CONNEMARA MUSSEL FESTIVAL 2016 Welcome Céad Míle Fáilte Willkommen Bienvenue Bienvenido Witam was G Day! Welcome to the 11th Connemara Mussel Festival! Originally established to promote the excellence of the mussels of Killary Harbour, the festival has grown to become a celebration of local people, food, culture and heritage, and is recognised as the premier food event for Connemara attracting visitors from near and far. One of the first festivals each year on the Wild Atlantic Way, it showcases the very best Connemara has to offer. A true Feast for the Senses: TASTE and SMELL beautifully cooked local produce; SEE unparalleled views of the Connemara land and seascape; HEAR sounds of music, dancing, talks and theatre; FEEL the ambience; and above all ENJOY the experience! McKenna s Guides - BEST FOOD FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR 2014 The Festival Marquee at Paddy Coynes Pub will be the venue for all cooking demonstrations. We would like to give a special thanks to Father Ronnie Boyle for allowing us the use of Tullycross Church with its wonderful Harry Clarke window (Mass takes place at 11am on Sunday). Our Festival Office this year will be in Thatched Cottage no.1 in Tullycross village, with kind permission from Connemara West. This cottage will also be the location for our 1916 Exhibition. The Artisan Market will once again be in the Marian Hall and will be bustling with food, craft and fun. Finally, our Gala Dinner this year takes place in Renvyle House Hotel on Sunday evening. For an overview of all events see the Event Calendar at the end of the brochure. Our festival would not be possible without the support of all our funding agencies, sponsors and friends who are listed on our Friends of the Festival Page. In particular, though, we would like to thank Paddy Coynes Pub, Renvyle House Hotel, GMIT, Fáilte Ireland and Galway County Council for their continued support. Finally, thanks to all our volunteers, including our American friends from Aquinas College, and to those who give their time to make the Festival such a success. All events are free unless specified in the brochure. Keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Twitter (@connemaramusselfestival) for updates. To avoid disappointment we advise early booking go to www.connemaramusselfestival.com where you can book and pay by Paypal. Bookings and enquiries can also be made at the Festival Office, by email to bookingmusselfest@gmail.com or by phone to 087 6478303. 1
What s happening this year? Our collaboration with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology s College of Arts and Tourism has been very successful over the past few years and once again Cait Noone, Head of School, and GMIT lecturers Jacinta Dalton and Marie Conboy have developed another exciting food programme. Our schedule of food demonstrations presents you with some of the finest culinary experts in Ireland, with newcomers to the Festival Jess Murphy, award winning chef /owner of Kai Restaurant in Galway, Michael O Meara of Oscar s Bistro, Galway, and we are particularly delighted to welcome local man Jonathan Keane, Head Chef at the Lodge at Ashford Castle. They will be joined by Festival regular Tim O Sullivan, Executive Chef at Renvyle House Hotel. Prepare to be inspired by their creativity and skill! As well as the annual GMIT Student cook-off competition, celebrities Neil Molloy from Galway Bay FM s Molly in the Morning show and Dave O Connell, the editor of the Connacht Tribune, will compete in our Celebrity Competition. The ever popular Amateur Chef Competition will also be held just email us to enter. And KIDS COOKING is back! This year the focus is on healthy treats and lunch box snacks without the use of sugar a relevant and topical conversation taking place around Ireland. The first event on Friday night after the opening ceremonies is the widely acclaimed singer and musician Sean Keane early booking recommended. On Saturday night Galway s Cois Cladaigh Choir make their first visit to the festival and will be singing in the church in Tullycross. Talks include such diverse topics as Oscar Wilde s Connemara Connections; William Evans, an English watercolourist who painted Connemara in pre-famine times; local heritage and archaeology, organic gardening, and The French Connection. And the Curlew Theatre Company will be back with a new play. In this centenary year of the 1916 Rising we will have our own 1916 exhibition focusing on life in Connemara in 1916. Sean nós dancer extraordinaire Emma O Sullivan will be around too for the weekend so watch out for her at Paddy Coyne s Pub. For the more adventurous there will be an archaeological field trip and our ever popular Killary Fjord walk with mussel feast! We have a bigger and better programme than ever for children see details on the children s page. And don t forget to visit the Artisan Market where you can buy the very best of food and crafts direct from the producers. LIVE MUSIC IN ALL THE PUBS IN THE VILLAGE EVERY NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL 2
