Food, Glorious Food!

Foodie fanatics who have their fingers on the ‘pulse’ will know that there’s a delicious array of tempting food festivals taking place around Ireland this Autumn, where both novices and gastro groupies alike can tap into a wealth of culinary knowledge, as well as loads of lovely grub!

There is no need to make a ‘meal’ out of a foodie festival, as there are great value accommodation options available at all the events.

For a full list of what stands out on the gastronomy calendar this Autumn, as well as details on cookery schools, food festivals, food markets, eating out, food trails and visitor attractions simply check out www.discoverireland.ie/food, but for now here are some of the highlights…

The Eat Cork Food Festival celebrating the city's culinary heritage runs from 22nd – 25th September , and it gives you the perfect excuse to make a stop off at Cork’s famous English Market. Indulge your gastronomical whims at the Galway International Oyster Festiva l, which takes place in Galway city from the 23rd-25th September with a lively programme of fun events and activities such as the World Oyster Opening Championships, Festival Parade through the streets of Galway and the glamorous Black Tie Ball.

The Dingle Food and Wine Festival will delight your taste buds from 1st- 2nd October . You will be tempted by taste trails, cookery demonstrations, farmers markets, special restaurant menus and lots of other goodies at this festival taking place on the scenic Dingle Peninsula. The festival also hosts Blas na hÉireann, the National Irish Food Awards.

The 35th Bollinger Kinsale Gourmet Festival is the oldest food festival in Ireland and will take place this year from the 7th – 9th October. The festival kicks off with a splash on Friday night at the ‘Bolly Ball’, where patrons can dance the night away to the Strauss Orchestra, after dining in one of the Kinsale Good Food Circle’s restaurants.

The Savour Kilkenny Food Festival takes place from the 28th – 31st October. Set against the dramatic backdrop of Kilkenny Castle, the festival centrepiece will be a bustling open-air market on the Parade Plaza where visitors can taste and buy the best of local and regional produce while street performers, musicians, and face-painters provide the sights and sounds.

If you can’t make any of the food festivals coming up, you can still plan a culinary get-away based on a veritable smorgasbord of Food Markets, like Dublin’s Temple Bar Food Market, Galway’s Church Lane Market, Limerick’s Milk Market or one of the over 180 farmers markets taking place weekly in towns and villages throughout Ireland.

If the markets and the al fresco dining whets your appetite, you could also check out some of the tasty Food Trails dotted around Ireland, like the Irish Whiskey Trail which combines chocolate and whiskey tasting, the Taste of Kilkenny Food Trail, Cork’s Coastal Food Trail, or Mayo’s Gourmet Greenway Trail.

Make sure you include some time in your gourmet getaway to check out some of the renowned cookery schools around the country, and take part in exciting courses like ‘catch it, cook it, eat it!’, chocolate making, mushroom foraging, or a family Halloween treats cookery course.

Finally, make sure you stop off at some of the vast range of artisan producers and farm shops en route to stock up your picnic basket, handy for some last minute road-side grazing!