When Donna Breen was first diagnosed as a coeliac eight years ago, the thing she missed most was fresh bread.

So much so that she was willing to drive across the border just to get a gluten-free option.

“I had read online about one that was available in the UK, so I went up to Newry one weekend and I went to Sainsbury’s and I came home with a boot-full of not only fresh bread, but lots of other convenience-type products that I just couldn’t get here,” she recalls.

“I used to go up every two to three months and fill the boot and then fill the freezer.”

But fortunately, Donna – who runs the blog Gluten Free Cailín – has no trouble finding products closer to home to satisfy her inner foodie these days.

Donna (33) is originally from Tramore but works in financial services in Dublin. While she was only diagnosed as a coeliac at 25, she explains that growing up she experienced symptoms that would have been attributed to having a “nervous stomach”, though nothing so severe as to warrant investigation.

“So I went through my childhood and my teens often not feeling well and many times being sick, but never really having an answer for it,” she says.

After finishing college, however, she went through two years where she experienced vomiting, diarrohea and general discomfort “non-stop” and decided to get to the bottom of things. Doctors investigated everything from uterine issues to stomach ulcers, but eventually an endoscopy confirmed that Donna was coeliac.

“The sign is that the lining of your intestine – the villi – they are flattened basically; and I was flat as a pancake,” says Donna, who also had a vitamin B12 deficiency.

While relieved to finally have an answer, Donna admits she was daunted by the idea of going gluten-free. However, with the support of her GP plus the Coeliac Society of Ireland and online resources, she began to educate and empower herself, which lead to setting up Gluten Free Cailín to share recipes, product recommendations and tips on eating out, which back then was also quite restricted.

“It would have been, ‘oh well, you can have the salad and a grilled chicken fillet,’” she recalls of the lack of choice.

“And the other thing was the lack of knowledge about cross-contamination: that was the biggest problem.”

Thankfully, the industry has caught up, with Donna describing the options today as “incredible” in comparison.

“I can’t even list all the types of fresh bread,” she compares. “I can literally go into any supermarket and I’ll be able to get bread, a snack, gluten-free pasta – the staples I suppose.”

Favourite Irish-made products include BFree wraps for lunch and baked treats from The Foods of Athenry, while she has also been impressed by Aldi’s own-brand range.

“Nearly every time I go in there, there’s a new product,” she says.

Top spots for eating out include Bodega in Waterford city and Dooly’s Fish and Chips in Tramore for their gluten-free options, while she has “very little restrictions” in terms of dining in Dublin.

“But, to be honest with you, it’s been a long time since I’ve been out in Ireland with no option,” she says, though weddings and events can be lacking.

“My biggest pet peeve is at a wedding or an event being given fruit as a dessert,” she laughs. “Don’t give me the fruit while everyone else is having a trio of desserts!”

If Donna accidentally ingests gluten, she will most likely be physically sick within an hour or two, but will usually make a recovery within 12-24 hours.

“For some people it can go on for days, so I’m relatively lucky,” she says.

Of course, while one in 100 people is affected by coeliac disease, many more report gluten intolerance or may choose to go gluten-free as a lifestyle choice. While Donna says she supports everybody’s right to choose their own diets, she believes it can cause an element of confusion for those in the food industry.

“The industry is confused when you have one person who comes in and demands that everything is gluten-free and not a crumb comes near them and then another person comes in and says, ‘ah it’s grand, I’ll eat the normal bread today,” she says.

“So it’s hard for coeliacs because you get questions like: ‘Are you very coeliac?’ And there’s no answer to that!”

If somebody suspects they might be coeliac, Donna recommends going “straight to your GP” and advises those who are recently diagnosed to link in with the Coeliac Society of Ireland and the wider community online, who are always happy to share their advice

“You can send a Tweet out an hour before arriving somewhere and say: ‘Where should I eat in Ballinasloe that’s good?’ And someone will probably come back to you,” she says.

As well as her blog and activity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Donna has contributed articles to the Coeliac Society of Ireland newsletter and Easy Gluten-Free magazine, and has also been a judge at the FreeFrom Ireland food awards.

So, is there anything she is still on the lookout for?

“I have never tasted a decent gluten-free cream cracker,” she sighs. CL

Follow Gluten Free Cailín on Facebook or on Twitter and Instagram @gfcailin