What else is happening this year? If you are up and about on Saturday morning you will see the Galway Bay FM Roadcaster in Tullycross broadcasting direct from the Connemara Mussel Festival and telling the rest of the county what they are missing out on by not being here! Galway City and County are bidding to be the European Capital of Culture 2020 and we are delighted to lend our support to the campaign and, should the bid be successful, to showcase the Connemara Mussel Festival to an even larger audience. Following six months of of planning and stakeholder engagement Galway has won the designation 'European Region of Gastronomy' in 2018. The designation is not just a culinary award; the programme is designed to link food, hospitality, culture and tourism and create better quality of living for citizens in a region. Key areas in the Galway bid included health, education and sustainability. The title of the Galway bid 'From the Ground Up - Feeding our Future' will focus on exactly this approach - working with all stakeholders across the county and islands demonstrating how a community of like minded and dedicated professionals can make a difference in creating a sustainable food platform for now and future generations. Congratulations to the bid team from Galway which includes Cáit Noone and Jacinta Dalton from GMIT- organisers of our food programme. GREEN YOUR FESTIVAL Last year we joined Galway County Council s Green Your Festival initiative. With a particular focus on waste, all our food containers, implements and coffee cups are certified compostable and can be placed in the compost/food waste bins provided. We ask all our patrons and visitors to ensure that you use the correct bins (kindly provided by Barna Recycling) for all your waste and to help us and the environment during your stay! We also have our friends from Galway County Council Environment Department doing a demonstration on home composting, providing guidance on how to reduce your waste going to landfill whist at the same time feeding your garden! For 2016 we have again teamed up with the RNLI as our Charity Partner. Please support the RNLI volunteers in their fundraising over the weekend. A percentage of all proceeds from our MEGA Raffle will also be donated. 3 LIVE MUSIC IN ALL THE PUBS IN THE VILLAGE EVERY NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL
The French Connection A Tribute to Patrick Walton According to legend, mussels have been cultivated in Europe since 1235 when an Irish sailor called Patrick Walton was shipwrecked in the Baie d'aiguillon along the French Atlantic coast. Whilst trying to catch fish, Walton hung up nets and found mussels attaching themselves to the poles supporting the nets. He then developed this technique and so invented the first method of mussel production, now referred to as the bouchot. This farming method, where mussel spats (very young mussels) naturally fix onto poles submerged in the sea, has been successfully used in that region of France ever since. The region also celebrates the mussel and has a Moulstock music festival in June each year. This year we are creating cultural and economic links with the Charente-Maritime region. Representatives from the tourism and aquaculture industries will visit Renvyle and join us for our Mussel Festival. Over the weekend we will be saluting Patrick Walton s ingenuity with a presentation by Dr Tony Kiely of DIT, unveiling a new sign Boulevard Patrick Walton, lighting of the Moules Eclade and perhaps a glass or two of Chardonnay! Vive la France! Festival Artisan Market In Marian Hall, Tullycross you will find a huge variety of artisan produced crafts and food, including cakes, jams, chocolates, cheese, honey, veggie snacks, ceramics, knitted goods, skincare and more! Also tea, coffee and hot food to eat on the go. Gourmet Buffet at Renvyle House Hotel Sun 1st May 8pm, Tickets 45 (prior booking essential) What better way to finish our festival than with a Gourmet Buffet at the multi award winning Renvyle House Hotel, showcasing mussels and the best of local produce. The price includes a welcome glass of prosecco on arrival, followed by music till late with Richard and Fionnuala. The draw for the Connemara Mussel Festival Mega Raffle will take place after the meal. A contribution to the RNLI is made with each ticket sold. 4
