A post earlier in the week by Clare over at An American in Ireland set me thinking. Clare was commenting on how the food blogging community in Ireland has blossomed over the past 3 years. There have been so so many achievements by so many. And how true that is. However, it also struck me how bad we, Irish, are at praising each other.
We need to learn from our American cousins!
So here is my tribute to the Irish blogging scene.
As I wrote recently this blog was three years old on 14th October and we had a very happy birthday present indeed, nothing could beat winning the Best Lifestyle Blog Award! Over the last three years I’ve met some lovely people via the blog, twitter and facebook…. some of whom have become what I reckon will be lifelong friends. There really are some great people involved in the Irish blogging scene.
I volunteered to help collate the nominations in the recent Blog Awards Ireland. Not too tasking a job really, just putting nominations into a spreadsheet…. but….. when you’re over a third of the way through and something happens to the memory stick and you loose everything you’ve entered! Well there were rude words and lots of frustrated curses at the computer. So it was back to the start!
And this is where those lovely blogging people came to my aid! Thank you to Wendy over at My Chef At Home who had finished her entries so she came to my assistance, and between Wendy and help from my neighbour I got the list finished in time for the deadline.
However, I have to tell you one of the biggest distractions when collating all those blogs was having to have the discipline not to go and have a sneak look see.
Gosh, there are some brilliant blogs! I want to share with you some great blogs I’ve come across. Some are new to me and some I’ve been following for a while. Some bloggers I’ve met, others I am looking forward to meeting someday.
We are a land of dreamers, writers and beautiful imagery…. most definitely a nation of Saints & Scholars!
The view from Cork Screw Hill
For photography that will make you so hungry just looking at the images, it is no wonder they are regularly featured on the big food photography site Foodgawker. Check out these three ladies… how they produce such amazing photos, considering that they lead busy lives with small children about!
- Anne Marie at Warm Snug & Fat
- Caitriona at Wholesome.ie
- Paula at Paula’s Kitchen Table
Well done ladies…. I envy your patience to style the photographs so beautifully!
This next blog, is just truly stunning photographs of nature. I am so envious of the photographs. What beautiful imagery of this lovely country of ours.
- Catherine at Foxglove Lane
For adventures in gardening and a great sharing of knowledge. I am enjoying the fun, the recipes, and the learning with all these gardeners – some of whom I have never met.
- Ciaran at Bloom and Food
- Dee over at Greenside Up
- Fiona Grows Food who has an allotment in my old home town, Malahide.
I have been known to have the occasional rant here on this blog, so it is good to know there are others out there who like to rant too! So here I’ll share with you a lady and gentleman who like to tell it like it is!
- Maggie at Food Born & Bred writes so well about the way our food has, and is, evolving.
- The curmudgeon over at Head Rambles…. who does his best to hide his soft side 🙂
So saving the best til last well done to all these ladies who have achieved so much. You should all be so proud!
- Colette at Cakes, Bakes and Other Bits… who got not 1 but 2 recipes printed in A Modern Irish Cookbook by Goodalls
- Lily at A Mexican Cook in Ireland who this year has taken a stall at the Honest2Goodness market and is selling Mexican
food on line! No excuses! - Lisa over at Nenagh Gal, who has just launched the most amazing on-line Isle Magazine
- Lorna, Irish Farmerette, who despite being one of the busiest people I know, joined forces with two other great ladies and organised the Irish Blog Awards this year!
- Mona (and Ron, aka The Chef) of WiseWords what with running a busy household, study, work and this year launched their book ‘The Chef & I’
- Sharon of FoodFancies who despite all the talk of doom and gloom and recession – has gone for her dream and opened her own cafe
This is just a little snippet of the Irish blog scene.
I could keep going on here forever. If I’ve missed you out, please don’t be insulted.
However, if you’d like to spread some lurve … why not tell us all about your favourite Irish blogs?
A Year In Redwood 
Thank you for introducing me to some new blogs! I’m an American who heals her homesickness for Ireland through reading all of your wonderful blogs! It’s like having a vacation, complete with scones and tea, every time I log on. 🙂
Hi Jillian,
So glad you are enjoying them! There are so so many great blogs out there on so many different topics!
I could spend all day reading them all!
Margaret
Lovely blog post Mags!!! I have met some of the nicest, funniest and most committed people through the blog sphere and made friends, like you & Alfie, who are both dear & special to me. Thank you for the lovely mention!!
Thank you so much Lily!
As I say I think through the blog we have found true friends!
M
Thank you so much for the mention, Margaret. So many great blogs, which tend to become overlooked in favour of the bigger names. There are such genuine people out there, including yourself & Alfie, whom we are delighted to know 🙂
Thanks Colette… there are so many wonderful and different blogs out there! I enjoy them all so much!
M
Lovely post and thank you for your very kind mention. I agree, we have fantastic creative and talented bloggers in Ireland and a lovely supportive blogging community too. You’re pretty amazing yourself btw! I just wish I had more hours in the day to keep up with you all a bit more:~)
Gosh C your photos are so amazing! Oh to have your patience!
Thanks so much for including me in your generous blog Margaret! Am so glad we met, always lovely to meet up and yes, such a lovely community of bloggers developing!
Thank you Dee… I just love your blog, such a sharing of knowledge!
M
What a lovely tribute to some of your fellow Irish bloggers. I must take the time to follow your links and check them out. Thank you for this post. So nice to support and encourage.
Thankn you Paula… praising and acknowledging our own is not an Irish trait! It is something we need to practice!
Wow…. I think I have actually visited most of these blogs already but will now make it my business to pay another visit. Blogging is damn hard work. It is so nice to get a little recognition Margaret … And especially from ones peers. Best ‘blog love’ ever xx
Aaw thanks Mona! We do need to encourage each other…. it can be lonely typing away wondering if anyone is reading 🙂
Lovely Margaret…some nice blogs there.
Thank you Imen.
Us, Irish, really do need to take a lesson from you and your compatriots… we are so not good at telling each other we are doing well! Much better at belittling!
Great post Margaret, an impressive list of very entertaining, well written and informative blogs 🙂
I know! It really opened up my eyes to so many new blogs.
Oh I love getting tips on new blogs, and especially getting to know other Irish bloggers! Thanks for the post!
Thank you Sofia. It has been such a learning curve for me too… since publishing this post I have discovered so many other new bloggers, including yourself! Love your site and your kitchen 🙂
You certainly are surrounded by some great folks there Margaret! Great post!
Zach, there are some great folks blogging (including yourself!). And since posting this, I’ve come across so many more! Long live the Irish blogging scene!
Margaret, you are so kind! And I had missed this post. In fact, I’ve missed a huge amount over the past six months. Hopefully, I’ll have the time to be more plugged in from now on…
And a belated congrats on your award – well deserved 🙂
Sure, Sharon, I knew you were mad busy! Was it a good summer? Will you stay open/shorten hours for the winter?
And thank you re the award!
M
[…] Spread the love – a post written about other bloggers because sometimes the ‘smaller’, not so […]
Thank you so much for the mention, glad you’re reading my blog, the garden tries my patience, the blog keeps me grounded in reality 🙂
My pleasure Fiona…. love reading of your adventures in the garden… when you read the ‘small print’ you may hate me! 🙂
Love reading your blog Fiona…. I used to live near there so am kind of jealous that there are now allotments available!