The Irish Farmers Journal has learned of the sad passing of Myrtle Allen, matriarch of Ballymaloe House and the family food business which also includes Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Mrs Allen, the first Irish woman to be awarded a Michelin star, started the Ballymaloe business along with her husband Ivan in 1964 with a lifetime commitment to local produce.

She also led the plethora of Ballymaloe cookbooks with her writing career first starting with a cookery column in the Irish Farmers Journal. In 2013, Irish Country Living celebrated the life of Myrtle Allen with a Women & Agriculture Lifetime Achievement Award.