IRELAND IS KNOWN internationally for rolling green hills, the friendly nature of its people, our temperamental economy, our fondness for spuds, jumpers and beating seven shades of shite out of each other on the hurling pitch.
All of that pales in comparison though, when it comes to the latest cornerstone of Irish culture to light up the international stage…. the breakfast roll.
It’s not a new item, of course, but today’s Washington Post uses our meaty morning meal as a key player in an analysis of the history of the breakfast sandwich, written in the context of McDonalds’ decision to introduce an all-day breakfast.
The piece links the evolution of the breakfast sandwich to industrialisation, arriving unavoidably at the phenomenon of the link between the Irish breakfast roll and the Celtic Tiger.
A 2011 report from Ireland attributed the popularity of the “jumbo breakfast roll” (a half baguette stuffed with fried or grilled sausage, bacon rashers, blood pudding, a fried egg and ketchup) to the proliferation of construction jobs during the country’s “Celtic Tiger” boom years – Washington Post
That report, an actual scientific investigation was called:
The Post goes on to tell its readers:
At its height, the sandwich was so ubiquitous that a song about it by comedian Pat Shortt was for six weeks the top song in Ireland, bumping Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” off the charts.
Sniff, so proud.
All together now…
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