Ardrahan

Semi-soft, and made from cows’ milk, this cheese originates from Ardrahan Farmhouse, Kanturk, County Cork. It is made with traditional homemade techniques, by Eugene and Mary Burns, who first made the cheese on their farm in County Cork in 1983. This Irish cheese is made entirely from the milk of the Burns' cow herd, which comprises Friesian cows. It is a vegetarian cheese made with whole milk and vegetarian rennet and it has a 25% fat content. The ridged, brine-washed rind is encrusted with brown, ochre, gray and yellow molds. Ardrahan cheese has a complex and unique flavor that has been described as ripe, salty, nutty with subtle hints of herbs and grass. Its earthy, farmhouse taste and aroma, combined with a zesty tang, enhance the rich, buttery and meaty flavor. It has a smooth texture, is usually made in a wheel shape with an edible, full-bodied rind. Its deep yellow interior is firm and slightly chalky and it usually matures in four to eight weeks. The finish is reminiscent of a young Gruyere. Ardrahan has won many awards, including multiple medals from the British Cheese Awards.

Baylough 

 

 

A mixed herd of Friesians and distinctive, Red and White Dutch cows provide the full-cream milk for Baylough, a hard-pressed, waxed cheese which can mature for many months. There are several varieties of this cheese, including Oak-smoked Garlic and Herbs Fresh Garlic.

Blarney  

It is a semi-hard cheese made from cows' milk. The fat content is less than 50%. This cheese is round-shaped and is similar to the Danish cheese Samso.

Blue Rathgore

Blue Rathgore ranks among vegetarian blue cheeses. It is modern cheese made from goats' milk. The natural crust is creamery white and wet. The cheese is moist and crumbly, with a slightly spicy taste. It has a creamy consistency and a blue green mold with a pleasant buttery flavor. Good for cheese courses, sauces, dips, and dressings. The period of ripening is three to six months.

Boilie

Boilie are fresh cheese curds that have been rolled by hand into balls. Arriving in a jar, marinating in oil and herbs, one coming from cow's milk and the other from goat's milk.  Each is naturally preserved in sunflower oil, delicately flavored with herbs and garlic, and packed in glass jars. Boilie is wonderfully delicate and is soft enough to spread. A delicious goat cheese with a hint of garlic and salt, very light and creamy. Try to make this yourself, using chevre, your favorite herbs, and safflower oil. The wonderful thing about Boilie is that it can be kept on the pantry shelf and used when needed as the oil acts as a preservative.

Cahill's Irish Porter Cheddar

From County Limerick, Porter, a dark-brown nutty beer, gives this cheese its striking marbled appearance. It has a great yeasty quality and sometimes puts forth a hint of chocolate. 

Marbled, with deep brown veins running throughout and a waxy rind. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk. Maker Marion Cahill has also created an Irish Whiskey Cheddar!

Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheeses

A bright yellow wax rind surrounds a sweet creamy cheese.mellow and smooth, this cheese is very reminicent of butter. As the cheese ages it can develop a bit of a bite. It is a handmade cow's milk cheese. Ann and Pat O'Farrell are the makers of this amazing cheese and suggest enjoying it after dinner with a glass of port.

Cashel Blue

This is a hand-made, semi-soft, blue veined, medium-strength blue cheese with a creamy texture. Cashel Blue was the first Irish blue cheese, named after the Rock of Cashel overlooking the pastures close to the cheese farm of the family Grubb. It has large blue flecks, made by the action of Penicillium roqueforti. This is made from cow's milk mostly sourced from the Friesian herd on the farm. It is frequently used in cooking, as it is not as salty as other blue cheeses. When young, it is firm, yet moist, with just a hint of fresh tarragon and white wine. With age, its character emerges, mellowing to a rounder, more spicy style. It is available pasteurized, unpasteurized, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. It is a table cheese, excellent spread thickly on warm walnut bread.

Made on the farm of Jane and Louis Grubb, Cashel Blue leaves the farm wrapped in gold foil and carries a batch code number. The first two numbers of the batch code correspond to the week of the year so the age of the cheese is always known. Alternatively smaller portions carry a best before or sell by date. These dates are set as a guide for persons who require a mild flavored cheese and can be extended for a stronger flavor. Storing the cheese in foil in a refrigerator or cool larder allows the cheese to slowly mature further until the required ripeness is achieved. A full flavored ripe cheese is soft to handle whereas a young mild cheese is firm and crumbly.

Coolea

The hills of Coolea give their name to this acclaimed raw-milk, Gouda-style cheese made by the Williams family. This rich, nutty cheese with a fruity tang on the finish, is a type of cow's milk cheese that consists of a smooth  texture with rich, sweet, caramel flavors. It is covered in a thick, solid wax rind which contributes to the cheese's flavor and texture. Semisoft, it is not extremely intense, but possesses a smooth nuttiness with a lingering finish. A perfect snacking cheese.

Cooleeney

 

 

A soft-white, full-flavored and grassy cheese from Breda Maher, it is made from raw cow’s milk, has a moist, creamy texture with a vegetable, mushroom flavor. A popular cheese among the Irish and foreign tourists.

