Ballycotton Big Fish event not going ahead due to 'circumstances outside their control'

It’s the one that got away!

Hopes of luring top fishermen to an international shark fishing competition off east Cork have been sunk, despite a €250,000 prize fund.

Organisers of what was hoped would be the first Ballycotton Big Fish event in September have confirmed it is not going ahead due to “circumstances outside their control”.

“It is a great disappointment for all involved,” said a spokesperson for the man behind the venture, Ballycotton-born businessman Pearse Flynn.

“In the meantime, Pearse and his team will be concentrating on the multiple other tourism projects that he has undertaken for Ballycotton.”

Mr Flynn, who heads up British debt solution company, Creditfix, is funding several projects in his native village, including two restaurants, a craft shop, gallery, a community arts venue, a children’s playground and a watersports venture.

Meanwhile, Cork’s Long Table event has been shelved this summer but only in favour of a three-hour culinary walking tour of the restaurants involved.

The people behind the sit-down dining experience said it will “lie fallow this season” as the team “replenishes and rejuvenates” for 2020.

Instead, 10 restaurants will present a ‘Walk the Long Table’ event in June, led by chef Trisha Lewis of Jacob’s on the Mall, and Ali Honour of Ali’s Kitchen on Paul St.

They will take food lovers on a walking trail to meet the chefs involved in the Long Table event, including Ali’s Kitchen, Crawford and Co, Dockland, Electric, Isaac’s, Jacobs, Nash 19, The Farmgate Café, and The Imperial Hotel who will each showcase seasonal produce in their top dishes and beverages.

“We celebrate the season daily in our restaurants and Walk the Long Table is such a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to work together, showcasing the food in our region and highlighting how important food tourism is to us while we continue to work on Cork’s Long Table Dinner 2020,” Claire Nash, of Nash 19 said.

The ‘Walk the Long Table’ event will take place twice daily, at 2.30pm and 3pm, from June 12-14 and June 19-21 as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. Tickets priced €85, for eight courses and drinks, go on sale on www.corkmidsummer.com.