In a fascinating collection of essays in Irish Food History, published by the Royal Irish Academy in 2024, Dr John Mulcahy describes how the 19th-century Irish became global pioneers in food delivery. In 2018, Bobby Healy founded Manna, a drone-based meal delivery start-up in Dublin. Suburban gardens are ideal, and drones can overcome the difficulties that delivery drivers and riders face navigating suburban traffic. [ Bobby Healy on why Manna drone delivery could be the ‘biggest technology company in the world for its space’Opens in new window ]Manna’s quadcopters have eight motors, of which at least four are needed for flight. Although Ireland may have been a global pioneer in food delivery in the past, Wing’s momentum with Walmart and Amazon Prime’s vast ecommerce network are both considerable challenges if Manna is to match this historical precedent.

Source: The Irish Times February 12, 2026 15:32 UTC