Cottage industries were the start of it all for Irish food and drink

The book records and documents the establishment and development of the most prominent of the cottage industries, whose products were largely made from farm produce, such as wool, linen, butter and alcohol.

The book records and documents the establishment and development of the most prominent of the cottage industries, whose products were largely made from farm produce, such as wool, linen, butter and alcohol.

The foundations of the country’s multi-billion-euro manufacturing food and drinks industry can be traced to a network of traditional cottage enterprises that flourished over 500 years ago, according to a new book.

Cottage Industry in Post-Medieval Ireland outlines how these small businesses generated extra income for farm families, enabling them to pay the rent to landlords or, in certain cases, to utilise surplus output from their small holdings.