological expertise with lived experience across 40+ countries. With degrees in Anthropology and Women's Studies, she has spent four decades exploring the intersection of food traditions, women's history, and ancient cultures. Her work spans from Irish kitchens to Mexican markets, including collaborations with First Nations communities. Through her writing, she reveals how food traditions connect ancient wisdom to modern kitchens, with particular attention to women's roles as cultural custodians. A regular contributor to food and travel publications, she shares insights gained from deep immersion in local food traditions and historical landscapes. Based between Ireland, Canada, and various European locations, she brings both academic understanding and hands-on experience to her writing about food, culture, and heritage.
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