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Had the monks not been so secretive, their claim to being the inventors of whiskey might not be disputed today. The Scots make an equally valid, if much later claim, dating to the 15th century. By the way, Scotch whisky is not only spelled differently, it is also distilled twice rather than the three times preferred by the Irish. American bourbon is distilled but once.

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For breakfast, you’re most likely to be eating at your accommodation, as most lodgings in Ireland offer B&B.

Standard restaurant hours in Ireland are from noon to around 10.30pm, with many places closed one day of the week, usually Monday, or sometimes Sunday.

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VEGETARIANS & VEGANS

Veggies can take a deep breath. And then exhale. Calmly. For Ireland has come a long, long way since the days when vegetarians were looked upon as odd creatures; nowadays, even the most militant vegan will barely cause a ruffle in all but the most basic of rustic kitchens. Which isn’t to say that travellers with plant-based diets are going to find the most imaginative range of options on menus outside the bigger towns and cities – or in the plethora of modern restaurants that have opened in the last few years – but you can rest assured that the overall quality of the homegrown vegetable is top-notch and most places will have at least one dish that you can tuck into comfortably.

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Café Paradiso Cookbook and Paradiso Seasons are creative and modern vegetarian cookbooks with ne’er a brown lentil stew in sight; from the eponymous Cork restaurant Click here.

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EATING WITH KIDS

You can bring na páiste (the children) to just about any Irish eatery, including the pub. However, after 7pm, kids are banished from most boozers and the smarter restaurants. You will sometimes see children’s menus, but normally small portions of the adult fare will do. For more information on travelling with children, Click here.

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The renowned Georgina Campbell’s guides (www.ireland-guide.com) are annual publications with over 900 recommendations for munching, supping and snoozing on the Emerald Isle.

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HABITS & CUSTOMS

How the Irish Eat

The Irish have hefty appetites and eat almost 150% of the recommended daily calorie intake, according to the EU. This probably has as much to do with their penchant for snacks as the size of their meals (which are big).

When Ireland was predominantly agricultural, breakfast was a leisurely and communal meal shared with family and workers around midmorning, a few hours after rising. As with most of the developed world, it’s now a fairly rushed and bleary-eyed affair involving toast and cereals. The traditional fry is a weekend indulgence, while the contracted version of bacon and eggs is still popular whenever time allows. The day’s first cup of tea comes with breakfast and most people will admit to not being themselves until they’ve had it.

Elevenses is the next pit stop and involves tea and snacks to tide over appetites until the next main meal. Afternoon tea takes the same form and serves the same function, also breaking up the afternoon.

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Visit www.foodisland.com, run by state food board Bord Bia, for recipes, a short culinary history of Ireland and links to producers of Irish food, from whom you can purchase that prized farmhouse cheese or whiskey-flavoured fruit cake.

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Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day, which is probably a throwback to farming Ireland, when the workers would return home ravenous after a morning’s work. However, the timing of the main meal today is one of the most visible rural/urban divides. Outside the cities, lunch is still usually the most substantial meal every day of the week, while the workers in urban areas have succumbed to the nine-to-five drudgery and usually eat lunch on the run. However, at weekends, everybody has dinner mid-afternoon, usually