Brother And Sister Open Ballymaloe Cookery School

Darina Allen was already teaching from her kitchen at Kinoith. In 1983 she made it official. Together with her brother, Rory O'Connell, she founded Ballymaloe Cookery School^[1].

It started small. The first classes were held in a little kitchen next to her house^[3]. Students watched, tasted and asked questions, and then went home to cook.

It was a family affair from the start. Brother and sister founded the school together, on the land where Darina and Tim had restored the old gardens and run their farm shop^[1]. The produce was right outside the door.

From Apple Store To Classroom

The school grew fast. An old apple store was turned into its home^[3]. Today it holds demonstration kitchens, four hands-on student kitchens, dining rooms and a shop^[3].

The real classroom is outside, though. The school sits on a 100-acre organic farm, which sends fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy straight into the kitchens^[2]. It is the only cookery school in the world on its own certified organic farm^[1].

Twelve Weeks That Change Lives

The best-known course is the 12-week certificate^[2]. Students learn Irish, French, Indian, Mexican, Italian and Middle Eastern cooking, plus butchery, fermentation, sourdough and cheesemaking^[2]. There are also more than 60 short courses^[2].

Afternoon demonstrations are held most days^[3]. Visitors can pull up a chair and watch the teachers cook, one dish after another.

The school is regularly listed among the top ten cookery schools in the world^[1]. Its past pupils have spread across the globe, and many have opened their own schools and food businesses^[1].

For Darina, it was always about teaching. She calls herself a teacher first, whose great passion is passing on what she knows^[4]. In 2013 the school threw a feast on its grounds to mark 30 years, and in 2023 it reached 40^[1].