Dyed Green is a podcast about food and culture in Ireland. Hosted by Kate McCabe and Max Sussman, co-founders of the ecotourism company Bog & Thunder, each episode features dynamic conversations with chefs, farmers, scholars, and more - exploring Ireland’s rich culinary history, its dynamic creative culture, and challenging outdated stereotypes. It’s not just Guinness and potatoes (although there will be plenty of that too!) Join Kate and Max on a culinary journey to the country you won’t believe you’ve been missing: Ireland. katemccabe.substack.com
Hospitality as a Space of Possibility
In 2013, artist Jennie Moran started an art project at National College of Art & Design in Dublin in the form of a college canteen called Luncheonette. Guided by Moran’s vision of “ghostis,” her curation of the canteen, nourishing food, and—with the support of NCAD—Luncheonette became a food destination in the city, won awards, and created a convivial community space that lasted for ten long years. Her new book, How To Soften Corners, celebrates the success of Luncheonette and highlights Moran’
Building a Movement of Ocean Stewardship
Despite being an island nation with almost 2,000 miles of coastline, only 9% of Ireland’s oceans are currently being protected. Irish organizers, backed by fishermen, small businesses, and local communities, are working to pressure the government to increase the protection of Irish seas to at least 30% by 2030 in the form of Marine Protected Areas. Ón this episode, we speak with Jack O’Donovan Trá, a marine biologist and representative from the Fair Seas campaign about the emotional connection I
Time Traveling with Neil Jackman
Did you know that Ireland requires developers to have an archaeologist on hand when breaking ground on a new site? Or that Irish feasts in medieval times often featured professional farters alongside musicians as part of the evening entertainment? On this week’s episode, Max & Kate travel back and forth across time with archaeologist Neil Jackman, co-founder of Abarta Heritage.We speak with Neil about the impact of the economic crash on archaeologists; how to get people to value heritage sites i
Making Magic at Arán Bakery
Our guests on this week’s episode followed their passions for food from the Philippines and Poland to Denmark, where they met, fell in love, and honed their craft, before moving to Kilkenny to open one of the best bread bakeries in Ireland. Since opening in 2019, Nicole and Bart have won the Supreme Champion Award at Blas na hÉireann; the Irish Times Top 100 Best Places to Have Lunch in Ireland; Ireland's Best Brunch at the Georgina Campbell Irish Breakfast Awards; and were recently named Best i
Another Round? Ali Dunworth on Irish Pint Culture
The experience of going for a pint in Ireland is more than a rite of passage, it’s a cultural institution. This week on Dyed Green, we speak with writer, journalist, and events producer Ali Dunworth about her book A Compendium of Irish Pints: The Culture, Customs, and Craic. Ali found her way into the world of food & drink via a stint in tv production in London, before pivoting to write about food full-time and organize festivals in Ireland.On this week’s episode, we talk to Ali about her encyc
Show Me Your Beans
This week on Dyed Green, we speak to Shane Neary, the co-owner of NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate in the Mourne Mountains outside Newry, County Down. NearyNógs was the first bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the north of Ireland when the Neary family opened in 2011. Originally a passion project created to help pay the medical bills of Shane and Dorothy’s daughter, the high demand for the Nearys’ incredible chocolate caused a career pivot and changed their lives forever.Today, the Nearys run their
Paula McIntyre Keeps It Simple
After a bit of a break, Dyed Green is back with a conversation with Paula McIntyre, a chef, writer, and broadcaster and the director of Slow Food Northern Ireland, based in Portstewart in County Derry. Paula’s passion for cooking began at the age of 8, when she visited an Italian deli in Edinburgh, where she had a formative experience with parmesan cheese and Parma ham. As luck would have it, Kate met Paula at a market in Rome while crying and eating pizza. Chef Paula McIntyre thinks chefs waste
On My Own Terms: Chef Rose Green of 4 Hands Food Studio
Rose Greene began her culinary career on a rapidly ascending yet predictable trajectory—a four year culinary arts course followed by many years working in Michelin starred kitchens around the world—before realizing that the nightly slog just wasn’t for her. The never-ending long hours, shady sourcing of produce, and restaurants whose models rely on unpaid labor made her rethink her approach to food and a life in the industry. Then she met her partner Margaux, discovered the wonders of fermentati
We are the Solution: Creating Our Own Shelter with Harrison Gardner of Common Knowledge
Ireland, like many places around the world, is in the grips of a housing crisis. Many young people are living with their parents far into adulthood and being told that home ownership may not be within their financial reach. What if there was an alternative to meeting the salary requirements for a bank loan and incurring a huge debt to pay for a mortgage? Our guest on this week’s show, Harrison Gardner, may just have some ideas for you. Harrison is the author of Build Your Own: Use what you have
