Ireland: Tracing Identity Through History and Food
In Ireland, stories are told not just through words and music—but through heritage, humor, and the humble chip.
For many travelers, especially those from places like Boston, a visit to Ireland isn’t just a trip—it’s a homecoming of sorts. The Irish diaspora is one of the largest in the world, the result of centuries of forced migration, famine, and economic hardship. Millions left for America, Canada, Australia, and beyond. Some, like the Irish convicts shipped under British penal policies, didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Living in Massachusetts, Irish identity is everywhere. My neighbor Marie proudly flies three flags in her front yard: American, Irish, and Italian—her roots all waving in unison. Corned beef and cabbage show up on our plates every St. Patrick’s Day. Shepherd’s pie is a regular in our dinner rotation. And even for those of us who didn’t grow up with a clear connection to Irish ancestry, the influence is impossible to ignore.
In fact, people of Irish descent make up the largest single ethnic group in Massachusetts. Boston, once a Puritan stronghold, was transformed in the 19th century as waves of Irish immigrants arrived, especially in the wake of the Great Famine. They faced harsh discrimination and grueling labor; my grandmother remembered seeing “Irish Need Not Apply” signs in shop windows when she was growing up. But like many immigrant communities who found refuge in the U.S., they persevered—and left a lasting imprint on the culture of the city and far beyond.
Alyssa and her family in Boston
That history isn’t lost on today’s locals in Ireland. “Oh, you’re from Boston? Do you have any Irish in you?” asked my taxi driver Michael O’Connell in Killarney, with a knowing smile. I told him, “I’m pretty sure I do on my paternal grandfather’s side, he loved a good stew.” “Well,” he replied, “I know one Irishman named Sands—Bobby Sands. He died on hunger strike in 1981.” His reference, a powerful reminder of Ireland’s complex political and cultural past, added another layer to our conversation and to my connection with the place.
But Irish identity is far from static. While Ireland is famously known for its emigrants, it's also become a country of immigrants, particularly in recent decades. And nowhere is this evolution more deliciously clear than in the food.
Take the chipper, for example—a weekend-night staple in just about every Irish town, dishing out beloved fried takeaway fare. As the Irish Times put it, “There’s nothing more Irish than a fish supper—apart from its Italian roots.” That tradition began in the 1880s, when Giuseppe Cervi, an Italian immigrant, stepped on a boat bound for America and never got back on. Instead, he set up shop in Dublin with a handcart and a coal-fired cooker. His wife, Palma, would ask customers, “Uno di questo, uno di quello?”—one of this, one of the other—giving birth to the Dublin phrase “one and one” (fish and chips), and launching a beloved national institution.
And of course, no Irish chipper order is complete without a generous pour of curry sauce, a comfort-food classic that locals adore. Dublin curry sauce isn’t your typical Indian-style curry, it’s its own thing entirely. A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and completely comforting. It’s a thick, warm gravy poured over chips (fries) that tastes like nostalgia in a takeaway container. The sauce reflects Ireland’s love for adapting global flavors into something distinctly its own. It’s the kind of flavor that sticks with you—and that you find yourself craving on rainy nights long after the trip ends.
Then there’s the Irish spice bag, a fusion of Irish and Chinese takeaway culture that’s now a cult favorite. Fried chicken, chips, peppers, onions, and a spicy seasoning blend—this modern comfort food originated in a Dublin takeaway in the early 2000s and quickly went viral. It’s loud, salty, comforting, and very Irish in its own right.
Food, after all, is one of the best storytellers. It reveals where we’ve come from, what we’ve endured, and how we’ve changed. In Ireland, it’s a reminder that identity is never fixed. It’s carried, reshaped, and occasionally deep-fried with a side of chili powder or a ladle of curry sauce.
So, whether you're tracing your Irish roots across the ocean, chatting with a taxi driver named O’Connell, or digging into a spice bag after a pub sing-along—you’re part of a much bigger story. One that tastes a little different with every generation, but still feels like home. And if you're traveling to Ireland with EF Ultimate Break, that story comes to life through shared meals, local voices, and the kind of immersive experiences that help you feel less like a visitor and more like you belong.
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