F.E.E.D. Food. Explore. Educate. Demonstrate - sharing the finest foods from the western shores of Ireland GMIT s FEED event returns to the Connemara Mussel Festival and continues to showcase the amazing range of Irish produce we have on this wonderful food island of Ireland. This year we will focus on family friendly nutritious meals that can be cooked at home and we will also host a Q&A and share insights into how communities across our region can continue to support tourism developments. All the food events are held in the Festival Marquee and all are FREE to attend * See the children s page for the ever popular KIDS COOKING Sea Gastronomy in Connemara Sat 30th April 12.30pm, Festival Marquee Award winning chef and author Michael O Meara joins us fresh from his outstanding success with his first publication Sea Gastronomy, published by Artisan House Editions. Michael will cook up some seafood specials, talk us through the importance of sourcing and using local fish, including some less well known types, and will finish off the session with a book signing for anyone wishing to purchase Sea Gastronomy. The Role of Communities in Tourism in the West of Ireland Sat 30th April 2.00pm, Festival Marquee The islands, villages and towns on the west coast of Ireland play a key role in bringing tourists to Ireland. How do we as a collective maintain our product, manage this resource and make best use of limited resources? A panel discussion with Galway based Tourism professionals - Diarmuid O Conghaile, Adrian Herlihy, Ronnie Counihan and Mary Mulvey from EcoTourism Ireland and Chair of "Leave no Trace". All welcome to attend and participate. GMIT Culinary Student Cook Off Sat 30th April 3.00pm, Festival Marquee Mystery baskets ready and we are off. Winning students from the GMIT cook off stages will do battle for the annual Mussel Festival Student Champion award and hopefully share some culinary tips along the way. Expect the unexpected... 5 Annual Connemara Mussel Festival Celebrity Cooking Competition Sat 30th April 4.30pm, Festival Marquee The one you have been waiting for TV3 may have The Restaurant programme but this celebrity cook off is one of the festival highlights. Connacht Tribune Editor Dave O Connell will take on the mighty Neil Molly in the Morning Molloy from Galway Bay FM as the pair share their culinary genius and talents with us.
Sunday Seafood Platter Sun 1st May 1.30pm, Festival Marquee Connemara born Jonathan Keane is the award winning Head Chef at The Lodge at Ashford Castle. A graduate of GMIT Jonathan was surrounded by inspiring landscape, excellent ingredients and the magic of the sea. His demonstration today will focus on the great Irish Seafood Platter a selection of Irish seafood in the style of Wilde his award winning restaurant at The Lodge at Ashford Castle. Sponsored by Kylemore Abbey Bake Off Awards Sun 1st May 2.30pm, Festival Marquee The home-baking competition will be judged and winners announced. Sponsored by Paddy Coyne s Pub New Zealand meets Connemara! Sun 1st May 3.00pm, Festival Marquee Thirteen years ago Jess Murphy moved to Ireland, first Dublin and then Galway. Since opening Kai on Sea Rd, Jess with her husband David and the team have won many awards including Best Chef and Best Restaurant in Connaught on numerous occasions. Today is her first visit to the Connemara Mussel Festival and whatever she cooks for us you can be sure it will be fun, full of goodness, locally sourced and innovative. Sponsored by Bord Iascaigh Mhara Tim s Seafood Family Meals Sun 1st May 4.15pm, Festival Marquee Euro-toques Member and local award winning Executive Chef from Renvyle House Hotel, Tim O Sullivan, will share some Sunday seafood recipes with us. The only place to be this afternoon if you want to make some great tasting, fishy family favourites. Not to be missed! Sponsored by Renvyle House Hotel Amateur Chef Competition Sun 1st May 5.30pm, Festival Marquee The festival highlight event for all amateur chefs - your opportunity to take part in the festival. Entrants will cook their own dish incorporating mussels. Sponsored by Paddy Coynes Pub Email connemaramusselfest@gmail.com to enter During intervals between demonstrations on Sunday afternoon Seanchai Editions will be signing copies of their recently published photographic book Conamara, which celebrates not only the wonderful landscapes of this area but also its people, events, culture and language. FESTIVAL AMBASSADOR - Máirin Uí Chomáin Máirin Uí Chomáin is a Connemara native and author of Irish Mussel Cuisine, Irish Oyster Cuisine and Celebrating Irish Salmon. Former chair of the Irish Food Writers Guild and presenter of her own food show on RTE TV, Máirin has been involved with the festival since the beginning and will again be our head judge. 6
