Irish stew is not quite like a soup, because there isn't actually very much broth. Irish stew is a very cheap and easy dish to make and usually just has onions, carrots, potatoes, lamb and salt and pepper. All you have to do is cut up the vegetables and meat into chunks and then cook them in boiling water. There are a couple more steps in the process, but that's the general idea! People sometimes spice theirs differently or add different kinds of vegetable or whatever is in season.
In Ireland, agriculture is a big part of the landscape and is consequently greatly connected to the people. A lot of people like to eat food that is locally grown or at least comes from Ireland itself. Beef, sheep, butter, milk, potatoes, fish, clams, eggs, oats and wheat are all major products in Ireland that can be considered locally-sourced. Ireland doesn't have a lot of forests because they were cut down to make space for agricultural space, so cultivating food has drastically influenced the environment of Ireland and it is estimated that 20% of Irish land is used for agriculture.
