Showing posts with label Kelly's Newport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelly's Newport. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Friendliness. Food. Flowers. All, and more, at Keenan’s of Tarmonbarry.

Friendliness. Food. Flowers. All, and more, at Keenan’s of Tarmonbarry


Friendliness. Food. Flowers. You’ll find all three, and much more besides, in Keenan’s Hotel in Tarmonbarry on the Roscommon Longford border.


Indeed, the location is another plus factor for this family run hotel, the premises founded in 1865 and now run by the sixth generation of the family. 

This part of the restaurant overlooks the Shannon.


The historic pub lies at the crossroads of the mighty River Shannon flowing north to south, and the N5 linking the east and west coasts; the N4 is also close by. 


Tarmonbarry Bridge, built in the mid-1840s and probably tolled in the early days, made the location a strategic one for the new pub and it soon became a regular watering hole for travellers as it is to this day. In the mid-1970s the bridge was adapted so it could open to accommodate larger watercraft.

This salmon was a favourite!


Enjoyed this..
Waterways are important in this area of the country. Keenan’s are on the bank of Shannon, alongside that bridge (to Longford) were boats pass through and a few hundred yards down is the Tarmonbarry Lock, a peaceful spot (the only noise is when the lock gates operate!) with fine views and mooring spaces for boats.


Travellers come from far and near, by road, river and canal, to Keenan’s, especially this time of the year, “the queen weeks” as Annette Keenan called them when we chatted. Last Wednesday evening was busy there, scores of diners in the bar. 

..and this!



But there were even more present on the Thursday, yet they handled it all very well, finding tables for everyone. And the food was of a very good standard indeed and of course I was happy to see two craft brews on tap!


The craft beers available were the Scraggy Bay from Donegal’s Kinnegar and the Little Fawn by Sligo’s White Hag. Over the two nights, I sampled both and delighted to do so.They may well have had other local beers in bottle. Also, on the shelves, you’ll spot the distinctive blue gin bottle of the nearby Lough Ree distillery. I was kicking myself as I hadn’t known about it when strolling through Lanesborough earlier in the day - I must have walked past it! How could that happen?


Anyway, back to the food. They have quite a menu here. We enjoyed their Chicken Wings (with sesame seeds, Hot Sauce, side blue cheese mayo & celery sticks), Shredded duck confit in crispy filo pastry, rocket salad, drizzled with hoisin, lime & chilli jam, but our favourite was perhaps the classic Atlantic Prawn Cocktail With Marie rose sauce (no shortage of prawns!).

Rhubarb & plum crumble. Yum!


Lots of choice too on the mains menu, everything from steak to vegetarian. Dishes that we enjoyed were their Steak Sandwich (6oz Sirloin Steak on a toasted ciabatta bread with garlic butter, topped with sauté onions, served with a side of hand-cut chips & pepper sauce), the Roasted confit of Duck, crushed baby potatoes with bacon & onion, grilled asparagus & broccoli, orange sauce, and also Roast Chicken Supreme (with gratin potatoes, grilled tender stem broccoli & asparagus, celeriac apple velouté sauce, balsamic glaze). 

Panoramic shot as pleasure boat approaches the lifted section of bridge with traffic stopped on both sides on the N5. The boat had just come through the Tarmonbarry Lock, a few hundred metres back. A few boats came through
from the left as well.


We had a favourite here with lots of flavour and textures and that was the Fresh Roast Salmon with sauté pak choi, mixed peppers, courgette & red onion, grilled asparagus & broccoli, with mango salsa & baby potatoes.

 

Our dive into the desserts wasn’t quite that deep but we certainly enjoyed the two that we managed, the Mango & Passionfruit Pannacotta with Champagne sorbet and also the crunchy and very tasty Rhubarb and Plum Crumble.

A boat comes through the bridge and heads for the nearby
Tarmonbarry Lock.


In the morning, it was upstairs (for us) to the lovely breakfast room and another fine menu, full of choice. Again local producers were supported with eggs from Diffley’s farm, bacon and sausages from Dunnes farm and black and white pudding from Kellys of Newport. We enjoyed various combinations after starting with orange juice and cereals (including their own impressive granola). Hot porridge was also available. And a highlight was a really well made brown bread.


We were out and about most of the time so didn’t get to sample the lunch menu but it looks tempting and contains quite a few of the dishes available later on, along with a selection of sandwiches. You’ll be well fed here, no matter what time of day you call in!