CONCERTS & THEATRE Seán Keane Fri 29th April 9.00pm - Marian Hall, Tullycross - Tickets: 20 Seán Keane from County Galway was once described as the `greatest musical find of the 90`s` by The London Independent and he has certainly lived up to that. Though best known as a traditional singer, he successfully mixes country, blues and pop songs. Sean s latest album Live (released March 2016), was actually recorded in Paddy Coynes Pub, Tullycross last year and was seen on TG4 as a Christmas Special in 2015. We are delighted to welcome him back to Tullycross for the festival! Early booking recommended. Cockles & Mussels - The Cois Cladaigh Chamber Choir Sat 30th April 8.00pm - Tullycross Church - Tickets: 10 Cois Cladaigh is a mixed voice choir based in Galway and was founded in 1982. The choir specialises in European music from the late 15th and early 16th centuries and also performs a formidable repertoire of contemporary choral music. The choir has had considerable success in competition, winning the premier national award on 3 occasions at Ireland's most important meeting, the Cork Choral Festival. Séidíu 6.30pm The vocal ensemble Séidíu came into being in Clifden at the end of November last year. Séidíu has six members so far all experienced choral singers under the direction of Nina Johanne Madsen. This is Séidíu's first public performance consisting of a capella renaissance music. 7 NORAMOLLYANNALIVIALUCIA (The Muse and Mr. Joyce) Sun 1st May 5.30pm - Renvyle House Hotel - Tickets: 10 Presented by Curlew Theatre Company, written and directed by Eamon Grennan and performed by Tegolin Knowland, this play will also be performed in June as part of the Bloomsday Celebrations at Howth Castle, Co. Dublin, The National Library of Ireland, Dublin and for The Dept of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, Holland. The company perform plays-forvoices devised by Eamon Grennan. Each of these takes a crucial element in Irish history and explores it in depth, seeking to bring everything down to a close, even intimate relationship between players and audience. The play will be followed by two free events in Renvyle House Hotel: Announcement of Winners of our Inaugural Poetry Competition 7.00pm The first ever Connemara Mussel Festival poetry competition was the brainchild of John Coyle of Renvyle House who suggested that as there weren t many poems about the humble mussel he would rectify the situation by sponsoring a competition. 160 entries were received from all over the world and were judged by poet and Professor of Literature Eamon Grennan. Join us to see who will take the inaugural Connemara Mussel Festival literary crown. Followed by Gourmet Buffet at Renvyle House Hotel 45
OUT AND ABOUT IN CONNEMARA Archaeological Field Trip Sat 30th April 10.00am - Meet outside Festival Marquee - Tickets 15 Connemara s leading archaeologist Michael Gibbons will lead a field trip around the Kylemore Castle Estate and environs. Hear of long lost Roman remains; see a 5000 year old tomb; view an almost forgotten Marconi industrial complex and visit an ancient burial ground with some dramatic folk art sculpture. View the last intact fragment of a river edge bog in the area, abandoned famine era landscapes and hear of a battle over Cearta Trá between two fairy kings. Bus leaves from outside the Festival Marquee returning approx. 