A chara, – Current Irish Research Council-funded doctoral research by Caitríona Nic Philibín in Technological University Dublin on food in the Schools’ Collection of the Irish Folklore Commission may solve the poundies v champ debate (Eoin Mac Cormaic, Letters, October 8th), and identify the extent of regional Irish food, north and south. A search for “poundies” on duchas.ie brings up 66 results, all from Co Donegal. However, a search for “champ” reveals 63 transcripts from 10 different counties, principally Monaghan and Louth. Poundies is an anglicisation of brúítín, mashed potatoes, which appears in 60 transcripts from 11 counties, but over half in Donegal. Using the spelling bruightín unearths a further 29 transcripts. Only two transcripts on champ, brúítín, bruightín were from Galway and a further three from counties south of a direct line from Dublin to Clare. A search for boxty returns 2,106 transcripts predominantly in the northwest Counties, but boxty is known as stampy or steampaí in Kerry, Cork and Clare. Is there other terminology for mashed potato dishes in Munster and south Leinster? – Is mise,
Dr MÁIRTÍN
MAC CON IOMAIRE,
Food Historian
and chair of MA
Gastronomy & Food Studies,
Technological
University Dublin,
Grangegorman,
Dublin 7.