Making Space for Change: Hometree’s Matt Smith
While Ireland’s rolling green hills are lovely to look at, they reflect a country whose landscape has been dramatically changed over many years. You may not even know that Ireland is the most deforested country in Europe. But what is Ireland’s “natural” landscape, and what does that even mean? For this week’s show, we spoke with Matt Smith, the manager of Hometree, a dynamic organization based in Ennistymon, County Clare, dedicated to planting more native trees into the Irish landscape. Hometree
Surf, Salt, & Sunshine: An Interview with Tom Leach & Moe McKeown of Dingle Sea Salt
Having too much or too little salt can make or break a dish, and as chefs know all too well, even the variety of salt used can dramatically impact flavors. Salt is a seasoning that we consume every day and is necessary for life, but how much do we know about its contemporary production? Although typically associated with warmer climates, Dingle Sea Salt co-founders Tom Leach & Moe McKeown have created a small batch Irish sea salt that not only rivals their Mediterranean competition, but is made
Call of the Wild with Lucy O'Hagan
As the impact of the climate crisis unfolds all around us, the reality of what’s at stake changes our relationships with each other and the natural world. More and more of us are finding ourselves drawn to reconnect with the land and to build community—to “rewild,” in a sense. But what does it mean to live a wilder life? Is it even attainable or realistic for most of the globe, especially if you live in a densely populated urban area?Our guest on today’s show is Lucy O’Hagan, a teacher, forest s
Stop and Smell the Meat with Butcher Pat Whelan
Social media has been abuzz these past few weeks as the world tries to come to terms with the abundance of creative talent bursting forth from Ireland, from literary greats like Paul Lynch, whose Prophet Song just won the Booker, to actors like Cillian Murphy, Paul Mescal, and Barry Keoghan, who continue to dominate the silver screen. As the pundits continue to pontificate, we’re here to tell you that Ireland’s verdant climate, political history, and nourishment of the arts creates the condition
Living on Tree Time with Katie Holten
Katie Holten is an Irish artist and activist based in New York City whose work is inspired by the relationship between humans and the natural world. She’s spent the last several years working on a tree alphabet to translate the world in a way that might connect us more intimately with nature, where each letter corresponds with an indigenous tree species (there’s even a downloadable font). Earlier this year, Holten published a gorgeous book called "The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature
Chef Paul Cunningham Puts Passion Back on the Plate
Chef Paul Cunningham, based in Dundrum, County Down, walks the walk like no chef we’ve ever met before. The owner of “slow food fast food” Scopers in Dundrum Village and the upscale pop-up Mourne Larder, Cunningham sources all of his food from within a 15 mile radius and never sets foot in a grocery store. His business model puts his ethos into practice in a way we’ve never seen, and he’s successfully bridging the gap between consumers and thoughtfully grown, regenerative food at affordable pric
How to Survive the End of the World's Witch School 13: Claire Davey
A special broadcast of Autumn and Adrienne Maree Brown's interview with Claire Davey, an apothecarist, distiller, and spiritual leader from County Galway: We found Claire Davey on the summer solstice and bring her to you this Samhain week. Claire shares sacred Celtic Cosmology teachings about moving into the sacred delicious darkness of this phase of our (northern hemisphere) year.Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through
Envisioning What Irish Food Could Be: Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma of Bia! Zine
Victory Nwabu-Ekeoma is the founding editor of Bia! Zine, a magazine that celebrates the voices, food, and stories of immigrant communities in Ireland. Unlike most other food-related publications, Bia! doesn’t concern itself with the hottest new chefs or trends in food and restaurants. Rather, the zine is a place to highlight and share the stories behind food—ones which emphasize how immigrants live their identity, cultural heritage, and celebrate in their new homes through the medium of food. E
Garry Hughes and The Shelbourne's Recipe for Success
Garry Hughes is the chef at The Shelbourne, one of Dublins’ finest and also oldest hotels, celebrating their 200th year in 2024. While the phrase hotel restaurant doesn’t always conjure excitement, the Shelbourne under Gary’s leadership has developed a culinary program that is exciting, creative, locally sourced, and most important—delicious.On this week’s episode, we speak with Garry about the importance of work/life balance and the power of an eclair to change someone’s life. We also talk to G
Ursa Minor Rising
