Ballymaloe Cookery School

Kitchen garden at Ballymaloe, County Cork

Established| 1983
Focus| Cookery school
Owner| Allen family
Location|

Shanagarry, County Cork

Ireland

Coordinates| 51°51′35″N 8°01′55″W﻿ / ﻿51.8596°N 8.0320°W﻿ / 51.8596; -8.0320

The Ballymaloe Cookery School (ba-lee-ma-LOO) is a privately run cookery school in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland, that was opened in 1983. It is run by Darina Allen, a celebrity chef, cookery book author and pioneer of the slow food movement in Ireland. The school is located within the grounds of an organic farm.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

## History

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The modern, formal herb garden at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Myrtle Allen and her husband Ivan bought Ballymaloe House in 1948, and opened it as a restaurant in 1964.[7][8] In 1968, Darina O'Connell joined them and taught and cooked for several years.[8] In 1975, Myrtle Allen became the first Irish woman to receive a Michelin Star, which she held for five years.[8]

Darina married the Allen's son Tim, and (together with her brother Rory O'Connell) started the Ballymaloe Cooking School in nearby Kinoith in 1983.[9][8] Ballymaloe Cookery School is located approximately 4 km from Ballymaloe House.

Celebrity chef Rachel Allen also has a connection to Ballymaloe.[10] She graduated from the school and is married to Isaac Allen, the son of Darina Allen.

As of 2023, the school was majority owned by Darina Allen.[11]

## Controversy

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### Tim Allen conviction

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Tim Allen, husband of Darina, was convicted of possessing child abuse images in 2003.[12] The images were recovered from his home computer as well as computers at the school.[12] The presiding judge substituted a nine-month suspended sentence for a 240-hour community service order and his name was placed upon the sex offenders register.[12] This substitution followed an agreement by Allen to contribute €40,000 to charity.[12][13] Some people phoned Ballymaloe to say they would never dine there again.[14] In January 2003, the Allen family announced that Tim Allen would cease all connections with Ballymaloe Cookery School, Ballymaloe House Hotel and all related businesses.[15] The family also stated their abhorrence of any material containing child abuse and expressed regret at anyone who had been hurt by it.[14]

### Joshua Allen convictions

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Joshua Allen, eldest son of Rachel Allen, was found to be in possession of over €22,000 worth of cannabis at the cooking school in August 2018.[16][17][18] Customs officers intercepted a package containing cannabis on 27 August 2018.[17] The package was postmarked from the US and addressed to Joshua Allen at the cookery school.[17] Gardaí organised a controlled delivery of the package to the cookery school on 30 August 2018, and the teenager was arrested after receiving and opening the package.[17] He was jailed after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances.[17][16][18] He was released early from Cork Prison in May 2020 and within five weeks was arrested for possession of €280 worth of cocaine and sentenced to two months in prison (which could result in the suspended portion of the 15 month cannabis conviction being activated).[19][20]

### COVID-19 lockdown

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In February 2021, the cookery school was criticised after it was revealed that an in-person cookery course had been held during Level 5 lockdown – in apparent conflict with the banning of organised gatherings and closure of restaurants and training events.[21][22][23] An Garda Síochána announced that they had visited the school in February.[22][21] Darina Allen defended the school, saying the students in question had arrived in Ireland by late December and the lockdown had been announced on 30 December, starting the next day.[22][23] The course began after students self-isolated for 14 days,[22][23] and was modified after the lockdown was extended in late January.[22][23]

## Further reading

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* Darina Allen A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School (2007) ISBN 9781904920588

## References

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1. ^ Trainer, Melissa A. (2 January 2005). "In Ireland, Cookery Amid the Greenery". New York Times. Retrieved 22 November  2011.
2. ^ Turner, Sarah (5 February 2006). "Cooking holiday:Ballymaloe". The Observer. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
3. ^ Field, Elizabeth (21 May 2006). "Irish get cooking, naturally". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
4. ^ "Food from Ireland, Chris Barber visits Ballymaloe cookery school, in Co Cork, where organic food production is as important as culinary skills". Country Life. 1 January 2001. pp. 195, 122–123.
5. ^ "Top class cuisine at Ballymaloe: Ireland's champion cook Darina Allen concocts a delicious menu from her organic gardens". Country Living. London. 1 January 1997. pp. 140–145.
6. ^ "Catharine Stott went to Ireland to meet Darina Allen, founder of the Ballymaloe cookery school". Living Earth. 2000. pp. 14–15.
7. ^ "Ballymaloe founder and award-winning chef Myrtle Allen has died". Irish Examiner. 11 June 2018.
8. ^ a b c d Pike, Charlotte (21 June 2018). "Myrtle Allen obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
9. ^ "Ballymaloe Cookery School: The Story". cookingisfun.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
10. ^ "Rachel Allen: "I have found a strength that I didn't know I had"". rte.ie. RTÉ. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
11. ^ "Profits at Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Cookery School climb to €2.82m". breakingnews.ie. The Irish Times DAC. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
12. ^ a b c d "Criticism of Tim Allen sentencing". RTÉ News. 16 January 2003. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
13. ^ Anderson, Paul (16 January 2003). "Fine Gael's Deasy slams 'leniency' of sentence". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
14. ^ a b Murray, Niall; Shanahan, Catherine (10 January 2003). "Child porn chef Allen bows out of Ballymaloe". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
15. ^ "Allen to cease all contact with Ballymaloe". RTÉ News. 19 January 2003. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
16. ^ a b Kelleher, Olivia (28 February 2020). "Joshua Allen, 19-year-old son of TV chef Rachel Allen, jailed for 15 months". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
17. ^ a b c d e Roche, Barry (28 February 2020). "Joshua Allen jailed for 15 months for drugs offences". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
18. ^ a b "Joshua Allen jailed for 15 months for drug dealing and possession". RTÉ News. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
19. ^ English, Eoin (2022-07-02). "The troubled life of Joshua Allen". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
20. ^ Kelleher, Olivia (2022-07-01). "Joshua Allen jailed for seven months as Judge says he has failed to learn lesson on drugs". Retrieved 2022-07-02.
21. ^ a b Gallagher, Conor (25 February 2021). "Gardaí visit Ballymaloe Cookery School over classes during lockdown". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
22. ^ a b c d e McGrath, Graham (25 February 2021). "Garda complaint led to €12,700 Ballymaloe Cookery School course suspension". extra.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
23. ^ a b c d English, Eoin (25 February 2021). "Darina defends Ballymaloe over lockdown cookery classes". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 25 February 2021.

## External links

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* Ballymaloe Cookery School Homepage