Celtic Cheese

A Celebration of Celtic Cheese

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day 17 March, we have received a new batch of the trailblazing Templegall from County Cork.
Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin and the team at Heggarty’s have been producing this Alpine style cheese since 2016, with the closest comparison being a traditional Gruyere or Comte.
While we have received wheels from May 2024 (10 months), our cheesemongers at our cheese warehouse have been tending to a few stowed away wheels from August 2023 (19 months).
It features on our St Patricks Day Cheese board alongside Karst from Inagh, County Clare, Durrus from County Cork & Cashel Blue from Tipperary. We also have a decadent Irish Fondue Box of Coolea, Templegall & Gubbeen, all from County Cork

IRELAND, renowned for its high quality dairy, pristine grazing lands and clean air, coupled with a temperate climate, especially in the southern part of the country, Ireland is a natural destination for artisan cheesemaking with perfect conditions for grazing and dairy, it is also the long held traditions that have created truly exceptional cheese.

In traditional Irish culture, dairy cattle were seen as a measure of wealth and social standing and were often used as a form of currency. By the seventeenth century, however, oppressive English laws had effectively killed the Gaelic farm economy and with it, the traditional cheesemaking culture. Butter became the means by which small farmers paid rent, and also became sought after in international trade. It wasn't until the early 20th century that cheesemaking re-appeared, with slow growth until the 1970s when a greater number of farmhouse cheesemakers, especially focussed in the southwest part of the country, began experimenting.

This style of small, hand-made production continues to be a defining feature in the diverse range and exceptional quality of Irish farmhouse cheeses.
The cheeses from Southern Ireland have distinct relationships with Alsace and Eastern France.  It could be the temperate climate from the Atlantic Gulf Stream giving the pastures their lush quality.  Where else in Ireland would you see swaying palm trees other than Co. Cork?  However, on delving into the history of cheesemaking, it was Irish monks who helped create cheesemaking in Eastern France and where their connection with cheese making in Ireland is now very much linked.  Durrus and Munster for instance.

These cheeses have wonderfully robust flavours and are great paired with beer and red wines such as our our won label Chateau Le Roc Rouge or Le Roc Don Quixote with its big hit of blackcurrant fruit and smooth tannins.  We would also be partial to a 10 year Tawny Port too, slightly chilled.