Joyce Carroll's Ghan House Cookery School, in Carlingford, Co Louth sees the return of Ursula Ferrigno for the third time this year when she demonstrates ideas based on "An Italian Christmas" on Saturday, November 22nd, followed by a buffet lunch. Coinciding with the demonstration is a craft weekend at the house. Full details of classes on (042) 73682.
Further south, the Ballyhack Cookery Centre, near New Ross in Co Wexford, has an autumn season featuring a wide range of classes running on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Breakfasts and suppers, vegetables and vegetarian, Christmas special, and basic cooking courses and fish cookery courses all feature, and participants enjoy lunch with wine each day. Full details of classes on (051) 389284.
And anyone who wishes a closer embrace with the joy of wine should note that Gerry Stevenson's The Gallery Restaurant, overlooking the sea at Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, has begun its second season of monthly wine and food evenings. These comprise a tasting and a talk on the wines of a particular area, followed by dinner and a half bottle of one of the selected wines of the region. On October 21st the subject is the Loire Valley, on November 18th it is the Danube, on December 9th the Maipo Valley, Chile. The evenings cost £25, and full details are available on (01) 230 0890.