Passing through Ballycastle, a charming seaside town on the Causeway Coast in Ireland’s northeast corner, one wouldn’t necessarily expect to find a world-class bakery serving sourdough breads and creative, beautiful pastries. But after spending time learning and traveling abroad, this is exactly what Ciara O’hArtlaighle and her husband, Dara, created when they opened Ursa Minor. Not only does Ursa Minor have fantastic breads and pastries, but it’s also a cafe, serving a really important role as
From Fish to Fork with Niall Sabongi
Niall Sabongi fell in love with seafood as a child living on the east coast of Ireland, where his father would bring him to the beach to find cockles and mussels to eat for dinner. Today, Niall is at the forefront of the conversation around Irish seafood. As a chef, he founded fish-centric favorite spots like Klaw, Saltwater Grocery, and most recently, The Seafood Cafe. While the stereotypical Irish ocean-based meal might be fish and chips or chowder, at Niall's restaurants, the incredibly wide
Eunice Power: The Chipper
We often talk about how Irish food is not just Guinness and potatoes…and yet! A real Irish culinary experience would not be complete without a pint of the good stuff and some delicious spuds! Eunice Power is exactly what her name implies—a powerhouse as a chef and small business owner. In addition to being the director of the West Waterford Festival of Food, Eunice is a caterer and the owner of And Chips, a gourmet takeaway featuring fresh, sustainable food and—you guessed it—chips!On today’s ep
Kevin Burke Makes it Look Easy
Our guest this week is Kevin Burke of Library Street, a newcomer on the Dublin restaurant scene that was recently named Best Newcomer at the Irish Restaurant Awards. Kevin spent some time working at the two Michelin-star Patrick Guillbaud early in his career before heading to London where he lived and worked for 8 years before returning home to Ireland.We talk to Kevin about the inspiration behind Library Street, his time in London, and when he knew it was time to come home. We also chat about w
Bia, Craic, & Pobal: Connemara's Pota Café
When you walk in the doors of Pota Café in the Connemara Gaeltacht there’s a buzz in the air. Pota’s atmosphere is filled with community spirit and the sweet scent of freshly baked bread, while the melody of people conversing in Irish fills the air. It’s this community spirit, as well as their prolific use of local produce and seafood, that led the cafe to win the award for best café in the country from Food & Wine Ireland this year. Opened by chef Diarmuid Ó Mathúna in 2021, Pota is a bilingual
Food Fight! Blas na hÉireann & the Irish Artisan Community
Have you ever wondered how much blood sausage a person can eat in one sitting? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Artie Clifford and Fallon Moore are the founders of Blas na hÉireann, the Irish Food Awards. Blas, which means ‘taste’ in Irish, was born in Dingle in 2007, and has organized an annual celebration of the best in Irish food and drink every year since. With some help from University College Cork, they’ve developed a blind tasting process that’s become the international standard in
Kwanghi Chan Can't Be Stopped
Is there anything Kwanghi Chan can’t do?! The Dublin-based chef and cookbook author owns two restaurants, a food truck, a retail sauce company, and regularly appears on TV. Born in Hong Kong, Kwanghi moved to Donegal when he was eight and grew up cooking in his uncle’s Chinese takeaway. As an adult, he chose a culinary education over art school and went on to work in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants before going out on his own. Kwanghi’s first book, Wok, came out last year and is the fir
Slane Irish Whiskey
The diversity of Irish whiskey today is in a new league compared to just 20 years ago when a few big brands dominated the market. One of the things that defines a modern Irish whiskey is the story behind it, and few have as compelling a story as Slane Irish Whiskey. Distilled on the grounds of Slane Castle—a site famous in part for hosting huge outdoor rock concerts since the 1980s—the brand uses water from the mythologically important River Boyne and homegrown grain, prioritizes measurable sust
Killin' It at Killowen Distillery
Nestled in the Mourne Mountains, along an old country road that was once a brandy smuggling route, you’ll find Ireland’s smallest distillery. Built in a renovated old cowshed, the Killowen Distillery in County Down was started by architect-turned-distiller Brendan Carty in 2017. Today, he runs the business with just four employees, himself included.This is our first episode profiling an Irish distiller, and we couldn’t be happier to be speaking with Brendan Carty about the magic of Killowen Dist
Guzzle Tov
It’s an exciting time in the food world in Ireland, so it should come as no surprise that, like restaurant pop-ups and artisanal producers, the landscape is ripe for new approaches to food writing too. Enter Jane Gleeson and Guzzle magazine, a new publication focused on the intersection of art and food, poised to make a splash with its unique perspectives. On this episode of Dyed Green, we speak to Guzzle editor Jane Gleeson about her inspiration for starting the magazine, and how using food and
There at the Beginning