1pm. Bring good walking shoes and raingear. Limited numbers - advance booking recommended. Mussel Festival Run Sat 30th April 12.00 pm - Meet at Tullycross Church - Entry 10 Organised by our local Runday Running Club, this 5K mixed terrain looped run starts at Tullycross and heads towards Letterfrack. A left turn at the new picnic area at Derryinver bridge brings you onto the beautiful bog road. Enjoy the spectacular mountain views before re-joining the Currywongan road back to Tullycross. Over 16s only. All profits will go the festival s charity partner, the RNLI. Book in advance or pay on the day. Cycling Sat 30th April & Sun 1st May 1.00pm each day - 15 Guided tours from Tullycross Church. Enjoy the amazing scenery of north west Connemara - Wild Atlantic Bike Hire will operate guided bike tours on Saturday and Sunday. Bikes will also be available to hire at other times throughout the weekend. Dawn Killary Famine Walk Sun 1st May 6.00am - Meet at Rosroe Pier - 15 What a great start to the day! The Killary famine walk has become a staple of the festival. You can see the early morning sun over Killary Harbour and there s a stop along the way to enjoy a mussel feast. Guides Catherine Nee and Sean Coyne will lead and inform as you go. Bring good walking shoes and raingear. Limited numbers - advance booking recommended. Sponsored by Marty s Mussels. RNLI Boat makes a visit Sun 1st May 2.30pm - Derryinver Pier - Free event The RNLI lifeboat will be moored at Derryinver pier. This is your chance to see the vessel which braves all weathers to ensure the safety of those at sea. Subject to availability of the boat saving lives comes first! 8
EXHIBITIONS AND TALKS 1916 Exhibition Sat & Sun 10.00am 6.00pm - Festival Office (Cottage no.1) Free event ( 5 for print outs) Peek into life in Tullycross around 1916. Historical exhibition combining the 1916 Rising and life in Tullycross and Connemara during that period. See how your ancestors lived. Print outs available of your family s 1911 Census form. Photos, newspaper clippings and stories of the era will be on display and a historian available between 2 and 5pm each day to help access your very own hidden history. The Wilde Family Connections to Connemara - The Other Wilde Trial Sat 30th April 2.00pm - Tullycross Church- Tickets: 5 A talk by Eibhear Walshe, lecturer at University College Cork on the intriguing story of Mary Travers and the Wilde family. Illaunroe, on a remote peninsula on Lough Fee near Little Killary was Sir William Wilde's first hunting lodge in the west; for many years Oscar liked to call it the little purple island where we children learned to fish and hunt. Eibhear Walshe is the author of Oscar s Shadow : Wilde and Ireland and The Diary of Mary Travers as well as other publications. Sponsored by Artisan House Editions and Joan McBreen Before the Great Famine - Rare watercolours of Connemara Sat 30th April 3.30pm - Tullycross Church - Tickets 5 An illustrated talk on English watercolourist William Evans by Anne Hodge. In 2008 the National Gallery of Ireland acquired a collection of 41 watercolours of West of Ireland scenes by the English topographical artist William Evans (1798-1877). Anne Hodge is Curator of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Ireland. She is currently working on a book exploring William Evans 1838 tour of Galway and Connemara. Sponsored by Mary O Keeffe in memory of Denis O Keeffe 9 From Diocletian to Marconi Sat 30th April 5.00pm - Tullycross Church - Tickets: 5 An illustrated talk by renowned local archaeologist Michael Gibbons on the Roman (and other) remains on the Kylemore Estate, Connemara. Anyone who has ever heard Michael talking about his passion for Connemara and archaeology will know that this will be a fascinating and instructive presentation. Sponsored by Anne Foyle
French Connection Sun 1st May 1.30 pm - Tullycross Church- Tickets: 5 From Tullycross to La Rochelle! Festival Food, French Connectivity, and Relational Tourism Potential: Tony Kiely from Dublin Institute of Technology will deliver an illustrated talk on the challenges and opportunities associated with creating a sustainable tourism format for Tullycross and its immediate environs, followed by a Q&A session. Two talks for experienced and novice gardeners alike Sun 1st May 2.00 pm - The Vegetable Garden behind Paddy Coynes Pub - Tickets: 5 Organic Vegetable Growing With Klaus Laitenberger. What better way to ensure your food is fresh and chemical free than growing it yourself? Formerly Head Gardener at the Organic Centre at Rossinver and now lecturer in organic horticulture at University College Cork,and an organic farming inspector, Klaus has become a regular and very popular contributor to the festival. His three best selling books on growing vegetables have attracted rave reviews from other horticulturists and top gardening newspaper & magazine writers and other gardeners alike. Followed by How to Make Compost at Home Top Tips Sinéad Ní Mhainnin, Environment Officer with Galway County Council,on how to make compost at home and see how different types