Top Irish chefs plan culinary events in new tourism drive

Six of Ireland's best-known chefs are preparing to travel to the United States to showcase modern Irish cuisine.

The promotional drive has been organised by Tourism Ireland and involves Darina Allen (Ballymaloe House); Neven Maguire (MacNean's Bistro); Kevin Dundon (Dunbrody House); Michael Deane (Restaurant Michael Deane); Richard Hart (Glenlo Abbey Hotel) and David McCann (Dromoland Castle).

The campaign will start with a series of events in Boston and New York to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

One of the highlights will be a "gourmet gala" on March 15th where the Irish chefs are paired with six of Boston's top chefs to prepare an Irish and American version of the same dish.

Darina Allen has been using St Patrick's Day to promote Irish food in the US for about 20 years. "It's unbelievable how many people in America still think we live on corned beef and cabbage," she said.

"I think we cannot hammer the message home enough. So many Americans love Ireland and are dying to come here for so many reasons, but they think they are going to have to endure the food. I want to show them that the food in Ireland is as good as anywhere in the world."

As well as appearing on television and radio shows, she will act as the guest speaker at a gathering of food writers and editors in New York.

Cavan chef Neven Maguire has been invited to cook at James Beard House in New York during his visit. The James Beard Foundation invites chefs to "perform" at the culinary centre, which was set up in memory of one of the US's best known chefs and cookery writers.

Guests will pay $115 (almost €100) to sample Maguire's menu, which will include dishes such as Dublin coddle, black bacon-wrapped scallops on west Cork black pudding, and smoked-salmon sausage. The young chef said it was "a huge honour" to be asked to showcase Irish food in the US.

David McCann, master chef at Dromoland Castle, will deliver several cooking demonstrations at the New England Horticultural Show in Boston.

Meanwhile American gourmet food and wine publication Saveur will devote 40 pages to Irish food in its March issue.

Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland's vice- president for the US and Canada, said it wanted to spread the word that Ireland was a "premier holiday destination with an outstanding food product".