 

Corleggy

This cheese contains only non-animal rennet and is a perfect fit for vegetarians. It is a hard cheese, hand made from pasteurized goat's milk. The milk is produced by a large herd of goats that graze the lush drumlins of County Cavan along the River Erne. The rind of Corleggy is natural, formed by bathing the cheeses in sea salt brine. Every individual cheese is matured from 8 weeks to 4 months, depending on the season, weather, humidity and the seasonality of the grass and herbs available to the goats at the time of making the cheese. Hard cheese made from goat’s milk is generally not common. This one is particularly special because the production process is very small.

Croghan  

Semi-soft, vegetarian, goat milk cheese of round shape. The smooth, brine-washed leathery rind is brown-pink to terra cotta in color and has some mold. This cheese is made by Luc and Anne Van Kampen and the production is loosely based on Gouda. The flavor of the cheese suggests grass and hay, while the finish is aromatic without being pungent. It is made only from spring to autumn and the period of maturing is from four to twelve weeks.

Crozier Blue

 

From County Tipperary, this is a hand-made, semi-soft, medium-strength blue cheese with a creamy texture and notes of fruit and a throat-tingling sensation. Made from sheep's milk, it comes from the farm of Jane and Louis Grub and is actually made by their daughter, Sarah Furno. Crozier Blue is a newer creation to go along with its sister cheese, Cashel Blue, made using from cow's milk.

Doolin 

It is wheel shaped with a smooth, hard, golden-yellow, waxed rind. It is a vegetarian, hard cheese made from cow's milk. There are three versions of this cheese: Young Doolin, which is sold only after two months; Mature Doolin that has a more distinctive fruity character; Vintage Doolin with fine grainy texture and buttery flavor. Turned by hand, it matures very slowlyand is also used as a table cheese. it is also used for grating, grilling or in sauces.

Dubliner

A  sweet mature cheese that is aged over twelve months, and is named after the city of Dublin, although it is made in County Cork. It has a robust flavor, pairing well with with apples and grapes, or a well-balanced red wine. It combines the sharpness of mature cheddar, the nuttiness of Swiss and the piquant bite of Parmesan. To maximize the flavor let it rest at room temperature at least one hour before serving. The cheese was developed by Irishman John Lucey and this secret recipe is exclusively held by the company Carbery.

Dunbarra Shamrock Brie

A soft, smooth classic brie. It is been said to taste of chicken broth with a lemony twang. A creamy cheese, its white rind is edible and though this is a relatively new cheese, it has already garnered its share of awards.

Durrus

A washed rind, cow's milk cheese, it was invented by Jeffa Gill in 1979, and is made using traditional methods. Durrus is produced in the valley of Coomkeen, on the Sheep's Head Peninsula in the southwest corner of Ireland, where local herds provide the raw milk needed to make it.

Gabriel

Wheel-shaped, with sharp edges and made from cow's milk, this cheese is very similar to Gruyere and has a strong fruity taste. The cheese is cured for many months with neither wax nor plastic, being allowed to mature naturally. It is produced by Bill Hogan and Sean Ferry of West Cork Natural Cheese Limited. The natural rind is smooth, dark brown and very hard.

Gubbeen

 

Made by the Tom and Gina Ferguson in Schull, West Cork, this is a washed rind cow's milk cheese. It ranges from gentle and milky, to pungent and savory, depending on its age. Like edam, its texture is smooth and pliant. It is vegetarian, semi-soft, table cheese with its terra cotta, brine-washed rind, having fine white and pale blue molds. A dense, full-bodied cheese, it is rich and savory. This cheese twice won silver medals at the British Cheese Awards.

Knockalara

This is a fresh, feta-style cheese made on the Waterford farm by Wolfgang and Agnes Schliebitz. Its light tang goes beautifully with fruity olive oil, so it's ideal in salads. Knockalara comes either plain or preserved in herb-flavored olive oil.

Lavistown

 

Made by Olivia Goodwillie according to an old recipe, this cheese has a sharp acidity and green, leafy taste. A vegetarian, hard cheese, made from cow's milk, it has the shape of millstones. It is very similar to cheddar but  less compact.

Milleens

An Irish farmhouse cheese, it was first made in Eyeries, County Cork. In 1976, Milleens was first produced by Norman and Veronica Steel. It matures within four to ten weeks after it is produced. In 1997, it was the winner of the British Cheese Awards held at Cardiff Castle.

Mine-Gabhar

 

One of the most popular Irish cheeses, it is produced by Luc and Anne Van Kampen. It is a vegetarian, organic cheese of round shape with mold-ripened, gray-coat. This cheese was declared the best white rind cheese in 1996.

Orla

This is a modern, farmhouse, unpasteurized, organic, vegetarian, semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk. It has a round shape with fine, orange, brine-washed crust. It is one of the cheeses that belongs among semi-soft and hard, depending on the degree of maturity. Orla is supple and decidedly semi-soft when young. After being aged in cellars for up to six months, it resembles Manchego in texture, although it is less oily. The mature cheese is sharp and salty, while retaining the burnt-sugar flavor so typical of sheep's milk. Orla is matured for 2-6 months.