I’ve had a few bad meals in three trips to the isles, but overall I’d have to say the food there is pretty decent. Can’t beat the British fish and chips, shepherds pie, and I also love the Cornish pasty. Ireland had surprisingly good food in their restaurants and pubs as well. If you travel to Ireland and want to save a little money when dining, eat in the pubs. The fare is a little plainer, but it’s still pretty good and cheaper than restaurants. The pubs are often attached to the restaurants, so you have a choice.
Those pasties are good; we have a couple of places in North Jersey that sell them, and they fly off the shelves (I believe they only open Tuesday through Friday, and those things aren’t cheap). I saw one on the news out in NW Jersey (where there was mining in the 19th century - they were a miners’ lunch that would “keep” for hours), and people still liked them 150 years later.