A Muslimah's Beginner Guide to Halal Food in Ireland

Is Halal Food Easy To Find in Ireland?

It depends,
Are we talking about cities, towns or villages?

The contrast can be huge.

As you may have guessed, the larger the city, the more halal options and the smaller the towns and villages, the less options are available.

That doesn't mean you won't find absolute hidden gems.

We've travelled far and wide in Ireland and the quaint little towns surprise us when we find a little halal takeaway or restaurant tucked away, going about their day.
It feels like a breath of fresh air and a real comfort for us Muslims when halal food can be hard to find.

Halal Grocery Shops & Butchers

Halal Butchers and Grocery Shops are found mainly in the larger cities and urban areas making them much more accessible when living in the city or just outside of it.

There may not be a halal shop in every town or village but most muslims make a way to access halal foods by travelling to larger cities and stocking up their halal meats.

We also have networks within the Muslim communities where delivery of halal meats is available, although it isn't as common or widespread as other countries.

Some of the well known and popular halal shops in the cities are Timgad Grocery and Halal Meats in Dublin City, Asian Arabic Foods in Cork City, Asian Arabic Foods in Limerick City and Ahsan's Halal Shop in Waterford City.

Halal Restaurants & Takeaways

Between restaurants and takeaways, I can say for sure there are more halal takeaways available, however that's not to say that you can't find a really good halal restaurant, just the options are more limited.

I have some really good halal restaurant recommendations that I love to go to, so I'll be sharing specific restaurant guides soon, be sure to check it out.

Eating Out When Halal Isn't Available

The question is: What do we do when halal food isn't available?

The quick and easy answer is that most food places cater to vegetarian, seafood or vegan options that make eating out that little bit easier.

Personal Tips from a Muslimah in Ireland

For myself, I would prefer a halal place for the few reasons of not having to worry about cross contamination and the ease of being able to order anything from the menu, but when I don't have that option, I go into restaurants and takeaways that offer the alternatives mentioned above.

When asking for vegetarian, vegan or seafood options, I make sure to ask if they add any alcohol in their dishes, especially places that serve cuisines that are traditionally cooked with alcohol.
I really enjoy East Asian foods but I have to ask if they are using miso that has alcohol in it or if any alcohol is used in the cooking such as sake, which is a form of alcohol.

With grab and go places like Subway or the Deli Counter, I make sure that I opt for the vegetarian foods that are in their seperate containers and aren't touching the deli meats and kindly ask them to change their gloves as the person they served before me usually have gotten deli meats to eat. I also ask if they could change the knives and cutting boards so their not the same ones used to cut the deli meats. I've never had an issue with these requests as I've found staff in these establishments are trained for cross contamination and keeping utensils and equipment seperate for those who are vegetarian or other.

With seafood places, if I was to ask for a parmesan cheese seafood pasta, I would have to ask and make sure they aren't using the traditional parmesan cheese that contains animal rennet and instead are using the more modern vegetarian friendly cheeses that contain plant rennet instead.

Fish and Chip shops are ones I tend to be more cautious of as I have found a lot of fish and chip takeaways cook their fishes alongside other animal products and also cook their chips in animal lard mixed with vegetable or different oils. It is also very important to ask specifically as in my experience, I have found that many people in Ireland, as lovely and helpful as they are, may not be familiar with what halal means in practice, so they might not realise what details matter unless they’re clearly explained.

Dooley's in Waterford City and Tramore and Brennan's Fast Food Favourites in Waterford City are a great example of this as when I asked if they cook their chips separately to their meats, they told me it is fried separately and cooked in vegetable oil. However, it was a customer who overhead us that told me they cook it in animal lard also. The server was confused but the customer repeated himself and when she realised what he was saying, she agreed that they do in fact, cook the chips in animal lard mixed with vegetable oil, as thats what gives it flavour.
Thanking the customer, I left without purchasing but that was surprising for me as I have bought chips from them in the past, as they have always told me that they cook it separately and in vegetable oil, not realising that we cannot eat foods that are cooked in non-halal animal lard.

Living in Ireland, coming up to 10 years has taught me very many things that I would love to share with my readers as what may seem common for me, may not be common for others as being a visitor, tourist or student in a new country can make navigating halal foods feel daunting.

Knowing these little tidbits has hugely helped me navigate my way in Ireland and has made things easier for me over time.

If you're interested to learn more about halal practices, let me know as I'd be happy to share a more in-depth guide in the future.

I will also be putting together in-depth guides of my favourite halal restaurants and takeaways, as I have many places that I genuinely enjoy and want to shine a light on for anyone looking to enjoy Ireland while eating delicious, halal food.

Thank you for staying this far and I hope this guide has been helpful. I hope you'll be back for more tips, lived experiences and thoughtful guides when navigating your travels in Ireland as a Muslim.