of composters work. You will learn how to save money and improve your garden at the same time! Commemorative Stories of The Crossroads Sun 1st May 3.00 pm - Tullycross Church - Tickets: 5 With Verena Roe. A glimpse through the windows of time one hundred years ago. An illustrated talk on the social history surrounding the events which shaped the everyday lives of the community. Verena is a local historian who specialises in Heritage and Local History, having gained her B.A. (Hons) in Heritage Studies at GMIT in 2014. She is fourth generation Tullycross and Gorteennaglogh which provides her with primary social history sources. Sponsored by Judy Kay RNLI Sun 1st May 4.30pm - Tullycross Church - Tickets: 5 Robert King, Station Mechanic with RNLI Clifden, will give a presentation on the activities and development of Clifden RNLI since its foundation. This will include first-hand accounts of sea rescues and an overview of the RNLI s Respect the Water campaign. Proceeds to RNLI 10
CHILDREN S FUN AND EVENTS What do you Sea? Sat 30th April 11.00am & 3.00pm - Cottage No.3, Tullycross - Tickets: 3 Create an underwater scene, with our American friends from Aquinas college. Painting and collage using items found in the sea or along the shore! A great way to let the imagination go wild with the mysteries of the deep blue ocean. Sugar Crush Kid s Cooking Workshops Sat 30th April 11.00am & Sun 1st May 12.00pm - Festival Marquee Free Event - Places limited, booking essential Everyone has heard how sugar can be found in most foods today, however, we all need a little sweetness in our diet to maintain a healthy balance. GMIT Lecturers Jacinta and Maria will show kids how to whip up some treats without the need for any major sugar rush. And the kids get to keep their chefs hats and aprons! Sponsored by Dept of Culinary Arts in GMIT Tegolin s Tales Sat 30th & Sun 1st May 12.30pm each day - Tullycross Church- Tickets: 3 The Leprechaun and St Brigid & the Pig. Prepare to be brought on a memorable journey with Tegolin, meeting and exploring colourful characters along the way. Interactive fun-filled children s theatrical storytelling. Bernardo the Magician Sat 30th April 1.30pm & 4.00pm - Upstairs Marian Hall - Tickets: 3 Entertainment for all the family with one of Irelands top fun magicians. Also children s disco and balloon modelling. Places limited, booking essential Ella and her close friends Sun 1st May - afternoon Beside the Viking Ship - Free Event Ella, the smallest cow in the world, is coming back! And this time she is bringing some of her farmyard friends with her. Ella is a Dexter cow measuring just 31 inches tall and she hasn t yet told us which friends she is bringing so you ll just have to come and see! Facepainting Sat 30th April & Sun 1st May - Artisan Market ON THE SPORTS FIELD (located behind the Marian Hall, Tullycross) 11 National Schools GAA Blitz Sat 30th April 2.00pm-6.00pm - Sports Field - Free Event Fun and excitement for all the family as the local National Schools battle it out GAA style. Seven a Side Football League Sun 1st May 2.00pm-6.00pm - Sports Field - Free Event Teams from around the county play for The Stephen Thomas Kane Cup, medals and cash rewards. A serious event but lots of fun!
FRIENDS & SPONSORS AIB,Clifden; Anglers Rest Bar; Ann Foyle; Aoife Herriott Photography; Aquinas College; Arrabawn Dairies; Artisan House Editions; Babs McGinn, Spruce your Pooch; Barna Waste; Bernard King; Brian Coyne; Brian Maher, Letter Hill Furniture; Broderick Electrical; Carlton Group; Castlebar Golf Club; CBE; Charmaine Flaherty; City Link; Clifden Bookshop; Clifden Supply Centre; Clover Fox, Letterfrack; Connemara Beekeepers Association; Connemara Carpets, Moyard; Connemara Golf Club; Connemara Loop; Connemara West plc; Day s Pub, Inishbofin; Diamond Hair Studio, Letterfrack; Down2Earth Materials; Edward Conway Motors, Castlebar; Declan O Grady, Charleville Park Hotel; Faherty Wholesale; Tom & Viv Flaherty; Fr. Ronnie Boyle; Gerard Moylan; Gleesons; Graham Roberts; Gresham Hotel; Guiness; Guy s Pub, Clifden; Hugh O Neill; Integrated Fire Solutions; J & C Kenny; James Flaherty; Joe & Joan McBreen; John Diamond; John James Flaherty; John Nee; John Sweeney; Judy Kay; Kavanagh s Supervalu, Clifden; Killary Adventure Centre; Killary Cruises; Kingfisher Fresh Fish; Klaus Laitenberger; Kylemore Pass Hotel; Laura Cull; Letterfrack Hardware; Letterfrack Lodge; Maol Reidh Hotel; Marty s Shellfish; Mary O Keefe; Mike Joyce, Ballinrobe Races; Mill Meats; O Toole Transport; Paddy