Cheese In Ireland
Cheesemaking in Ireland dates back centuries to traditional Gaelic methods where cheese was made small-scale in farmhouses. The lush green fields, fresh clean air, plentiful rainfall, and mild climate of Ireland means animals can graze outdoors for large parts of the year. These factors enable cheesemakers to work wonders with some of the highest quality and tastiest milk available in Europe.
The traditional farmhouse methods were lost over the years as cheesemaking became industrialized and imported cheese gained control of the market. But some methods were revived in the early 1900s thanks to a few dairy farmers who started an artisan cheese Renaissance within the country.
Unlike the rest of Europe where cheeses are traditionally very territorial and certain styles follow geographical boundaries, Ireland is unbound as the individual styles of cheese are linked both to the people who make them and their place, with no expectations of a particular style. Each cheese is unique to each cheesemaker. This means there are a whole host of unique cheese types available in Ireland. Currently, Ireland has over 60 farmhouse cheese producers. Which doesn’t seem like much until you realize Ireland is roughly the size of Maine.