Kelly’s Colcannon Recipe

I’d been looking forward to meeting Jimmy Magnan (“Jimmy the farmer,” as our son refers to him) for a whole year. In September 2025, we met Trish Kelly because she started a local weekly skate night on Tuesday nights at a community center in Tullamore. Joe wanted to meet some local skaters in Tullamore and learn about places to go, so he contacted @skatetullamore on Instagram. Trish responded, and we met up one day at Tullamore Town Park.

Trish told us about her uncle Jimmy and his family farm and sawmill, along with his collection of old, handmade things. Machines and equipment deemed outdated over a century ago, for both farm and kitchen. Sadly, the timing didn't line up last year, so we couldn't meet Jimmy. Trish still went and visited him anyway, for the first time in decades. She sent pictures from her visit. I cursed the mortal concept of being unable to do all the things you want to do. For a whole year, I thought about getting a second chance to go in 2026.

Timing almost didn’t line up, but Trish and her dad made it happen. I’m so incredibly grateful that they took the time to spend the day with us and introduce us to Jimmy. 

Jimmy Magnan is 90 years old. He lives in the same house that he was born in. He built the spiral staircase in his house - twice. He and his brother traveled all throughout Ireland during their life, collecting. When you meet Jimmy, it is as plain as day that he and his brother collected, not for money or assets or self-preservation. They collected to remember. They collected to preserve the history and the story. 

The history of homemaking, craft, and agriculture is vital to us as human beings. As necessary as eating. It is our duty as farmers and makers. It is another chore on the list of things that keep us alive. We must sow and reap. We must sleep and eat. And we must make and preserve.

My favorite item that Jimmy showed us was his mom’s colcannon pot. It sits outside in the elements now, but the memory and his mother live on every time it’s noticed when someone walks between the driveway and the home. A beautiful sentiment.

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish. A search of the National Folklore Collection at the University of Dublin brings up recipes and holiday traditions related to the dish, from across the Emerald Isle.

Colcannon today is made of boiled potatoes, thoroughly mashed with butter, milk, and cabbage. But records in the schools collection show that the greens varied depending on food availability. In a recording of a colcannon recipe by a student in Carrigallen, Co. Leitrim, small garden leeks were used. The student then goes on to describe how the dish was served and enjoyed:

“The colcannon was placed on plates and a round hole was made with a spoon in the centre of each heap. Into this hole a good lump of butter was placed, and sometimes it melted of its own accord, and sometimes, when the lump was rather big, the melting process was hastened by covering it over with some hot colcannon which was removed when the butter had melted. The children sat around with spoons. As each lifted a small quantity of the colcannon he dipped it into the butter in the centre of the heap and then ate his fill. The circle of colcannon around the butter-hole became thinner and thinner until in the end all was gone and generally the last bits were nicest of all for they were well soaked in butter.”**

Gorgeous. What a simple, nourishing meal to feed a family during the autumn, when the Earth darkens and begins its long winter sleep. It is a great, nutrient-dense side to a hearty stew or roast. Historically, the dish is eaten on Halloween, the night before All Saints' Day (November 1st), a holy day of observance when Catholic families were expected to attend Mass. The original Bank Holiday.

Some communities even called the eve of the religious holiday Colcannon Night. According to one account in Monknewtown, Co. Meath, on Halloween farmers gave their workmen a quart of milk and a pound of butter for their holiday colcannon. A gesture of goodwill, families both rich and poor took part in eating colcannon.*

The weather is finally turning cooler here in NJ. A little later than usual, so I think it’s time to make some colcannon here, in honor of our time spent with Jimmy the Farmer, who was kind enough to entertain us and our son for a whole afternoon.

Due to our hot New Jersey summer, we had a warm start to fall, and the brassicas in our area didn’t fare too well during their growing season. So, in honor of those who cooked with what was available, here is my Wet, Hot New Jersey Summer Colcannon Recipe, using potatoes and collard greens, plus a healthy dollop of butter, milk, and spices:

Wet, Hot New Jersey Autumn Colcannon Recipe

1 onion or shallot diced

½ lb collard greens, roughly chopped, plus two extra leaves for use during boil.

5lbs of potatoes, peeled and quartered

¼ cup milk

75 grams butter (plus more for serving)

1-2 teaspoons Lowry’s seasoned salt

Sea Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Optional: ½ tsp of chicken bouillon, sazon, dried thyme, or other any seasoning of choice! These can be added to the milk and butter before being mashed into the vegetables.

Add onion, chopped greens, and potatoes to a large pot. Cover with salted water. Place two leaves of collards on top of water and cover with a lid. Boil until potatoes are tender. Take out whole leaves and strain. Mix up and mash the potatoes. Heat milk and butter in a pot on the stovetop with seasoned salt, and any additional spices you’d like, until the butter is melted. Mash into potatoes until smooth. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Plate colcannon in a large lump on a plate and make a hole in the lump with a table spoon. Fill with a small lump of cold butter and a pinch of fresh sea salt.

This recipe is endlessly customizable in terms of flavorings and seasonings. Being in New Jersey, we have access to fresh and dried herbs and spices from around the world. Bring your own unique likes and dislikes into the dish. Exchange out cabbage or collards for chives or green onions. Deepen the flavor with browned butter and garlic. This dish is rooted in lore, just like every cook. Find your own journey and ending! You can eat this dish as a side to fresh fish, game, soup, or stew! 

*The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0713, Page 372

**The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0228, Page 047a