Private Ennis Tasting History Tour with Dr Jane O'Brien

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Recommended by 100% of reviewers

| Ennis, Ireland

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1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Mobile ticket

Offered in: English

Overview

Ennis Tasting History Tour is an entertaining and fascinating insight into the vibrant market town of Ennis, the history of Irish food and how food and attitudes towards it have shaped Irish society – this is an edible experience of the town’s past and present with samplings along the way. Experience the ancient art of butter making; learn about the actual famine ‘lumper’ potato that caused such devastation for our ancestors; and explore the many innovative ways that local people used the wild produce of the shores and woodlands to supplement their diets. Get a chance to taste the real pigs ‘blood pudding’ traditionally made in the small farmhouses of the county, as well as the once infamous illegally distilled Poitín – the ‘darling liquor’ of the townsfolk. The tour will end with a stop at a local food supplier to taste and learn more about the wealth of fine local produce currently available including Clare Farmhouse Cheeses, Burren Smoked Salmon and more.

What's Included

Snacks Sample of mead, oatcake & honey, dillisk, blood pudding, Poitíin, chocolate, soda bread & homemade butter, clare cheeses & smoked salmon - quantity of small plate. Inform of any dietary restrictions.
Alcoholic beverages Alcoholic beverages for over 18's only. Please inform if children are attending and a soft drink substitute can be made.

Gratuities - not expected but always appreciated.

Meeting Location

Meeting point

The Square
Clonroad Beg, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 HOXK, Ireland

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

1 Barrack Court
Clonroad Beg, Ennis, Co. Clare, V95 VEY9, Ireland

The tour ends in the Ennis Gourmet Store just off the main O'Connell Street

What To Expect

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Our secure website provides real-time availability, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.

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Temple Gate Hotel

We start the tour in the picturesque courtyard shared by the Temple Gate Hotel and the Clare Musuem/Ennis Tourist Office where we are introduced to the history of the vibrant market town of Ennis, and how food and attitudes to food have shaped its history and society. We explore the importance butter and butter making once played in Irish life, and participants get a chance to experience the magic of churning their own butter on the tour!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Francis Street

Francis Street was once the ancient Causway of the town linking the castle of the O'Brien Kings to the 13th century Old Abbey. At this stop we explore the importance and traditions of banquets and feasting amongst the Celtic Kings of Ireland, as well as some of their more unusual entertainments! We get to taste the famous honey Mead, the drink of the High Kings, whose influence was so great that the halls of Tara, where the High Kings of Ireland ruled, were called the house of the Mead circle.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ennis Friary

We explore the history of the Old Abbey (circa 1240), and what daily life was like for the friars that once lived here. Despite their simple monastic lifestyle the friars could enjoy a rich diet including oats, fish, poultry, eggs and beer. We know from traces of medieval hives that they were also bee-keepers, and we get to sample some locally made traditional oat-cakes drizzled with local honey made from Ennis bees!

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Abbey Street

We stop into one of Ennis's atmospheric "bow-ways" that once connected the main streets to the poorer tenement areas of the town. These laneways were once busy routes, and during Ireland's Great Famine of the 1840s the town saw much overcrowding with people flooding in from the courtyside to seek refuge in the town's workhouse. We explore the reasons and outcomes of this potato famine which saw over a million people in Ireland die of starvation and disease. Shortage of food and the fear of hunger has been an crucial part of the story of food in Ireland, and there is much folklore which surrounded it.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Daniel O'Connell Monument

The O'Connell Monument stands in the busy heart of Ennis. It was also once the site of the old town courthouse, and the witchcraft trial of the infamous wise woman of Clare, Biddy Early. As a folkhealer Biddy used local herbs to mix her magic potions - we try an ointment made by a present day herbalist Emma Willcox. As well as being used for their medicinal properties, wild herbs and plants could also be used to flavour food, and were an important supplement to the Irish diet. From the seashore too there was dillisk, a type of dried sea vegetable often eaten as an addictive salty snack today, and we get to sample some harvested off the coast of Co Clare by fourth generation seaweed harvesters.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Parnell Street

The McParland House (circa 1620) on Parnell Street is the only know surviving timber framed house in Ireland and the oldest house of the town to be in continuous use without any major alterations to its structure. The original quaint shopfront and half-door evoke an earlier time in the market town - the half-door could be used to keep out the town's pigs, and we explore the importance of the pig in Irish society, and get a chance to sample some of the fresh blood pudding made the traditional way by a local rare breed pig breeder and pork producer.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Chapel Lane Market

We stop beside the building housing the Chapel Lane market, once a church built in 1735 during the penal times. Beside us is the old pioneer society, a temperance movement which was established in the 19th century to help the Irish abstain from alcohol. Poitín (from the Gaelic "Pot Still") was a type of (once illegal) moonshine, a magical white spirit with a rich history, frequently served at Irish wakes, funerals, weddings and fairs. We are lucky enough to be able to taste the real thing - produced (now legally!) in the traditional way by a sixth generation poitín maker in a local micro-distillery using 100% peated malted oats and barley. We soften it with a treat of a sample of locally made chocolate.

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Market Place

As the main market town for Co Clare, Ennis was a main centre for markets for hundreds of years. As well as buying and trading of livestock and produce these markets were also social occasions, with people meeting up, matchmaking...and sometimes engaging in the infamous faction fighting! Here we get to sample some freshly baked soda bread - an Irish classic, traditional made by the women of the house on griddles over the turf fires. Served thickly spread with the golden butter that we have made it is a taste of heaven!

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ennis Gourmet Store

We finish our tour with a visit to the very special Ennis Gourmet Store to sample some of the amazing fresh local produce that we are known for today. This store is a pure delight for foodies, and you can sit a while and enjoy local cheeses and Burren smoked salmon in the company of store owner David. Food is more than itself...it is identity, and culture, and history. It really is the most important matter in our lives!

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Operated by a business

Frequently Asked Questions

(6)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Private Ennis Tasting History Tour with Dr Jane O’Brien?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (IST). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

Still have questions?

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Activity code: C-35961P4

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Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 1 traveler reviews collected by Cool Destinations and partner sites such as Trustpilot, Viator, and TripAdvisor

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The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Destinations customers.

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the Private Ennis Tasting History Tour with Dr Jane O’Brien?

A:

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (IST).

Apr 2025

Q: What's included in the price?

A:

The following is included:

Snacks. Sample of mead, oatcake & honey, dillisk, blood pudding, Poitíin, chocolate, soda bread & homemade butter, clare cheeses & smoked salmon - quantity of small plate. Inform of any dietary restrictions.
Alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages for over 18's only. Please inform if children are attending and a soft drink substitute can be made.

The following is NOT included:

Gratuities - not expected but always appreciated.

Apr 2025

Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?

A:

The minimum age to participate is 18..

Apr 2025

Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?

A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025

Q: Is this an accessible tour?

A:

Accessibility information for the Private Ennis Tasting History Tour with Dr Jane O'Brien is as follows:

Wheelchair accessible
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Apr 2025

Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?

A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Private Ennis Tasting History Tour with Dr Jane O’Brien will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Destinations. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

Mar 2024