An irresistible St Tola dish the highlight of reunion lunch in Killarney's Victoria Hotel .

An irresistible St Tola dish the highlight of  reunion lunch in Killarney's Victoria Hotel 

I just can’t resist St Tola goat cheese. Once I see this treasure from County Clare on the menu, I know what my order will be, no question. It happened most recently at a lovely get-together in Killarney’s Victoria House Hotel on the Muckross Road

The hotel’s Ivy Lounge is a splendid place to dine. There’s a high degree of comfort and space, a friendly, attentive and courteous team, and the food (not to mention the drink) didn’t disappoint either. All our group gave last week’s lunch a big thumbs up! 

A Goldie dessert with St Tola cheese ice cream

I spotted the St Tola early on: Baked Goat Cheese ( Warm baked St-Tola Goats Cheese, with salad and Balsamic Reduction). That's my starter!  No hesitation whatsoever. 

The premium cheese was of course the star of the show for me and I absolutely enjoyed the flavoursome combination. It reminded me of a starter from earlier this year on a visit to Clancy’s of Youghal, an attractively presented tartlet packed with the noble St Tola, beetroot and pomegranate seeds, an excellent tasty combination, further enhanced by watercress, toasted golden nuts, and rose hip dressing and topped with raspberry dust.

St Tola can be quite versatile at the table. Three years back Aisling Moore was serving it in a dessert at Goldie, a beautiful combination of the St Tola cheese ice cream, with Bushby raspberries and beetroot molasses.

I first came across the cheese in 2012 at a cheese, smoked salmon and wine event in Ballymaloe, featuring Jean Trimbach of Alsace,  Birgitta Curtin of Burren Smoked Salmon, and Siobhán Ní Ghairbhith of St Tola.

Of course, terroir came up. They are one and all dependent on their terroir. Siobhan said that if she were to transport her 200 plus goats to an inland county that the cheese flavours would be different. “We have a peaty soil near the Atlantic. The St Tola Log cheese is quite natural, a little fruity, hints of the peat and undertones of salt”.

Siobhan who took over the reins in 1999, is one of the people to support the drive to preserve the unique landscape to help develop thriving communities. “If the landscape is damaged so too is our future, whether we are farmers or consumers.”

The crumble's a regular on the menu.

Did you know that the St Tola ladies (the 4-legged ones) don’t like the wet, don’t like being outside in the rain. In the local conditions, which are fairly peaty (there is high rainfall in Inagh), they can pick up parasites and can develop foot problems. As it is, their feet need to be pared twice a year, not the easiest of jobs! 

Back to Killarney and the lunch. I spotted another favourite under the dessert heading: Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble with Crème Anglaise and Vanilla Ice Cream. It  is a regular here and was the popular choice in the group. 

The main course orders were fairly evenly split though I did notice that my Indonesian Cashew and Coconut curry (Medium Spiced Chicken Curry, Basmati Rice Crispy Poppadom, Cucumber Riata, Mango Chutney) had it adherents, myself included.

Indonesian Curry

When we were well fed, we headed nearer the town centre to the lively bar in the Killarney Avenue. There, I enjoyed a couple of Irish whiskeys, Green Spot and the local Liberator Small Batch. Sláinte!

* Killarney's Victoria Hotel is a comfortable and convenient location on the Ring of Kerry and the National Park is just a short stroll away.