HISTORY
A History of Irish Food
SPRING HN256
Mondays
Frank Armstrong
Until recent times the Irish attitude to food tended to be characterised by an indifference to its finer points. This is perhaps a legacy of painful famine and of stoic Catholicism. We will trace the origins of agriculture in this country, and identify how the process of colonisation radically changed the native diet, particularly through the introduction of the potato and the integration of Ireland into the British imperial economy. We will explore how varieties of ‘traditional’ Irish food came into being, and examine the culture that emerged, especially in the wake of the Celtic Tiger. We will chart the future direction of this fundamental commodity.
Great swathes of forest covered the Irish landscape before the arrival of human beings. The first settlers were hunter-gatherers, but agriculture soon emerged on this fertile island. Food played a crucial role in the economy of pre-Christian Ireland with tribute generally paid in that form. Foreign influences were soon brought to bear first indirectly and then directly through a colonization that brought radical changes to agriculture and diet.
The Great Irish Famine cannot be avoided in any history of Irish food and we explore the legacy of this and other famines on contemporary attitudes. We will see that the food culture that emerged on independence conformed closely to the wider ‘British’ diet and that Ireland did not ‘imagine’ a distinctive food culture as part of its nation-building project. The Irish approach to food has continued to parallel trends in the wider English-speaking world, characterized by an obesity epidemic and an unsustainable agricultural system.
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8 Mondays |
Jan 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, Mar 4, 11, 25 (No Class March 18) |
7.30pm - 9.30pm |
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FEE €155 |
Print Open Learning Application Form 2012.13 or ring (01) 716-7123 for Laser/credit card payment |
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Tutor Bio:
Frank Armstrong writes about food for publications that include Spectator Scoff , The London Magazine, Food and Wine, The Village and The Journal.ie. He initially studied history in UCD before completing a Masters in Islamic Societies and Cultures at S.O.A.S. He also qualified as barrister from the King’s Inns and as a secondary school teacher before recognising that his primary and abiding interest was in food. Previously he taught a course on the Sociology oof Food in St. Clare’s Oxford.
PROVISIONAL LIST OF KEY TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
Ireland’s ecology and climate.
The arrival of human beings and the emergence of agriculture.
Food in Celtic and Early Christian Ireland.
Changes to agriculture through colonisation.
The impact on Irish diet and agriculture of integration into the British Empire.
The enduring impact of famine.
A comparative view of national cuisines.
The emergence of ‘traditional’ Irish food.
Irish diet and food culture in the twentieth century; challenges and perspectives.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This course is designed for anyone with a passion for food who wishes to explore the origins of Irish agriculture and diet. It would be relevant to anyone working in a food business, interested in public policy or journalism.
Reading List:
The following is a selection of recommended texts for those interested in reading further around the course content. We advise that you do not buy books in advance of the course as your tutor will discuss the list and suggest the most relevant reading for particular interests.
Clarkson, L. A. and Crawford, Margaret E. Feast and Famine: Food and Nutrition in Ireland 1500-1900, Oxford, 2001
Cullen, Louis ‘Population Growth and Diet, 1600-1850’
Cullen, Louis, The Emergence of Modern Ireland, London, 1981
Dickson, David ‘The Potato and Irish Diet Before the Great Famine’, 1997
Farmar, Anthony The Irish Middle Classes (A&A Farmar, Dublin 2010)
Reader, John, The Untold History of the Potato (Vintage, London, 2009).
Lee, Joseph, ‘The Famine as History’ Dublin, 1997
O’Neill, Timothy P., Life and Tradition in Rural Ireland, London, 1977
Mahon, Brid, Land of Milk and Honey, Dublin, 1991
Sexton, Regina A Little History of Irish Food, Dublin, 1999
