Cork, on the southern coast of Ireland, has a long-standing association with animal produce and, from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century, was a major supplier of butter and salted (preserved) beef and pork to the British Empire and specifically the armed forces.

The meat ingredients for skirts and kidneys can be bought generally in any pork butcher's shop.

All the ingredients are placed in a large saucepan of boiling water and slowly simmered for about two hours.

At the end of cooking, if necessary, a little cornflour (cornstarch) mixed as a slurry with a little water can be stirred in as thickening.

A Waterford variant involves dicing the onion quite small and excluding the thyme and salt, instead opting for generous amounts of white pepper.