ALL TIMESCAPES > FOOD & COOKING   1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100   Beverages Wine was in great demand especially among the gentry classes. Most of this was imported from the continent. For the ordinary folk beer, ...     Old Irish Custom According to an old Irish custom, when a beast was slain certain parts of it were given to various tradesmen and members of the ...     Comments Made about Diet The poorest became increasingly dependent on the potatoes which had been brought to Ireland by seamen such as Sir Walter Raleigh. A ...     Drinking Habits The Irish drank much home brewed beer. There is no reference to whiskey until 1405 but it seems to have been common in the 15th century. ...     Big House The big houses, which were scattered around Ireland, all possessed large estates. This meant that they could be self-sufficient in meat, ...     Cooking The Irish baked their oatcakes on flagstone griddles and ate these with large lumps of butter, often washing this down with buttermilk. ...     Famine For ordinary people in Ireland in the 18th century famine was always a possibility. The dependence on the potato made this very likely ...     Primitive Methods In the 16th century cooking methods were still primitive. Pots were almost unknown by many poorer people. As a result, meat was often ...     Silver Cups and Tankards Like the methers which were still in use, the 2 handled cup pictured was used on festive occasions, being passed from guest to guest, ...     Dish Ring Dish rings, like the one in the picture, were placed under hot dishes to protect polished table tops. In the 1770s they were often ...     <> 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100