colcannon sometimes kalecannon, originally an Irish dish of boiled potatoes and cabbage or kale mashed together and flavoured with onions, shallots, or leeks and cream or butter. It is similar to champ. The word ‘colcannon’ is from the Gaelic cál ceannann which literally means white-headed cabbage. However, the ‘cannon’ part of the name might be a derivative of the old Irish cainnenn, translated variously as garlic, onion, or leek. Therefore it can be suggested that in its earliest form colcannon may have been a simple mixture of some brassica and allium.
