Each year Ireland is home to the Galway International Oyster Festival. September sees the city of Galway welcome the most internationally renowned food festival and world’s longest running international oyster festival to celebrate the oyster harvest.
This year the festival will run from the 28th to 30th September and will see masses of visitors relishing the fresh seafood of Galway Bay, live entertainment and activities and famous Guinness beer. The festival compromises of two oyster championship events – the Guinness Irish Oyster Opening Championship and Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship. Other events include a Mardi-Gras party, dress to impress competition, beauty pageant, seafood trail, sail race, cooking demonstrations, live music and much more.
It has been described as “one of the 12 greatest shows on earth” by The Sunday Times newspaper and called one of Europe’s Seven Best Festivals on par with Munich’s Beer Festival.
The festival was created back in 1954 after Brian Collins, manager of the then Great Southern Hotel, wondered how he could extend the tourist season through September to benefit his almost vacant hotel. After speaking to the chef, who suggested oysters should be on the menu as they had just come into season, Brian proposed the idea of a festival to celebrate the arrival of the oyster season. Thus the Galway Oyster Festival was established and has been successful ever since, going from 34 attendees in the first festival to attracting over 10,000 visitors in recent years. It is an experience not to be missed.
To find more details about the Irish festival visit: www.galwayoysterfest.com
