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St. Patrick's Day Countdown: Irish Stew

St. Patrick's Day Countdown: Irish Stew

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Written by Ciaran on Mar. 07, 2026 | 2 Comments

We’re counting down the days to March 17th with an offer and a potato-stuffed recipe for you every day until St. Patrick's Day! Check back in with us each day to see what’s up next!

It's taken us a week, but we have finally got to the most iconic of all Irish dishes: stew! The country cousin of our Dublin coddle from Day 6, Irish stew is a bit of an institution. And that’s not just here in Ireland, but anywhere there is an Irish pub or Irish people worldwide, which is most places!

A version of Irish stew was even commemorated on an Irish stamp in 2005. This somewhat deconstructed offering was from Ross Lewis, a chef at a Michelin-starred Dublin restaurant, Chapter 1.

Photo Credit: An Post

A comforting one-pot wonder, Irish stew has its origins in necessity. A masterclass of culinary minimalism, just a handful of ingredients add up to more than the sum of their parts. Made in a very similar way to Coddle, the slight difference in ingredients reflects the more rural character of a classic Irish stew.

A steaming hot pot of Irish stew made with lamb.

Reflecting its roots as a recipe of the people, there are as many different Irish Stew recipes as there are families that make it! Most have their own cherished recipe, perhaps passed down generations, and are willing to testify that theirs is the best or most traditional.

Mutton, lamb or beef?

The first cause for disagreement is usually over what meat to use. These days, you will typically see lamb used as the meat in Irish stew. Traditionalists will say it should be mutton (a sheep of 2 years or older). This again reflects the dish's rural roots. Sheep were far more valuable to an Irish family throughout much of the 18th to early 20th century, for their wool or milk.

Sheep are a pretty ubiquitous sight in the Irish countryside, so it's no surprise they found their way into a national dish!

So these useful creatures wouldn’t end up in a pot until they were past their prime, to put it kindly! This meat choice no doubt shaped the dish's low-and-slow cooking time, but in these days of plenty, it can actually be hard to find mutton! So lamb is often substituted in its place, with beef another common choice. Beef is often used because it is cheaper and more readily available, so it keeps to the spirit of the dish, if not to the letter of the recipe!

Deep Roots

A common thread in most recipes from the 18th century onward is the use of potatoes; on that, there is agreement! Many add other roots like carrots or turnips, too. Though 20th century cookery writer, Theodora Fitzgibbon, asserts that

“The pure flavour is spoilt if carrots, turnips or pearl barley are added.”

From A Taste of Ireland (1968).

Really, it is all a matter of preference. And given that Irish stew, like Coddle, is a food of the people, the dish is all about providing a hearty, comforting meal with readily available, and sometimes limited, ingredients. So we would argue with Theodora Fitzgibbon on that point, but perhaps she is closer to the mark when she contends that stew is

“likely one of the oldest Irish recipes in existence”

From The Food of the Western World (1983).

This may well be true, particularly if you include the older, pre-potato versions that were thickened with barley or oats. There is archaeological evidence from the Neolithic era for cooking involving stewed meat in Ireland. Deep roots indeed!

An evolving tradition

Given this possibly ancient origin, you may be surprised to find that one of the first written mentions of “Irish mutton stew” dates to around 1753, in the Inchiquin Papers at the National Library of Ireland. The first printed recipe comes a few decades later, with Eliza Melroe’s An Economical and New Method of Cookery (1798):

“Take fat mutton chops, any quantity, for example, two pounds, potatoes from four to six pounds, washed and scraped; onions or leeks, a proportionate quantity; pepper and salt a sufficiency; stew the above with a small quantity of water, in a vessel covered. Note — it makes a very cheap, wholesome, nourishing dish…”

Stews of the type Eliza wrote about were typically cooked over the coals in the hearth in a large cast-iron pot with a firmly fitting lid, which was also used for baking.

Photo Credit: Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.

This recipe was picked up and adapted in 1800, with the addition of carrots, which remains a controversial choice to this day. However, it makes sense that the recipe has evolved over its long, long life. Today, you might see all manner of veggies in there, including turnip, cabbage, and leeks, as well as carrots and potatoes.

The final thing everyone agrees on is that “A boiled stew is a spoiled stew.” So keep the temperature low, give yourself plenty of time, and you should be on to a tasty, comforting dinner. This recipe is from Board Bia and is as traditional as they come these days… not a bit of beef or a generous pour of guinness to be seen!

Ingredients

1-1½ kg neck or shoulder of lamb
Bouquet of parsley, thyme and bay leaf (tied together with twine)
3 large onions, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 small turnip, chopped into bite-sized pieces
New potatoes, peeled and quartered, or a handful of large potatoes, peeled and chopped
75-100g cabbage, shredded
Finely chopped parsley

Method

Remove the meat from the bone, trim off all the fat and cut into cubes. Keep the bones; place the meat in a pot, then cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, drain and rinse the lamb.
In a fresh pot, put the meat, bones, bouquet of herbs, onions, seasoning, carrots, leeks, and turnip, then cover with water. Simmer gently for one hour. Skim off the foam as it rises. (This is very important for the final flavour and appearance of the stew.)
Add the potatoes and continue cooking for 25 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, add in the cabbage.
When the meat and vegetables are cooked, remove the bones and bouquet of herbs.
Stir in the chopped parsley and serve in deep bowls with bread, generously spread with good Irish butter.

Will you enjoy an Irish stew - mutton, lamb, beef or otherwise this St. Patrick's Day? Let us know in the comments below.

What's Next?

Check back in with us tomorrow for Day 8 of our St. Patrick's Day countdown, or open Door Number 7 of our 17 Days of celebratory offers!

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Ciaran

My Irish Jeweler

Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!

I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!

Comments

Martha Deane

Love the Irish history (& recipes) as much as the several pieces of jewelry that I’ve bought. Can’t wait for my visit to Ireland (in 2027) and will definitely stop in to say hello. Happy St. Patrick’s Day (in advance)

Jane ChadwickMartha Deane

That is lovely to hear Martha, thank you! Will pass on your praise to my husband Ciarán and to the rest of the team. Let us know when you have your dates and we will have the kettle on for your arrival ... 2027 will be here before you know it! Beannachtaí na Féile Padraig Ort or Happy St. Patrick's day to you too from all the team here in Dublin.