Mashed floury potatoes folded with sweated kale or cabbage, spring onions and a generous amount of butter and warm cream. The Irish potato-and-greens classic, served at Halloween with a hidden ring for luck.
Colcannon has been an Irish staple since at least the 17th century, taking its name from the Gaelic cál ceannann (white-headed cabbage). The Halloween tradition of hiding tokens in the mash for good luck dates to the 19th century. Dublin pub kitchens at Gallagher's Boxty House, Delahunt and Bastible all run defensible versions, especially through the autumn-winter months.
3 editor picks for Colcannon in Dublin, ranked by editorial score. All Dublin signature dishes · Colcannon across every city.
Delahunt ★ 4.6
portobello · 39 Camden Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 K277
Delahunt on Camden Street in Dublin, Darren Free's modern Irish dining room with head chef Dermot Staunton inside a restored Joycean grocer.
Bastible ★ 4.6
portobello · 111 South Circular Road, Dublin 8, D08 RW2K
Bastible on the South Circular Road corner at Leonard's, the Barry FitzGerald-owned one-Michelin-star neighbourhood room with head chef Killian Walsh.
Gallagher's Boxty House ★ 4.2
temple-bar · 20-21 Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 ET66
Gallagher's Boxty House on Temple Bar in Dublin, Pádraic Óg Gallagher's three-room canon of boxty, coddle and smoked salmon, the boxty reference in town.