On Thursday, October 30, several new Irish cheeses will be launched to an Irish American audience at a showcase event at the Irish Consulate in New York.

Thursday's event, which is expected to draw a large crowd, will profile several Irish farmhouse cheeses including Cashel Blue, Durrus and St. Tola.

Christine McElwaine of the Irish Food Board in New York told the Irish Voice on Tuesday that Murray's cheese - New York's main cheese wholesalers - is broadening its range of Irish cheeses as of November 1. "The Irish Food Board's broad remit is to help Irish food and drink producers access the market in the U.S., and one of the first indications of that is that more Irish cheese will now available in New York City through Murray's," said McElwaine.

Attendees of the event who will get to sample all the Irish cheeses on display will also be educated on the features of the product and how it is made. Cheese makers will also be present to speak about their own specific cheese.

Breda Maher, owner of Cooleeney Cheese in the heart of Tipperary, will travel to New York on Thursday to give Irish New Yorkers a taste of her own cheese. Cooleeney cheese, according to its website, is a soft mould ripened cheese, with a beautiful creamy texture and a distinctive aftertaste.

Cooleeney is produced on the Maher farm in the heart of Tipperary where the pastures are rich and are surrounded by damp boggy land, an environment which allows the Mahers to produce Cooleeney cheeses which, when mature are creamy, and oozing with the flavor of the finest cheeses.

"Thursday's reception is showcasing a new range of farmhouse cheeses and Breda Maher of Cooleeney Cheeses will be there to talk about the whole history and development of cheese in Ireland," McElwaine said.

Looking towards November, McElwaine also talks about another significant event that will be hosted at the Irish Consulate which will showcase a broader range of Irish foods and drinks available in the United States. The showcase will be part of the official launch of the New York location of the Irish Food Board.

For the past number of years, the Irish Food Board - called Board Bia in Ireland - was located in Chicago. To launch the new offices in New York, Irish Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith will attend the event.

Said McElwaine, "To profile a broad range of the best of Irish foods, the event will also have tasting tables with Irish whiskeys, Irish cheese, Irish meats and Irish chocolates."

McElwaine feels that both events are good news stories for Irish food and drink producers.

"It's great in this bleak economic climate to know that there are cheeses in Ireland produced locally and in small amounts and that can be purchased here in the U.S.," she says.