A Piece of Ireland at The Rock

The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Ask most visitors where they've been in Ireland, and it's likely to be Dublin, with side trips to usual tourist must-sees like the Blarney Stone and the Cliffs of Moher. To seriously gauge the energy of an eclectic Irish student town, however, get off the beaten path and give Galway a go. Sidled up against the Atlantic Ocean, the city sits roughly 140 miles due west of Dublin. Bike-friendly streets and an outwardly artistic population of less than 100,000 make Galway both approachable and eclectic. There's something Left Bank-ish about the town's Medieval Quarter, home to nightclubs, pubs and boutiques. The city's love of live music burns brightest during the annual Galway Arts Festival, held every summer, when an international array of comedy, music, literature, dance and more fills the streets, parks and pubs.The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

www.therockinfl.com | (386) 218-4979 | www.facebook.com/TheRockinFL | twitter.com/therockinfl | https://plus.google.com/107325407795559605819/posts?hl=en

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock

If you have the opportunity to travel to Ireland, here are some sight-seeing tips!

If you get to Dublin be sure to take the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour on your first day for an inexpensive overview of Dublin. Follow up the tour with a visit to The Temple Bar, a must for young people or the young at heart. This is the nightspot to hear the latest trends in Irish rock. Ireland's national poet, William Butler Yeats, is immortalized in a free National Library of Ireland multimedia exhibition of his works, life and times. Obtain entry via a temporary pass from the information kiosk. While doing literary things, drop by nearby Trinity College Library to view the "Book of Kells," a ninth century elaborately decorated manuscript of the Bible's four Gospels.

For a getaway from the busy city life, head to County Galway. The wild Aran Islands beckon travelers to come for the day or overnight. Make reservations at a bed and breakfast on Inishmore, the largest of the three islands. Borrow a bike or take a hike along the stark, steep rocky cliffs, past stone walls and rocky fields. Discover Dun Aengus, an Iron Age fortress, only one of several prehistoric forts on the Arans. Feel the strong wind as it comes off the water and across the cliffs. Ride the ferry from Rossaveel for the 40-minute crossing. Head north to Connemara, a sparsely populated region featuring lakes, the Twelve Bens Mountain Range and a multitude of bays and harbors.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

www.therockinfl.com | (386) 218-4979 | www.facebook.com/TheRockinFL | twitter.com/therockinfl

The History of Irish Food in Ireland

The History of Irish Food in Ireland

Countless influences have made their mark on Irish food over the centuries from the arrival of the Celts in Ireland about 600 to 500 BC, the Vikings and the English colonization of Ireland in the 16th and 17th century.

Cattle played an important part in Irish food from the middle ages until the arrival of the potato in Ireland in the 16th century. The meat was predominantly food for the rich with the poor making do with the offal, the milk, cheese and butter which were supplemented with grains and barley for nourishment.
The Potato in Ireland – A Blessing and a Curse

The potato arrived in Ireland in the mid-to-late 16th century. The damp, cool Irish climate and soil conditions proved perfect for potatoes and the potato rapidly moved from a simple garden vegetable to a staple food crop for both man and animals as it was cheap to grow and even a small plot could produce a hearty crop. The high mineral and vitamin content of the potato also made it a perfect, cheap food for the poor of Ireland and was a welcome change from the cereal crops, they had been dependent on.

The dependence on potatoes as a staple food, however, also proved a curse for the Irish with the Potato Famine in Ireland. The first in 1739 was a result of cold weather but the famine of 1845-49 in Ireland was caused by potato blight, a rapidly spreading disease which wiped out the potato crops and resulted in the death of over 1,000,000 Irish. Of those who survived over two million emigrated (many to the US and UK) and several million in Ireland were left destitute.

Potatoes remain a basic foodstuff in Ireland are served almost daily as part of a meal. Unlike Britain cooked potatoes are served in their skin, which is removed at the table. This ensures more of the nutrients remain in the potato during cooking.

Irish cuisine has come a long way since then. Come visit Orange City and have amazing Irish food.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

www.therockinfl.com | (386) 218-4979 | www.facebook.com/TheRockinFL | twitter.com/therockinfl

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen

The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Ask most visitors where they've been in Ireland, and it's likely to be Dublin, with side trips to usual tourist must-sees like the Blarney Stone and the Cliffs of Moher. To seriously gauge the energy of an eclectic Irish student town, however, get off the beaten path and give Galway a go. Sidled up against the Atlantic Ocean, the city sits roughly 140 miles due west of Dublin. Bike-friendly streets and an outwardly artistic population of less than 100,000 make Galway both approachable and eclectic. There's something Left Bank-ish about the town's Medieval Quarter, home to nightclubs, pubs and boutiques. The city's love of live music burns brightest during the annual Galway Arts Festival, held every summer, when an international array of comedy, music, literature, dance and more fills the streets, parks and pubs.The benefits to travel off the beaten paths of large, touristy cities can also be found in your wallet: Smaller cities are typically more affordable than their nearby bigger brethren.

At home and abroad, so-called tier two cities - and even those towns further down the name recognition rungs - are full of surprises for trail-blazing travelers willing to add them to the itinerary.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

www.therockinfl.com | (386) 218-4979 | www.facebook.com/TheRockinFL | twitter.com/therockinfl

Happy Labor day weekend from The Rock!

If you have the opportunity to travel to Ireland, here are some sight-seeing tips!

If you get to Dublin be sure to take the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour on your first day for an inexpensive overview of Dublin. Follow up the tour with a visit to The Temple Bar, a must for young people or the young at heart. This is the nightspot to hear the latest trends in Irish rock. Ireland's national poet, William Butler Yeats, is immortalized in a free National Library of Ireland multimedia exhibition of his works, life and times. Obtain entry via a temporary pass from the information kiosk. While doing literary things, drop by nearby Trinity College Library to view the "Book of Kells," a ninth century elaborately decorated manuscript of the Bible's four Gospels.

For a getaway from the busy city life, head to County Galway. The wild Aran Islands beckon travelers to come for the day or overnight. Make reservations at a bed and breakfast on Inishmore, the largest of the three islands. Borrow a bike or take a hike along the stark, steep rocky cliffs, past stone walls and rocky fields. Discover Dun Aengus, an Iron Age fortress, only one of several prehistoric forts on the Arans. Feel the strong wind as it comes off the water and across the cliffs. Ride the ferry from Rossaveel for the 40-minute crossing. Head north to Connemara, a sparsely populated region featuring lakes, the Twelve Bens Mountain Range and a multitude of bays and harbors.

Come taste a piece of Ireland at The Rock: Regan's Orange City Kitchen.

www.therockinfl.com | (386) 218-4979 | www.facebook.com/TheRockinFL | twitter.com/therockinfl