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Gourmet Delights - Bia Blasta
“What can be more foolish than to think that all this rare fabric of heaven and earth could come by chance, when all the skill of art is not able to make an oyster!”
Anatole France (French Writer, member of the French Academy and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921, 1844-1924)
Oysters have been eternally hailed as a precious gourmet delight by food lovers throughout the centuries, beginning with the Roman emperors who paid for them by their weight in gold. The Greeks served them with wine and the Romans were so enthusiastic about these marvelous mollusks that they sent thousands of slaves to the shores of the English Channel to gather them.
Their association with love is inexorable. The story goes that the word “aphrodisiac” was born when Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, emerged from the sea on an oyster shell and gave birth to Eros. Her charismatic lover Casanova also used to start a meal eating 12 dozen oysters.
So, whether Oysters make people fall in love with each other, there are certainly many people who have fallen in love with Oysters.
Ernest Hemingway describes his love of Oysters:
“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”
2012 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
See below for details of each event. Please note, some events are still being finalised and any changes will be advised immediately.
Friday 28th September 2012
TASTE OF THE SEA - BLAS NA MARA
Venue: Festival Marquee, Galway
Time: 7pm til late
Ticket Price: €35
Live music, sensational seafood, mouth-watering dining and the National Oyster Opening Championship will kick start the weekend’s celebrations.
Beginning with the opening ceremony, our newly crowned Oyster Pearl will present the season's first oyster to Galway’s Mayor - a tradition since 1954.
Following the ceremony, oyster openers from all over Ireland will be competing to oust the reigning champion, Michael Moran from his well-earned title of Irish Oyster Opening Champion. All entrants must be capable of opening 18 oysters in less than 120 seconds. This is the qualifying lower limit for the competition and the actual quantity to be opened will be 30 oysters. Competitors are judged on time and presentation.
We are delighted to be supporting the RNLI - the charity that saves lives at sea. The festival will donate €5 to the RNLI for every €35 ticket purchased for this event.
Each restaurant at The Festival Dining Enclosure will be serving seasonal menus of delicious signature dishes. Guests choose from a tantalising selection of seafood provided by the finest Galway restaurants. Tickets include two courses and additional ‘tastes’ may be purchased directly in the dining enclosure.
The non-stop entertainment guarantees you’ll be finding your dancing feet before the night's end.
Saturday 29th September 2012
THE WORLD OYSTER OPENING CHAMPIONSHIP
Venue: Festival Marquee, Galway Harbour
Time: 12pm-7pm
Ticket Price: €70
A non-stop afternoon of entertainment and festival fun awaits; the Best Dressed Lady Event, The World Oyster Opener Championship, international food village, live music and celebrity guests.
Ticket holders choose their favourite dish from a selection of local restaurants and also receive a half dozen oysters with a complimentary beverage included in their ticket. Additional dishes may be purchased from the restaurants directly.
The World Oyster Opening Competition will feature Irish and international experts who have all proven speed accomplishments as they compete for the coveted title currently held by Xavier Caille, our 2011 winner.
2.00pm World Oyster Opening Championship
The World Oyster Opening Championship features contestants from every continent competing for the world title and valuable prizes. Again, the competitors are expected to open 30 oysters. Points are awarded primarily for the speed of opening 30 oysters. Judges award bonus points for presentation of the tray of opened oysters. A bonus of from 1 to 30 points is awarded by the Judges at their discretion for a tray of oysters that are presented in a neat and orderly manner
Following the competition, guests will be treated to a selection of Irish music and dance.
3.00pm Best Dressed Lady Competition
The Galway International Oyster Festival has always been synonymous with grace and style and this year promises a dazzling display of fashion with a spectacular prize for the winning lady
4.00pm Announcement of the World Oyster Opening Champion
After the winner of the World Oyster Opening Championship is announced, the party will continue in full swing with an international flavoured entertainment line-up.
OYSTER FESTIVAL MARDI GRAS
Venue: Various City Venues fininshing at Hotel Meyrick, Galway
Time: 7pm
Ticket Price: €95
Indulge your creativity and don your most captivating attire before joining us for the first ever Oyster Festival Mardi Gras through the Streets of Galway (Masks are optional).
Guests will meet for a reception and the start of the night’s entertainment. The Mardi Gras band will then guide guests through the streets of Galway to the second selected venue for an assortment of fresh Irish seafood and oysters. The celebration will continue through the on to Hotel Meyrick, Eyre Square – the spiritual home of the first oyster festival in 1954, where an array of delectable desserts will await. An impressive musical line up will keep you entertained and dancing until the early hours- making this event the festival highlight that simply can't be missed!
Sunday 30th September 2012
OYSTER FESTIVAL FINALE
Venue: Festival Marquee, Galway Harbour
Time: 12pm-7pm
Ticket Price: €15 (Kids under 12 go FREE)
Round up the 58th Galway International Oyster & Seafood festival with style at the final event of an action-packed weekend.
Experience the food village and the producers market which will have the best of Galway’s artisan delights and delectable morsels on offer as well as the return of the ‘Most Original Hot Oyster Dish Challenge’, family activities, live music and much, much more.
- Dine your way around the Food Village
- Sample the best of Galway’s restaurants & producers
- Enjoy demonstrations from an impressive line-up of award winning chefs
- Marvel at the skill on show during the ‘Most Original Hot Oyster Dish Challenge’
- Play the giant family games from 12-3pm
- Win the marine themed fancy dress competition from 12-3pm
- Welcome the winning sailing crew from the Annual Oyster Festival Race
- Dance in the Jive & Jazz with the West Coast Big Band
- Cheer on the Irish Coffee Making
- Party with all the fantastic entertainment on offer
Each ticket holder can sample a dish from their chosen restaurant as part of their entrance.