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Clarinbridge
Oyster Festival ~
Clarinbridge |
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Created in 1954 and still
going strong, this festival has become an integral part of
life in the picturesque village of Clarenbridge in the south
Galway on the shores of
Galway
Bay.
West of the village lies
Dunbulcan Bay, where the oysters are produced - some say
they are the best in the world. |
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Protected by
the bay from the force of Atlantic storms, the 700 acres of
beds lie in an ideal mixture of fresh and sea water vital
for perfect oyster development, taking from three to five
years to grow for consumption. Over 100,000 oysters are
eaten during the weekend celebration. The festival programme
includes a market day, golf tournaments, yacht races, art
and photographic exhibitions, a fine wine and gourmet
evening, talks and lectures and the best-dressed-lady
competition. The main emphasis, however, is on providing
guests with a culinary experience that they will never
forget
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The festival traditionally
gets under way on a pier in Clarinbridge, just south of
Galway. Actually, the program starts officially at noon on
Saturday, but a Friday opening date has been agreed upon
supposedly to lessen the guilt of the thousands who jump the
gun and begin their carousing early. Saturday is the big
day, however, and those who are not too bent over even
manage a round of golf or a swim in the morning before
collection on the pier at midday. |
OYSTERS - GENERAL INFORMATION
Oysters have existed since pre-historic times. The saxons
enjoyed them before the Romans invaded Britain and there are
those that would say it was for their excellent oysters that
they invaded at all!
Throughout their history, oysters have been regarded as a
luxury but due to over-fishing the price dropped so low that
at the beginning of the 19th Century they became the food of
the poor. During the famine years people who lived near the
sea survived on them. In about 1850, oyster culture started
to become an industry and legislation in France and Britain
protected the stocks.
Oysters are bi-valve molluscs which means that they are
shellfish with two hearts. Every year they change sex - in
fact every other year they can be a father and mother to two
separate litters in the same year! They feed by pumping 1-6
litres of water through their gills every day - the
equivalent of a human drinking a large public swimming pool
every day.
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