The new Rebel wave: five chefs making their mark on Cork's food scene

There's a new moment happening in Leeside restaurants - and a world of taste is in the hands of a new generation of chefs

Chefs (from left) Dan Guerin, Brian Murray, Aishling Moore, Mark Ahern and Darren Kennedy at K. O'Connell Fish stall, English Market, Cork. Pic: Denis Minihane.

Just five years ago, culinary Cork appeared to be drifting in the doldrums, a UCC food conference posing the question, ‘Is Cork Still the Food Capital of Ireland?’ 

On the Examiner's pages, I assembled a panel of esteemed authorities on Irish food and all were immediately in agreement that Cork, as a historical provisioning centre, agricultural powerhouse and birthplace of the modern Irish speciality food producer movement, was still in rude health.