More on Keenan's here


Part 2

Friendliness. Food. Flowers. You’ll find all three, and much more besides, in Keenan’s Hotel in Tarmonbarry on the Roscommon Longford border.


At your service! Father and son: Barry and David.



In Part 1, we spoke mainly about the food. Let us get back to the friendliness. Because of the seasonality of the business here, staff will change but the class of 2022 seems to me to be exceptional. Excellent teamwork all round, very friendly and also very efficient. And of course, family members such as Annette and Barry and son David pitch in and work as hard as anyone.

Keenan's looks well on its N4 side.


David, part of the sixth generation here, was appointed as general manager last year. The original pub, a more modest establishment, was opened by David’s great great great grandfather, Hugh Reynolds, on the same site in 1865. 


David’s parents, Barry and Annette Keenan, took over 25 years ago and were responsible for introducing the food service with which Keenans has become synonymous, as well as developing the 12-bedroom boutique hotel.

And on the river side where the rooms, with flowers on the balconies,
 overlook the mighty River Shannon.


The welcome here begins with the flowers, organised by Annette. The striking arrangement, both on the streetside and on the riverbank aspect, are bright and cheerful and beckon you to stop. After all, if people take such care of their public places, then I reckon the same care will be applied within the premises and so it proved over our two-day stay.


Indeed, the whole village looks neat and tidy. On our second day, the concrete faces of the bridge were getting a new coat of paint. Tarmonbarry Lock, a couple of hundred yards from the hotel, is also well kept, a good place to sit and relax and watch the boats come and go.

Teasels in Strokestown Walled Garden.


Picking Keenan’s as a location makes many interesting places very accessible indeed. Here are a few that we visited. Our first stop was Elphin, to see the famous windmill, the only one in Connacht. Well, we did get to see it but it wasn’t working as repairs were in progress.


Our next stop, a longer and a much more sobering one was at Strokestown House, to see the National Famine Museum. We then took a stroll through the Woodland Park and the huge walled gardens before a lovely light lunch in the café there. Unluckily for us, Strokestown House wasn’t yet open to the public so we missed out on further increasing the “experience" of the famine times. We’ll have to go again, for a third time, as we also missed out a few years when while staying in Roscommon Town.


Another stop was at Ballyleague (Roscommon) and across the bridge to Lanesborough (Longford). More scenic views and plenty of boats too.

At rest in the Hidden Ireland, on the Royal Canal in Cloondara


Then it was time to head to the hotel and soon we were strolling down to the lock. And yes there were a few boats coming in and heading for the bridge. From the lock, we could see a section of the bridge rising to allow the boats through and the following day, we got a close-up view of that operation, carried out by staff from the lock.

Walking the National Famine Way


On the second morning, we strolled over the bridge and walked a kilometre or so, maybe a little longer, to Cloondara in Longford. This little village is where we found the Royal Canal and quite a few boats. Here too the National Famine Way continues; it is a self-guided Trail detailing the ill-fated journey of 1,490 famine emigrants who walked from Strokestown Park to ships in Dublin in 1847, at the height of the Irish Famine.


This 165km digitally and physically waymarked historic trail following in the footsteps of the famine emigrants and particularly focusing on one of them, 12 year old Daniel Tighe. The National Famine Way™ runs from Strokestown Park, Co. Roscommon to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin’s Docklands, along country roads and the Royal Canal towpath. 

Bronze childrens shoes mark the National Famine Way.


An app is available free of charge from the App Store. The official pack and passport with OSI Map ensure an optimum experience for walkers and cyclists on the safe and relatively flat route. The trail is waymarked by 32 poignant sculptures of bronze 19th-century children’s shoes along the route.


This accredited Heritage and Arts Trail not only links two significant Irish museums but also makes the connection between Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Ireland’s Ancient East and echoes current day famine and migration. In addition to the health, historical, cultural and arts impact it offers an economic boost to local communities with cycling hire, cafés, bars, shops and accommodation all benefiting.


Much more info on the National Famine Way may be seen here. 

Our boat, the Blue Moon.


Having seen so many enjoy the lakes, rivers and canals, we headed for Carrick-on-Shannon and a cruise on the river in the Moon River, an all-weather “adventure” in a fully enclosed and heated cruiser, owned and run by Blue Moon. There is some limited outdoor seating at front and rear. The company highlights that the boat is a fun adventure and provides music and a bar. Later, we visited the quiet village of Leitrim.


