Irish tea - a national drink

Apart from Irish tea, we would like to think we are serious coffee drinkers as well, but that really only extends to espresso shots mid-morning to wake you up or mid-afternoon cappuccinos (same reason). Apart from Bewleys the original and best! All of the true flavours, aromas and atmosphere and a much loved second home to generations of Dubliners. We almost lost them a couple of years back? but the best of them all is still there in Grafton street, with lunch time concerts in the Oriental Room, €15 including lunch and coffee of course.

The 10 best places in Ireland to sample home baking are....

1 An Fear Gorta Ballyvaughan, Clare lovely old stone cottage by the sea with a lovely walled garden you can sit out in (Steven Spielberg flew into Shannon recently, on his private jet just so he could taste their cheesecake again)

2 Avoca Handweavers known as the 'possibly' shops because they sell the most delightful homegoods and are 'beyond' pretty. Excellent food you can buy to takeaway as well.

3 Bewleys Grafton Street there is no where quiet like it in the world, one whiff of coffee grounds us right back to our childhood or student days.

4 Burren Perfumery Tearooms Carron, Clare enjoy the best of organic food sourced locally, nicely presented with a mediteranean twist, you can browse afterwards in Perfumery shop.

5 Claires Tearooms, Clarinbridge, Galway. This is the kind of place your Mum, Aunt or Granny or would love, me too! Delicate bone china, light as air quiches & cup cakes.

6 Foxford Woollen Mills County Mayo, with more then enough organic healthy options you'd think I could resist the chocolate cake, not a chance?

7 Goya's Kirwans Lane, Galway. Apart from luscious cakes you can by or have made to order? the lemon meringue pie is about a foot high? they also have do very good lunch specials.

8 Griffins Bakery Shop St, Galway for the best tea and scones and real turf fires, bliss on a wintery day.

9 O'Connors Bakery Galway, Ennis & Limerick, for the domestically challenged like myself? you can buy the best 'homemade' (no one will ever know) bread, cakes and apple pies. I have even manged to pawn off their Christmas cakes and puddings as my own.

10 Powerscourt County Wicklow, a lovely day out, you can mooch around the garden or shops, or take a tour around the restored house, or sit out very regally with a hot chocolate or glass of wine on the terrace overlooking the sugarloaf mountain.