Donal's Kitchen Hero
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Donal visits Mary O’Rourke who taught English before she became a politician. She used Theodora's columns in the Irish Times as a teaching aid, believing that the stories and use of language would improve her own students' English. She talks about this to Donal, reads a couple of extracts from the paper, and discusses the ... 24:41 Expired
In the early 1960s, more people in Ireland were employed in domestic service (cooks, gardeners, maids) than there were teachers. Donal meets Patricia Quinn Murphy who started her working life as an assistant cook aged 16, in a large house in Wexford and learns about a recent but largely forgotten part of our social history... 25:26 Expired
Donal meets Marie O'Toole, a senior member of the ICA, for lunch. Marie tells Donal about the role the ICA has had in improving the lives of women in Ireland, teaching them how to grow plants and raise livestock. They discuss how the organisation campaigned for electrification and mains water in rural Ireland, and the impa... 25:17 Expired
There has been a Benedictine Abbey at Kylemore since 1919, and one of the Benedictine traditions is extending hospitality to anyone who visits. Donal visits the Abbey and meets Sister Karol, one of the last teachers from the girls' boarding school which the nuns ran at the Abbey. She cooks Donal a lemon sponge cake, and on... 25:34 Expired
Ireland's tourism industry started in Killarney more than 250 years ago, and Donal travels to the Kerry town to meet Seamus Healy, a chef who worked in hotels there for 45 years. In the grand dining room of the Malton Hotel, formerly the Great Southern Hotel, Seamus tells Donal about the types of food served in hotels nea... 24:53 Expired
Donal meets Brenda Costigan, who had a cookery slot on RTE's magazine programme ‘Live At Three’ for 12 years. She also had a column in the Sunday Independent for 40 years. Donal asks Brenda how food has changed in Ireland over the last 40 years, and they chat about Ireland's first TV chefs, Monica Sheridan and Darina Alle... 25:09 Expired
Donal visits Michael Gill, one of Ireland's leading publishers, to talk about Theodora Fitzgibbon, author of 30 books and a food writer at the Irish Times for 20 years. On Muckross Traditional Farms Donal learns how to milk a cow by hand, taught by 70-year-old farmer Neily Cahill who began milking his family's cows when h... 24:11 Expired
Donal visits Rovaniemi in Finland, the official home of Santa Claus to make some homemade edible gifts - fudge, Florentines, gingerbread - and gives them to Santa Claus to deliver, though finding Santa Claus is easier said than done.
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Donal cooks Toulouse sausage and puy lentil stew, and salt baked salmon for the passengers waiting for the next train on the Waterford to Dungarvan line. 23:44 Expired
Donal visits the Dublin Zoo - one of Ireland's most popular attractions, which opened in 1831. Feeding time at the zoo is always a popular event, and Donal sets out to feed some of the visitors with caramelised banana pancakes, Mexican fish tacos, and a polenta cake. 23:46 Expired
The Hook Lighthouse at Hook Head in Co Wexford is the world's oldest operational lighthouse - there's been a lighthouse here for 800 years and it's now a popular tourist attraction. Donal takes refuge from some appalling weather to cook for the windswept visitors, preparing a chorizo and chicken bean stew, and a warming ch... 23:30 Expired
Donal visits the famous Dublin Horse Show and prepares margarita chicken and tomato shellfish soup. In Donal's bakery, he makes a fun coffee swirl cake. 23:31 Expired
Donal visits Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, which was constructed over a thirty-year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter. He prepares seafood paella and bun cha, and also creates a wonderfully retro Mikado cake in honour of one of Ireland's most loved biscuits. 22:50 Expired
Donal visits Sheridans Cheesemongers' fourth Irish food festival at their Virginia Road Station headquarters in Co Meath where he is one of the judges at the Brown Bread competition. Donal prepares a very tasty kedgeree, lime and coconut chicken, and a lemon meringue pie. 24:10 Expired
Donal sets up his stall at the Docklands Festival in the heart of Dublin city. He prepares blue cheese and beef sliders, home made ketchup, Pad Thai, and salted peanut caramel mud pie. 24:04
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Donal heads for the Portmagee Set Dancing Festival in Co Kerry where he prepares jerk chicken with mango salsa, and a pavlova for dessert, leaving himself a little time to join in the set dancing. 23:03 Expired
Donal visits Cork and the Ballymaloe Lit Fest, Ireland's first festival dedicated to food writing to prepare sole meuniere and braised crispy chicken thighs. Other recipes include griddled baby gem lettuce, and profiteroles mountain. 24:02 Expired
Donal travels to Limerick for the annual Riverfest Festival, where, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, he cooks griddled beef and mint salad with toasted rice and peanuts. He also serves butterflied rosemary chicken with romesco sauce, a Thai noodle salad, and peanut butter sandwich cookies.December 2021
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Donal heads to Dungarvan and the West Waterford Food Festival. The terrible weather fails to dampen his spirits as he takes refuge in Dungarvan Castle and prepares beer battered fish and chips, and chilli and lemongrass chicken. He later cooks a brownie baked Alaska, and potato rosti. 23:37 Expired
Donal starts his tour of Ireland in his vintage Citroen H van in his home town of Howth, where he cooks at the Dublin Bay Prawn Festival.