Plans to visit the Shed Distillery in Drumshanbo didn’t quite work out so we’ll have to go again. And, with a base like Keenan’s, that won’t be any hardship at all!


Also on this trip:

Local Whiskey and Beers all the way from Mayo to Roscommon 

48 Hours in Roscommon and neighbouring counties

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Kelly’s Puddings now stocked inTesco stores.

 Kelly’s Puddings now stocked

 inTesco stores


 

Kelly’s Black and White Puddings and Kelly’s Sausages are now stocked in 66 Tesco stores nationwide; a number of other Kelly’s products are available to purchase in select stores in Connacht. This is a significant achievement for Kelly’s Butchers, an artisan family business based in Newport, Co. Mayo, who celebrated 90 years in business last year.

 

The award-winning puddings, made to a closely guarded traditional recipe, have been a favourite of chefs and home cooks for years. They are championed by Neven Maguire and Philippe Farineau of Ashford Castle amongst others. Kelly’s motto is “We manufacture up to a standard, not down to a price” and they hold fast to that promise throughout the entire range.

 

“We are very pleased to see Kelly’s products so widely available on Tesco shelves”, said Seán Kelly of Kelly’s, “We have a lot of demand from customers all around the country and now it will be easy for them to pick up Kelly’s Puddings in their local Tesco”.


 

The full list of products available in Tesco nationally:

  • Kelly’s Black and White Puddings (280g)
  • Kelly’s Sausages (454g)

List of products available in Tesco stores in the Connacht area:

  • Kelly’s Mini Mixed Puddings (2 x 140g)
  • Kelly’s Hazlett (280g)
  • Kelly’s All Day Breakfast Pack
  • Kelly’s Vegetarian Sausages (227g)
  • Kelly’s Vegetarian Pudding (280g)
  • Kelly’s Jumbo Dinner Sausages (350g)

Kelly’s are introducing recyclable packaging across the pre-packed range. Sausages are now packed in clear trays with cardboard sleeves, both of which are recyclable and environmentally friendly. Kelly’s Butchers is a member of Repak. 

 

Kelly's Butchers are also proud of the many awards and honours achieved over the years from organisations such as the Great Taste Awards, Blás na hEireann, Craft Butchers of Ireland, Food & Wine Magazine and Slavatko Holland. In 2019 Kelly’s products won an unprecedented four gold medals (eight medals altogether) at the IFFA Food Fair Frankfurt, Germany, the world's leading trade fair. Seán Kelly was the first man in Ireland to be made a Knight of the Boudin Noir by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goute-Boudin from Mortagne-au-Perche, France.

 

Kelly’s Butchers shop has been a feature of Newport’s main street for almost a century and they have recently extended the retail shop area and completed a full professional refit giving it a contemporary look, which blends seamlessly with the traditional butcher’s counter. Provenance is a major consideration and stock is sourced locally or in Ireland where possible. The retail area includes foodstuffs and some giftware. Their location, right on the Greenway cycle trail has brought a whole new wave of customers to the butcher shop and Kelly’s Kitchen café next door.


press release

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Kelly’s Putóg for St. Patrick’s Day

press release
Kelly’s Putóg for St. Patrick’s Day
 
Kelly’s Butchers won a gold medal for this ‘pint of pudding’ made out of Kelly’s Pudding and garnished with shamrocks.
St. Patrick’s Day is all about tradition – and there’s nothing more traditional than a Putóg. The ‘Putóg’ is the traditional Irish black pudding made in every farmhouse in the West of Ireland. The filling was a combination of oatmeal, onions, suet, blood, salt and pepper and other easily sourced ingredients. Originally it was made in the time-honoured casing of a sheep’s stomach. Award winning butchers, Kelly’s of Newport, are keeping tradition alive by producing the ‘Putóg’ in its original form. The word ‘Putóg’ actually translates from Irish as ‘gut’, or ‘belly’. Kelly’s Putógs are flying off the shelves coming up to the big day itself, ready to grace breakfast (and dinner tables countrywide).

