Tasting the Fleadh in Belfast

The Fleadh took place in Belfast this year and as I have never been to the city, Mr T and I decided it is the perfect opportunity to combine both.

Personally, I thought Belfast was too big for a festival like Fleadh Cheoil but we saw some great performances nevertheless. City Hall is not only a beautiful building but also the perfect background for concerts.

Apart from the music, it was also the history of the place that took hold of us. Afternoon tea at the Titanic Belfast Hotel took me back to historical times as the original drawing room was left untouched and while I was enjoying some delicious pastry, soaked up the atmosphere of history not too long ago.

We also visited St George’s Market which is one of those places where history and everyday life seem to sit comfortably side by side. The market dates back to the late 19th century, with the current Victorian building opening in 1896. It has survived everything from wartime damage to periods of decline, before being carefully restored in the late 20th century to become the vibrant hub it is today.

Now, beneath its red-brick arches and ironwork roof, it is alive with traders, musicians and visitors, a space where tradition continues to evolve rather than stand still. We found ourselves there during our search for great music, when the market felt like a natural extension of the celebration.

Stalls spilled over with colour and flavour and it was impossible to pass by Tom & Ollie without stopping. Their counters, piled high with olives, cheeses and all manner of deli treasures, drew us in and we left with bags full of the kind of good things that make the journey home feel shorter. I loved the dedicated section of Irish (Republic) cheeses like Carrigaline Truffle Farmhouse Cheese, Milleens, Gubbeen, Corleggy and loads of other of our favourites.

But we were drawn to Young Buck, claiming to be Northern Ireland’s only raw blue cheese. I came across the cheese a few years ago at a cheese fair and fell in love with the earthiness and nutty flavour of this crumbly cheese. Mr T also fell in love with it and the trip back to the hotel seemed longer than it actually was as we couldn’t wait to pair the cheese with crackers from Foods of Athenry and Black Apple Butter made from the finest apples from Armagh all available from Tom & Ollie.

A quick chat with Tom (at least I think it was Tom) revealed a love relationship with West Cork and Cork cheeses. It was difficult to walk away from the stall without buying any of the breads, olives or hummus on offer.

It wasn’t just food we carried away. Among the stalls we came across the work of Glenn Thompson, whose watercolour artwork offered a different kind of souvenir (Belfast landmarks and fish), something to hang onto long after the last olive had been eaten.

Between the flavours, the music and the craft, the market gave us more than just a visit; it gave us a small piece of Belfast to bring home. Belfast is more than just the Titanic Quarter and I am happy we took the trip up and soaking in not only the music but the food, the art and the people.