St. Patrick's Day Special: Pub Serving Items from Jonathan Swift's "Modern Proposal Diet"
Beneficial to the Publick
A Tullamore pub in County Offaly has made headlines this St. Patrick's Day. Not for its green beer specials or its showcase of Irish step-dancing later in the afternoon, but for its unique menu items.
The establishment will serve Items from "A Modest Proposal."
Organizers from the Irish cultural festival called Seachtain na Gaeilge wanted more experimental cuisine this year than just the traditional corned beef and cabbage, and they asked pubs in town if they would serve items from Irish author Jonathan Swift's famous essay "A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them Beneficial to the Publick."
Within Swift's famous pamphlet from 1729, he argued that Ireland could ameliorate poverty by serving up children (don't worry, many of them just street urchins) to their domineering English landlords.
Bars in the area were not sure what to make of the organizer's request and many thought them to be joking. Only one pub took them up on it, and it was the famous Eugene Kelly's in Market Square.
The essay is a famous work which features many elements of classic satire including shock value, feigned rationalization, and tons of irony-filled paralipsis.
Apparently festival organizers and Eugene Kelly's never got the memo.
Head chef Caoimhe Byrne jumped at the opportunity to incorporate some new flavors into some traditional Irish dishes. Food sales have been lagging and Byrne had heard that children are quite succulent this time of year.
Head chef Caoimhe Byrne jumped at the opportunity to incorporate some new flavors into some traditional Irish dishes. Food sales have been lagging and Byrne had heard that children are quite succulent this time of year.
Byrne's menu for the day is certainly one of a kind and not for the faint of heart. Traditional Irish food is simple yet hearty, normally incorporating locally grown produce and even fresh caught fish from the surrounding waters of the Atlantic.
But Irish cuisine also features beef, bread, and potatoes, important staples since the 18th century.
Byrne said he stayed traditional, but had some fun with this menu; he was able to utilize “a few ingredients” he never used before.
Byrne thought is was necessary to take a new spin on a few Irish favorites like a “Corned Boy and Cabbage” and “Kid Colcannon,” and “Child Champ.”
There is also a take on Shepherd’s Pie called “Shannon’s Pie,” which he made from an out of wedlock child he had with a prostitute.
He’s most excited about the dishes where he’s using blood sausages. There will be blood, lots and lots of blood.
The easiest recipe to whip up was a Traditional Irish Stew which just used all the leftover parts that were then laying around.
The dishes will be readily available the entire day and extremely affordable for all, especially those in poverty or those in the workhouses.
Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!