In recent years there’s been a trend for Irish embassies worldwide to bring in Kelly’s puddings and sausages to impress their St. Patrick’s Day guests. This year is no exception – 1200 Kelly’s sausages are winging their way to the Irish Embassy in Helsinki, Finland and the Druid Chef, Rory Morahan is heading off to Cyprus with a stack of Kelly’s puddings under his oxter ready to cook up a storm for the celebrity guests.

Kelly’s Butchers, Newport, Co. Mayo are a traditional artisan butchers with a thriving retail shop. They still run their own abattoir, buy local stock and manufacture all their own products onsite. They do not outsource manufacturing. Products are available through specialist shops and supermarkets countrywide as well as through the website. Kelly’s are proud supporters of Newport 300, the town’s tricentenary celebrations. 

Monday, October 16, 2017

Kelly's Butchers Newport. We Believe In Quality

Kelly's Butchers Newport
We Believe In Quality
Kelly's of Newport


For us, it is all about the food - the quality of the ingredients. You can be sure that we will always source our meat locally where possible, and if it's not local, it is always Irish. We believe in quality, in supporting our local farmers and Irish producers. We hope you do too. 

This is the philosophy of Kelly’s Butchers in Newport. It has stood them well over the decades. And I heard it reiterated at first hand from Paddy McDonald (Quality Assurance manager) and Ger Chambers (Production manager) during a recent visit. Both are fully behind it and you know there'll be no “rind emulsion” here. “Not as long as I have anything to do with it,” says a determined Ger.
Kelly's Kitchen (left) and the shop
Paddy is not a stay-in-the-office manager. He gets out and meets the customers, anywhere from Ballina to Blanchardstown. And he is thrilled, and encouraged, with the reaction. People can't believe the flavours. 

I recall craft beer guru Garret Oliver talking about introducing craft beer to people. They say this is nice, doesn't taste like beer. He had an explanation: “The beer they grew up with didn't taste like real beer!” So, Paddy tells his tasters about that good stuff that goes into Kelly’s products. They are reassured and delighted that they know now where to get the real thing. The principle put into practice pays off.
Black pudding on baguette for lunch
It’s not all serious stuff here though. Good humour abounds. Who else would take a black pudding in the shape of a pint to the prestigious Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goute-Boudin in Mortagne-au-Perche, Normandy? Better still, they won the gold! And Kelly's are proud organisers and sponsors of the All Ireland Putóg Throwing Competition  (shot putt rules apply) which is the highlight of the Newport Festival every August. 

Sean Kelly, the Mayo Person of the Year 2017, is the public face of Kelly’s, but it was brother Seamus who was in charge of the shop when we called and he proudly showed us their range of puddings (they produce much more besides): the black, the white, the black and white (half and half), and now the Vegetarian (delicious!). 
Quiche

We had arrived at lunchtime so were invited in next door to the café run by Shauna Kelly (Sean’s daughter). Had we been earlier, much earlier, we could have breakfast: porridge, granola, the full Irish of course and more.

But, being visitors, we were keen to sample the pudding and there was such a choice: black, white, seaweed and more. I went for the Black Goat  and that, with goats cheese and salad, kept me going for hours. There was also a white equivalent. CL dined well on her Black pudding and goats cheese quiche. 

Lots of meat as you'd expect from the shop next door but no shortage of fish dishes either and plenty of salads in a lovely room with warm colours. And you’ll also enjoy the homemade relishes and chutneys. Not warm enough outside for us, though it was a lovely day, but in summer you can dine al fresco.
Two of Newport's best: Kelly's puddings and the Greenway.
Then Paddy took us on tour. Their modern two years old facility is built onto the rear of the previous one (now used mainly for admin and dispatch). The process is streamlined, with the emphasis on hygiene, health and safety and efficiency. It works well throughout the week and here much of the credit goes to Ger Chambers.

When kitted out, Paddy took us through. Not a warm welcome though. His first stop was the Blast Chiller! Brrr… But it is a massive bonus for the Kelly’s as it helps increase shelf life of the products.
Yours truly with Seamus Kelly (left)
The different products and their different sizes were explained. Did you know four different types of organic seaweed is used in the Seaweed Pudding? The popular Hazlett (a traditional meatloaf, often eaten cold) has fresh leeks and carrots and 70% pure pork. It comes in standard size for domestic use and also in a 2.5 kilo size.

Putóg
And that vegetable pudding? You might think that this, coming from a renowned meat company, would be just a token effort. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Kelly name is on the packet so the best of ingredients are used and it is top quality. It was the first of the samples that I tried back at home and it is really very impressive.

