US travel magazine ranks Tipperary as one of the world's top five foodie destinations
Hanging umbrellas decorate Mitchell Street, Clonmel, the urban centre of county Tipperary.
Although Tipperary's designation as 'the Premier County' has its roots in praise from Thomas Davis about the county's historic place in nationalism, there's reason for people from Tipp to look further afield for plaudits this morning.
American travel magazine - part of the group of magazines and online media that operate under the Condé Nast umbrella - has named the county among its top five destinations in the world for foodies, as part of its 22 Holiday Destinations for 2022 special.
The area has always held tourist attention for many reasons, not the least of which are Slievenamon, Lough Derg, and the Rock of Cashel, but the magazine pays specific attention to the number of food and craft businesses building themselves up in recent times.
"A cornucopia of goodies can also be gobbled up on Tipperary Food Tours, which take in honey farms – showcasing the importance of protecting the tiny but impactful Irish black bee – and trad cheesemakers where you can indulge in an unfathomably creamy wedge of Cashel Blue."
The special, which also includes Birmingham, Jersey, Serbia and the US town of Bend, Oregon as new foodie destinations, also calls attention to international interest from the hotel sector:
"In spring, Relais & Chateaux will open its newest property in Cashel. An artful renovation of a grand 18th-century house once home to Ireland’s archbishops, Cashel Palace will offer 42 smart rooms and suites, a promising spa and a restaurant focusing on hyper-local, seasonal dishes."
Your writer has his own addition to make to such illustrious company - the Tipperary Apple Farm, just outside Clonmel, caught his attention at the weekend with a sip of wonderfully full-bodied yet acidic apple juice. He went to the source for a few bottles, and was enchanted by the farmhouse surroundings - specifically by the on-site presence of some lovely donkeys.