John and Sally McKenna have been have been documenting the Irish food scene since before it even existed. Setting out in the 90s to explore the world of Irish artisan producers, they began publishing their perennially popular and highly respected McKenna’s Guides back when the Irish food scene consisted of a few cheesemakers spread out in the country, and no notable restaurants to speak of all. The McKennas have stayed on the case as Ireland’s chefs and artisans have gained confidence and become
Knives Out
Picture this: an organic farm on 250 acres of soft, green, rolling hills on a remote peninsula bordering the Atlantic Ocean—an idyllic location to grow vegetables and raise cows and pigs. At first glance, it seems like the Ferguson family—the multi-generational crew behind Gubbeen Farm outside Schull, West Cork—is living the dream: father Tom is the herdsman; mother Giana, the pioneering cheesemaker; son Fingal the smoked meat producer; and daughter Clovisse the bio-dynamic gardener. After takin
Save the Boyne
Our guests this week are Tommy McLarnon and Shannon Smith of the Save the Boyne campaign, which has been organizing local residents and concerned citizens to stop meat processing factory Dawn Meats from dumping wastewater into the Boyne River. The Boyne River is an important historical site and part of Celtic mythology, playing a key role in events like the Battle of the Boyne and stories like the Salmon of Knowledge. The river flows through a fertile valley, past ancient historical sites like t
Keepin’ It Beige with Keith Coleman
As the Great Resignation and the repercussions from the pandemic continue to accelerate changes already underway in the hospitality industry, more and more chefs are looking for ways to stay creatively involved in food outside of traditional restaurant kitchens. Keith Coleman is one such chef whose career has taken some unexpected turns. After working at Fumbally Cafe, he was the head chef at the beloved and short-lived Fia in Rathgar. More recently he started a pop-up, Roots, with his partner A
The Pocket, the Head, & the Heart: Farming for the Future in the Burren
The Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue described being born in the Burren, with its surreal, limestone landscape as a “huge, wild invitation to extend your imagination.” Located in County Clare, on Ireland’s west coast, not only is the Burren is one of the country’s most biodiverse regions—seventy percent of Irish native flora can be found there—it has been grazed for 6,000 years. Today, the Burren is celebrated for its High Nature Value farming, a forward-thinking sustainable management
Danni Barry Brings It All Back Home
Chef Danni Barry became the second woman in Ireland ever to earn a Michelin star while working at Eipic in Belfast in 2016—the first being none other than the legend Myrtle Allen, at Ballymaloe House in 1975. Barry is a powerhouse in the kitchen with a resumé that any young chef would aspire to. After coming up under the tutelage of Michael Deane, Barry worked at L’Enclume, Restaurant 23, and Cartmel in the UK and traveled around the world to places like Spain, Australia, and South Korea before
Movin' On Up: Rethinking Housing in a Time of Crisis
Eoin Ó Broin is truly a man of many talents: not only is he Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Housing, Local Government & Heritage and a TD for Dublin Mid-West, he’s also a prolific author, an avid home chef, and a former musician—there’s even a Spotify playlist dedicated to him. Eoin is an outspoken proponent of the need for government to invest in public and affordable housing and on this issue, he’s no stranger to speaking truth to power. We spoke to Eoin about the current housing crisis in Ireland
If You Mill It, They Will Come
If artisanal wheat varieties, milling your own grain, and regenerative agriculture make you hot around the collar, then this is the show for you!Our guest is Fintan Keenan, a regenerative grain farmer and flour miller who runs a 60 hectare organic farm on Bakkegården near Gyrstinge, in Denmark. Born and raised on a beef and dairy farm in County Monaghan, Keenan grows and mills heirloom wheat in Denmark and, with his brother Turlough, is growing over 60 varieties in Ireland - plus the 17 wheat va
Bread Medicine
What’s the difference between feeding people and actually nourishing them? Our guest this week has garnered international acclaim for her “Magic Poo Bread,” a 17-ingredient loaf designed with care to provide ultimate gut health. Karen O’Donoghue is the owner of the Happy Tummy Co. a bakery and cooking school in Westport, County Mayo. Driven by her mother’s cancer diagnosis and her own issues with IBS, Karen spent years developing a recipe for a tasty, nourishing loaf that—you guessed it—will hel
The Terroir of Butter: How Irish Food Speaks for Itself
What makes Irish food special? It’s not fancy techniques or luxury preparations, but the high quality of simple ingredients—hiding in plain sight all along. In an age where we can import nearly anything from anywhere, it’s a powerful statement to recognize that what makes Irish food unique is its ingredients, from produce, to foraged greens and berries, to seafood, and of course dairy (especially butter). This week’s guest is chef and food historian, Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, who explains that us
A Third Place in Dublin 8: Fumbally Cafe and Stables
