A six-part interactive public lecture series at Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle is delighted to present a six-part public lecture series exploring how food and drink shaped everyday life, social relationships and authority in sixteenth-century Ireland. The series draws on new research conducted by the FoodCult project, led by Trinity historian Dr Susan Flavin, and moves between the kitchens of Dublin Castle and the reconstructed Tudor brew houses combining history, science, archaeology, craft and film.

Through talks, film and guided tastings, visitors are invited to discover what happens when history is re-enacted and comes to life demonstrating how food offers a powerful way of understanding lived experience in the past. The series considers the experiences of servants, the rhythms of everyday work and the role of food in shaping social interaction and religious life.

A distinctive feature of the series is its focus on brewing as historical practice. Several events highlight a long-term collaboration between the FoodCult project and Maurice Deasy of Canvas Brewing, a farmhouse brewery in County Tipperary. What began as a historical reconstruction has developed into an ongoing partnership, exploring how early modern brewing knowledge can inform contemporary craft. Using Irish-grown heritage grain and hops, malted on site, this work demonstrates how historical research can shape modern brewing practice.

Each event includes a guided tasting as part of this collaboration, allowing visitors to connect historical research with sensory experience.

The series runs at Dublin Castle on February 6–7, 13–14, and 20–21.