Galway Oyster Festival, Ireland
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Fri 22nd August 2008 at 01:39 AM, Filed in Europe, September
It is said that the Galway Oyster Festival is Irelands longest running festival and as it celebrates its 54th occurrence in 2008 this may be right. The festival lasts 4 days (in 2008 from Thurs 25th to Sun 28th Sept).
There’s a lot more to do besides scoffing Galway’s finest oysters and quaffing the ‘black stuff’ (as Guinness is the official sponsor). There are a number of parties and black tie balls with ticket prices ranging between £20 and £175, you can go and watch the world oyster opening championship or Oyster Pearl beauty pageant (to become the face that represents the festival the following year) on the Saturday or even enter and win a heap of prizes including a £3,000 Raymond Weil watch. In addition there are many free events and music around town.
The festival is held in September because it is when Galway’s wild oysters come into season, which was also traditionally a slow time for tourism. In 1954 the owner of the Southern Hotel started it all with the first Oyster Festival Banquet (34 guests attended) in order to fill up his hotel at this quiet time of the year. It obviously worked and now it’s difficult to get a hotel reservation anywhere in town as thousands go. It has been listed by the Sunday Times as one of the 12 greatest shows on earth
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