Kane & FÁS crew; Pat Concannon, Island Discovery; Patrick James & Patsy Conneely; Pauline & Michael Mannion; Rebec Construction; Renvyle GAA; Renvyle Sports & Social Co; Robin O Donnell; Rogan s Gala, Tully; Rosleague Hotel; Runday Runners Club; Scubadive West; Seanchai Editions; Sleepzone; Station House Hotel; Supervalu, Clifden; Sweeney Oil; TG4; The Country Shop, Letterfrack; The Helm Restaurant, Westport; The Twelve Hotel, Barna; Top Oil; Veldon s Seafarer Bar; Verena Roe; White Strand Restaurant & Bar. Our thanks to the community, volunteers and everyone who has supported the festival. The above list is correct at the time of going to print. We sincerely apologise to anyone we may have inadvertently left out. 12
CONNEMARA MUSSEL FESTIVAL Friday 29th April 7pm Official opening of the Festival in the Festival Marquee followed by a performance from the award winning Curley School of Dancing & the loading of a time capsule to be buried on Sunday after Mass. 9pm Sean Keane Concert P7 Saturday 30th April 10am-12pm Galway Bay FM broadcasting from Tullycross P3 10am-6pm 1916 Exhibition in Festival Office P9 10am Archaeological Field Trip with Michael Gibbons P8 10.30am-6pm Artisan Market in Marian Hall 11am Sugar Crush - Kids Cooking P11 11am What do you Sea? - Children s Art P11 12pm 5K Mussel Festival Run P8 12.30pm Tegolin s Tales - Children s Storytelling P11 12.30pm Sea Gastronomy in Connemara with Michael O Meara P5 1pm Guided Bike Tour P8 1.30pm Bernardo the Magician P11 2pm Wilde Family Connections to Connemara - Eibhear Walshe P9 2pm The Role of Communities in Tourism in the West of Ireland P5 2pm-6pm National Schools GAA Blitz P11 3pm What do you Sea? - Children s Art P11 3pm GMIT Culinary Student Cook Off P5 3.30pm Before the Famine - Rare Watercolours of Connemara - Anne Hodge 4pm Bernardo the Magician P11 4.30pm Celebrity Cooking Competition P5 5pm From Diocletian to Marconi P9 6pm Unveiling of Boulevard Patrick Walton & Moules Eclade in the street P4 8pm Cois Cladaigh Concert P7 P4 P9 13 Food Events Concerts & Theatre Out & About Exhibitions & Talks Children
EVENTS CALENDAR 2016 Sunday 1st May 6am Dawn Killary Walk P8 10am-6pm 1916 Exhibition in Festival Office P9 10.30am-6pm Artisan Market in Marian Hall P4 11.45am Burying of a Time Capsule at the "Triangle" in Tullycross 12pm Sugar Crush - Kids cooking P11 12.30pm Tegolin s Tales - Children s Storytelling P11 1pm Guided Bike Tour P8 1.30pm Sunday Seafood Platter with Chef Jonathan Keane P6 1.30pm The French Connection - talk & discussion with Tony Kiely P10 2pm-6pm Seven A Side Football League P11 2pm Organic gardening with Klaus Laitenberger followed by a talk on composting P10 2.30pm Bake Off Awards P6 2.30pm RNLI Lifeboat at Derryinver Pier P8 3pm New Zealand meets Connemara with Chef Jess Murphy P6 3pm Commemorative Stories of The Crossroads - Verena Roe P10 4.15pm Tim's Seafood Family Meals with Chef Tim O'Sullivan P6 4.30pm RNLI - a talk by Robert King P10 5.30pm Amateur Chef Competition P6 5.30pm Noramollyannalivialucia by Curlew Theatre Company P7 6.30pm Concert by Séidíu P7 7pm Announcement of Winners of Poetry Competition P7 8pm Renvyle House Hotel Festival Gourmet Buffet P4 The Curley School of Dancing will perform at the Festival Opening. Congratulations to James O Farrell (3rd from left) who recently became World Champion Irish dancer. 14
IRISH MUSSEL CUISINE by Máirin Uí Chomain The definitive mussel recipe book, designed and created specifically for the festival by Máirín Uí Chomáin. This beautifully illustrated book, packed with recipes from chefs from all around the country is a must-buy for those of you who love to eat and enjoy mussels! Available for just 8 from the Festival Office or on our website www.connemaramusselfestival.com. MUSSEL FESTIVAL T-SHIRTS A reminder of your weekend Available to buy from the Festival Office or online - 15 www.connemaramusselfestival.com The festival is run by volunteers and we have tried to make it as good value for everyone as possible. If you would like to make a contribution, donation boxes can be found in the Marquee and the Festival Office. The Bagman bags the mussels at the Festival launch earlier this year. Patrick Rala O Reilly former bagman for the Irish Rugby Team with Festival chairman, Gerry Coyne. Tullycross, Renvyle, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland connemaramusselfest@gmail.com www.connemaramusselfestival.com Graphic & Web Design by Cuán Mara Design Cover Photo & Festival Photography by Aoife Herriott Photography 15