In a city becoming ever more individualistic, the Dublin Sourdough Rotation is a breath of fresh – bread scented – air for many of its members.  

Founder Niamh Lacy started the group in 2023, inspired by traditional community values and post-Covid disillusionment.  

“I was really curious to find out if people would be willing to share food with strangers, and bread was the vehicle for that,” Lacy said.  

Despite choosing sourdough as the centre of the effort, Niamh admitted she had never baked it before launching the group: 

“I actually got the initial idea for a community like this about a year or so before I  turned it into something, and sourdough happened to have been pretty trendy during the pandemic. 

I can admit I didn’t make sourdough before starting the project. I just thought it would be a strong but narrow enough group to start with.” 

Luckily, she was right, as the community now boasts over 100 members based across Dublin City, with many members saying the project has become a big part of their lives. 

Derek Kenny, a pharmaceutical quality director based in Dublin 7, joined in the early stages after seeing a flyer in his local café. As an experienced sourdough baker, he was drawn to the idea of finding like-minded people. 

“I grew up with no real sense of community in Tallaght, so when I moved to Cabra, I found myself getting to know the local butchers, grocers, coffee places,” Kenny said. 

“So, it was really nice to join an unpretentious, open and friendly community. It is low-stakes. You can challenge your baking, bring something new, and talk about food. What Niamh has built is really great,” he added. 

A loaf baked by long-time member Derek, who is a member of the Dublin 7 rotation. Photo credit: Derek Kenny. 

Another experienced baker, Pierce Lowe, found himself immersed in the group after leaving his job in Bread 41 to pursue a postgraduate degree. 

“I really enjoyed getting to meet other people. Even the small exchanges like handing your loaf over to another person, the feeling of anticipation and getting ready,” Lowe said.  

When asked about the power of food to unite people, he highlighted the world-wide significance of food. 

“It’s one of the reasons I’m studying for my masters in sustainable development, food and co-ops. We need food to survive. It’s a whole integrated system. It’s a way to show you care about someone internationally. It gets people to socialise, it bridges gaps,” he said. 

For new member, Mairi Kachur, this couldn’t be a truer statement. As a Scottish American woman who has lived in Germany, France, and Belgium, moving to Dublin was yet another daunting restart. 

“I moved to Dublin to be with my fiancé and start my PhD in Trinity. Most of my friends were all made through him, so I really wanted to find my own people,” Kachur said. 

“I had been living in Dublin for just 2 months when my neighbour told me about the group. So, I reached out to Niamh and went to my first group gathering in someone’s house.”  

“I met my first friend in Dublin, who is now my best friend. It was really nice to make a friend outside of institutions like work or college.” 

As an immigrant, she highlighted that she has had a very positive experience of meeting people in Ireland, with the group being a key component of it: “It really gave me something to hold onto when I moved to Ireland”. 

The community has many other members who have come to Ireland over the years, with Kachur’s best friend Isabella also having previously lived in Belgium.  

Brazilian member Pedro Ragonezi is also a notable figure, with the former baker being renowned for his “iconic” skills.  

“I raised some money on Spacehive to run some workshops for members, which Pedro led demonstrations to help teach members some more skills,” Lacy said.  

“He’s passionate about all sorts of dough and I’ve learned a lot while doing the workshops.” 

Apart from sourdough, the group has also started sharing recipes for kombucha, kefir and many other fermented foods.  

Lacy hopes to develop more shared ownership of the community in the future. 

“I’d love each postcode to organise their meetups and schedules as the group grows,” she said. 

She added that she would love to see people set up similar groups across Dublin, encouraging the return to traditional neighbourly values with a modern twist. 

“I really hope people can trust each other more in the future,” she said.