How can we use food to strengthen communities? How can small businesses contribute positively to local economies? How can food businesses support sustainable ecology? How can we create nurturing environments for workers? These are questions that chefs and restaurant owners are constantly asking, even as they also struggle to keep their doors open in the midst of many intersecting challenges.This week we talk about all these issues and more with Aisling Rogerson, founder of Dubin’s Fumbally Cafe
Whittling Away at Climate Despair
The image of Ireland in most people’s minds—whether you’ve been there or not—is likely to be a landscape of lush green rolling hills and farmland. But when it comes to sustainability and biodiversity, how “green” is Ireland really?Our guest this week is author and environmental campaigner Pádraic Fogarty. Pádraic is the author of the book Whittled Away: Ireland’s Vanishing Nature and the spokesperson for the Irish Wildlife Trust. We speak with Pádraic about what the divisive “turf wars” are all
The Infinite Spirit Sense of Ourselves
Deeply rooted in the landscape, the Irish language is thousands of years old and full of words with multiple layers of meaning—not to mention countless references to the Otherworld.On this week’s episode, we speak with Irish writer, broadcaster, and Gaeilgeoir, Manchán Magan about how the Irish language and food can be used as a metaphor to tune in to our intrinsic connection to the land. We discuss Magan’s traveling show, Arán & Im, and his book, Thirty Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Ir
A Love Letter to Derry
We take a little bit of a detour from food this week and turn our spotlight on the walled city of Derry in the north of Ireland. Perhaps best known around the world for being the site of the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1972, Derry has come a long way over the past 50 years to become a model for peace and reconciliation.On today’s episode, we speak with Paul Doherty, owner of Bogside History Tours and a founding member of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, and Ciara O’Connor Pozzo, from the Museum
What's Irish for Delicious? Blasta!
Kristin Jensen is upending the publishing world in Ireland and we are here for it! A long time food writer, editor, and publisher, Kristin created the Blasta Books series to change the way cookbooks are made in order to make more room at the table.No matter what country you live in, the traditional publishing route for cookbooks tends to be prohibitively expensive. Very often chefs have to front the cost of ingredients and recipe testing, and food stylists and photographers are essential compone
Save the Salmon, Save the World: A conversation with Sally Barnes and Dan Saladino
Sally Barnes is the last wild Irish fish smoker in Ireland, a dedicated artisan who refuses to compromise her craft by working with any farmed fish–especially farmed salmon, whose existence in open net pens threaten the well-being of the already endangered, iconic fish. Unbeknownst to many of us, all around the world there are individuals and small communities working to protect foods on the brink of extinction. In his new book, “Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods & Why We Need To Sa
Foraging on the Kelp Superhighway
Did you know that seaweed is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat? Or that it can even dramatically reduce the amount of methane cows produce? Imagine the idea that eating something delicious could be both good for you AND cut down on harmful gases destroying the planet! On today’s episode, we speak to our friend John Fitzgerald, co-owner of Atlantic Irish Seaweed.John and his wife Kerryann have been running seaweed discovery courses and workshops in County Kerry since 2009. We talk to J
A Kiwi Grows in Galway
Jess Murphy is a celebrated chef, restaurant owner, writer, and activist. Originally from New Zealand, she moved to Ireland and opened the Michelin Green Star Kai restaurant in Galway’s West End. We talk to her about why we should all think about today’s Irish food on the same level as other internationally acclaimed cuisines. Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food and culture, through food tours, events, and media. Find out more at www.bog
The Taco Queen of Ireland
Tacos? For the 1st episode of a new Irish food podcast? Absolutely! We talk to Lily Ramirez Foran, a Mexican cook, storyteller, food writer, and shopkeeper. Originally from Monterrey, she found her way to Ireland via her husband Alan, who she met while studying in Japan. Together they founded Picado, a Mexican market and cooking school in Dublin. Her new book “Tacos” is now available from Blasta Books. Dyed Green is a project of Bog & Thunder, whose mission is to highlight the best of Irish food
Coming Soon, An Exploration of Irish Food & Culture
Coming soon from HRN, Dyed Green is a podcast about food and culture in Ireland. Hosted by Kate McCabe and Max Sussman, co-founders of the ecotourism company Bog & Thunder, each episode features dynamic conversations with chefs, farmers, scholars, and more - exploring Ireland’s rich culinary history, its dynamic creative culture, and challenging outdated stereotypes. It’s not just Guinness and potatoes (although there will be plenty of that too!) Join Kate and Max on a culinary journey to the co