Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, break up the bacon and begin to cook, continually breaking the bacon into individual pieces, until the fat renders – about 15 minutes.

Add the sausage and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage and bacon are both browned on all sides – about 15 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and sausage to a plate.

Drain most of the fat from the pot and return it to the stove over medium-high heat.

Add the onions, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ¼ cup of Guinness.

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the dried thyme, and another ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

Spoon the bacon and sausage over the onions.

Layer the potatoes over the meat.

Pour in the chicken stock or enough to submerge everything but the potatoes.

Season the potato layer with ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

Without stirring, bring the pot to a boil. Cover and transfer to the preheated oven.

Bake for 2 hours, checking often to add more stock if needed until the onions are caramelized and the potatoes are tender. Try to keep about 1-inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.

Remove the pot from the oven and pour ¼ cup of Guinness on top and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Serve with soda bread.