Although she is from Watergrasshill, Cork, Emer O’Sullivan’s heart has always been in Tipperary.

AFTER months of build up and careful planning by Rory O’Connell, Rebecca Cronin, Colm McCan and the Litfest team the second event came and went in a whirlwind of exciting workshops, debates, lectures, tastings, demos.

The second Kerrygold Ballymaloe Litfest of Food & Wine ended last night where it all began just 48 hours previously, in the ‘Big Shed’ at Ballymaloe House in East Cork.

AT 9.30am on a glorious Saturday last year, I paused at the entrance to the Ballymaloe Grainstore; was I really going to pass up a rare blast of Irish summer sunshine to instead sit indoors and listen to two guys talking?