While we were making our way around, taking in all the machinery and the storage areas, the crew were busy at work. The weekly schedule doesn't change much. Production in the morning. The early part of the afternoon sees the machines being taken apart and meticulously cleaned. 

Then the line is prepared for the morning. Ingredients, the spice, rusk or the oatmeal for instance, are lined up. And all is ready. We were there on the Thursday afternoon. And that following morning, black pudding would be produced, an amazing 3.5 tonnes of it! So you can see why the detailed preparation is needed. There’s a country to be fed!


Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Taste of the Week. Kelly’s Vegetarian Pudding

Taste of the Week
Kelly’s Vegetarian Pudding

If you think of sausages and black pudding makers in Ireland then Kelly’s of Newport are going to be in your short list. Must admit I was surprised then to find they make a Vegetarian Pudding, a really good one and our Taste of the Week.

So why would a butcher, a prize-winning butcher, make a vegetarian pudding? “Our customers kept asking us”. The challenge, of course, was to make it as tasty as their meaty ones. They think they’ve done just that and, having dispatched one here in Cork, I agree. 

By the way, Kelly’s puddings are easy to cook. Grill them or fry them to get that crunch on the outside. In a hurry, then pop a few slices in the microwave.


Oatmeal, onions, fresh eggs are among the ingredients. This is not a token effort for the vegetarians but a serious pudding (the Kelly name is on the packet!) that is a flavoursome addition to the breakfast plate, vegetarian or otherwise. Enjoy.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Five star grub in a roadside pub. The Tavern, Murrisk.

Five star grub in a roadside pub
The Tavern, Murrisk.
Amazing game pie

It had been a sunny day in Mayo but an autumnal cold had settled in by the time we arrived at The Tavern in Murrisk for evening dinner. We had been looking forward to the special menu, matching local foods with the fabulous Mescan Belgian style beers from a working farm on the nearby slopes of Croagh Patrick. We would not be disappointed. Far from it!

After a chat with host Pat Kelly, we began to study the menu. The Warm Silverhill Duck and Smoked Bacon Salad looked tempting as did their Award Winning Atlantic Seafood Chowder. But we each went for the Tavern Wild Atlantic Way Tasting Board.

This consisted of Cleggan scallops with Kelly’s Gluten free black pudding, bacon dust, rosette of Connemara Smoked Salmon, with Velvet Cloud Yogurt and home pickles, Galway Farm Goats cheese bon bons and homemade quince jelly. You couldn't get much more local than that and you'd travel a long way to get something better. Five star grub in a roadside pub. All washed down with the recommended Mescan beers, the Blonde and the White. A match made in Westport.
Starter

On then to the main event. The menu offered Fillet of Angus Steak, an offer hard to resist but resist we did on this occasion. CL went for the Trio of West Coast Pan Fried Seafood: Clare Island salmon, parma ham wrapped monkfish, fresh hake with lemon and dill butter, chive mash and mixed leaf salad. 

That piece of salmon alone would have made someone a fine dinner as would the monkfish. Quantity but more importantly quality. And the small things were well taken care also. The dressing with the salad was one of the very best we’ve come across. And to cap it all, the Mescan Saison was a perfect match.
Trio of fish

I had been looking forward to the Game Pie since I first saw the list. The mega mix included rabbit, pheasant and venison with a horseradish and cheddar mash and the pie was surrounded by a tonne of roasted root vegetables. And then there was a bottle of Westporter Stout to help it down. A memorable meal.

We should have had stopped then! But, easily persuaded, we shared a selection of desserts, with the Mescan Kriek: Sticky Toffee Pudding, the Tavern’s Homemade Brown Bread and Bailey's Ice-cream and, the star of the trio, Pauline’s Fruit Crumble with Irish Mist Anglaise. Before that, we had enjoyed a wee chat with busy Head Chef Pauline McGovern
Dessert

Quite a meal then, one that necessitated a walk in the cool, calm evening air before we called the taxi to return us to Westport and the lovely Clew Bay Hotel. And, by the way, if you in the Westport area and looking for a reliable friendly taxi-driver then try Conor at 087-2413722.

The Tavern Bar & Restaurant
Carrowkeeran, Westport, Co. Mayo.
Tel: 098 64060
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetavernmurrisk/   
Twitter: @TavernMurrisk