Brewing Power: Food and Drink in Sixteenth-Century Ireland

This event has ended

Dublin Castle, Friday 6th February - Saturday 21st February

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.


Date:
Friday 6th February - Saturday 21st February
Time:
7.00pm
Price:
From €7
Address:
Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

Google Map of Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

You might also like...

What's on

Dublin Fringe Festival

Various Locations

Dublin Fringe Festival is a curated, multidisciplinary arts festival and a year-round artist support organisation. We create a framework for artistic risk, offering opportunities for artists to challenge and invigorate their practice, and extend the possibilities of what art can be. We seek out and present contemporary, playful and provocative new work made by Irish and international artists of vision in an annual celebration all over the city. From form-busting theatre productions, electric dance performance, immersive installations to epic party nights out, every event is curated to ignit

What's on

IFI Documentary Festival

Irish Film Institute

IFI Documentary Festival 2026, the annual celebration of non-fiction filmmaking, will take place from Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th September. From the thrilling to the thoughtful, from the historical to the topical, this brilliant selection of films showcases a diverse range of topics told with candour, artistry and a profound humanity. Documentary, as a form, has never been more popular or vital, and the numerous Q&As and panel discussions will deepen audiences' engagement with the films and the artists who create them. With 13 feature documentaries which include 7 Irish premieres, 2 shorts

What's on

The Music of Harry Potter by Mystery Ensemble

Monkstown Church

Step into the enchanting world of magic, wonder and unforgettable music from the legendary Harry Potter film series based on the beloved novels by J.K. Rowling. Mystery Ensemble invites you on a breathtaking musical journey through Hogwarts, filled with nostalgia and the spellbinding atmosphere of one of cinema’s most iconic fantasy universes. The evening programme features the most celebrated musical themes from across the entire Harry Potter saga — from the magical first notes of “Hedwig’s Theme” to the emotional finales of the last films. John Williams created the instantly