Say Cheese! Hungarian Ambassador visits Dundalk

The Hungarian Ambassador to Ireland Mr Istvan S Palffy paid a visit to Dundalk on Monday afternoon - and he was given some local cheese to take home with him (below) as he stopped off at some of the area's most well-known sites. 

Louth County Council welcomed the Hungarian Ambassador to County Hall at 11am, where Cathaoirleach Colm Markey presented the special guest with a ceramic cheeseboard made by local ceramicist, Sarah McKenna, along with a sample of Bellingham Blue Irish Farmhouse Cheese - produced locally by farmer Peter Thomas.

Earlier, Mr Palffy was given a tour of the County Musuem in Dundalk by Louth County Council Arts Officer, Brian Harten and Museum Curator Brian Walsh. The Ambassador was intrigued by the amenity, which chronicles Louth’s historical development from the Stone Age to the present day.

Louth County Council Heritage Officer Brendan McSherry was also on hand to accompany His Excellency to Proleek Dolmen in Ballymascanlan, where he informed him of the significance of the local landmark.

"I was delighted to welcome His Excellency, Mr Istvan S Palffy to County Hall today," Cathaoirleach Markey said. "Mr Palffy visited a number of sites of cultural interest in the north of the county, including our award-winning County Museum.

"He was very interested in the story of human habitation in Louth - the Proleek Dolmen, for example, shows we were creating amazing structures here over 5,000 years ago."

"We chose to present His Excellency with a locally made cheese board and a selection of local cheeses in acknowledgement of his interest in food and regional cuisine – he has written a number of books on food and wine in Hungary. 

"I assured His Excellency that Louth would be delighted to greet many more visitors from Hungary, and that they would be assured of a warm welcome," he added.

His Excellency, Mr Palffy remarked, "I was very pleased to pay a visit to Louth today.

"I am very interested in Irish arts and heritage and I very much enjoyed exploring the cultural richness Louth has to offer. I thank Louth County Council staff for their hospitality and for their very thoughtful gifts."