Taking place from 26th – 29th September in Galway City and celebrating its 59th year is the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival.
This world renowned Irish food festival has plenty of events for all the family to enjoy, including; Seafood trails, oyster hot spots, food talks and tasting events, food producer tours, food village, as well as on the Friday – there will be Opening night, On Saturday is the World Oyster Opening Championship and the Oyster Masquerade “Mardi Gras” Extravaganza, and on Sunday the Tribal Oyster Feast Off will take place!
First launched in 1954, when there were just 34 guests in attendance at the first ever Oyster Festival Banquet to sample and enjoy the oysters, this food festival in the west is now one of the largest in Ireland and draws in the region of 20,000 visitors year on year, all of whom are there to feast on the delicious Galway Oysters.
Featuring in many food magazines throughout the world and receiving accolades as one of the best festivals in Ireland, it’s no wonder this event attracts such large numbers and why so many locals as well as visitors on Ireland vacations, not to mention well known celebrity chefs Richard Corrigan and Martin Shanahan, sporting legends Christy O’Connor JR and Brian O’Driscoll and current President of Ireland, Michael D.Higgins have attended this festival.