Riding an Old-World Train Through Ireland With Chef Clodagh McKenna

Looking back at MoLI, or the Museum of Literature Ireland, from its beautiful garden.Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Wellington

With a short stack of books under my arm from the museum shop, I’m ready to ride into the Irish landscape under the exuberant guidance of chef Clodagh McKenna. Upon entering the train station to board The Grand Hibernian, we’re welcomed with the resonant boom of Irish drummers before sitting down in the dining car for our first meal.

Clodagh’s community in Ireland stretches as wide and long as The Emerald Isle, and her friends’ bounty finds their way to our plates over the next two days. Having helped spark Ireland’s Slow Food movement, Clodagh’s career is intrinsically linked to the rising tide of makers, growers, farmers, and artisans who have revived Irish cuisine.

She’s sourced the ingredients for each meal from businesses within a stone’s throw of the land and sea we’re passing through or heading toward—a feat of logistical wonder. After relishing fresh lobster salad, I walk back to see my sleeper carriage.

Slate walls framed with elegant molding and Celtic knots, alongside plush bedding and Irish wool blankets, wrap me in comfort as the surrounding countryside slides by under a sheet of rain. With two catty corner beds, a desk, a side table, and an armoire flush against the train car—plus a well-equipped bathroom—I have everything I need, even in such petite quarters.

A sleeping carriage in Belmond’s Grand Hibernian.Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Wellington

After changing into clothes befitting of a country jaunt, I venture to the observer car to take in a view from the back of the train. Soon, we’re shifting into vans and on our way through the Irish hills to Ballyvolane Country House.

Two dogs and third-generation owners Justin and Jenny Green greet us with drinks and the grandeur of another Georgian gem, this time a stately guesthouse in North Cork. After we’ve warmed up, talented forager Andrew Malcolm gives us a lesson in wild foods on the estate before Justin brings us to the on-site distillery for Bertha’s Revenge Gin. Their burgeoning spirits company crafts small-batch Irish milk gin with whey alcohol from local cow’s milk and 14 locally foraged or grown botanicals.

After a gin cocktail in their stone barn-turned-bar, we pile back in the vans warmed by Irish hospitality. The next meal unfurls in bliss, and I’m so full there’s not an ounce of room left in me for an after-dinner drink. The next morning, I wake to the peaceful stirring of the train moving toward Galway. I spend a few hours with my feet up watching green hills and ancient castles before the Atlantic Ocean comes into view, and we disembark at Galway for a spectacular lunch at Ard Bia at Nimmos.

The roast loin of Wicklow venison served with beetroot puree, squash gratin, kale and blackberry juice served at Ard Bia at Nimmos.Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Wellington

Meaning “High Food” in Irish, Ard Bia is a local favorite run by Clodagh’s friend Aoibheann McNamara. We walk under the Spanish Arch and up to the second floor of an old stone house on the banks of the River Corrib. From my seat at lunch, I can see the fierce river current, creating the illusion that we’re eating at sea. With the sounds of a harpist playing in the background, our group savors Connemara crab and a lesson in oyster shucking from Kelly Oysters before the main course arrives. I choose the roast loin of Wicklow venison served with beetroot puree, squash gratin, kale and blackberry juice, and it’s juicy perfection.

With the free afternoon, I walk along the waterfront as families enjoy the rare spark of sunshine on a Sunday afternoon. Galway is a vibrant mix of brightly colored buildings and the blue sea, and I stop by the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival (the oldest oyster festival in the world) before taking in the town.

One last joyful dinner on the train gives way to the best surprise of the trip. Clodagh and the Belmond team surprise guests by bringing a tiny traveling pub on wheels, an Irish band and two professional dancers to the train station where we’re docked for the night. Sing-alongs, traditional Irish dancing, and pints of Guinness flow freely, both at the station and on the train, until my legs and voice demand I head for bed. I wake up to the more green vistas and a full Irish breakfast. Both carry me through the long journey back home. All the while, I’m daydreaming of my next trip to Ireland.