Limerick's answer to the Galway Oyster Festival was how the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Ned O'Keeffe, heralded the eight-day Limerick Food Festival. Now after a week of good food, drink, music and craic for local families and visitors, it all comes to an end this Saturday with "a final fling" festival celebration party at the marquee on the restored Potato Market beside the new City Hall and courthouse. The director of the festival, Oliver Kehelly, while expressing his delight at Limerick people's response to the event, said: "I don't think we have yet reached the height of the Galway Oyster Festival. However, we are on our way towards reaching our goal of involving 100,000 people.
"Limerick was awash with atmosphere over the week as the festival kicked into action, with 40 pubs involved in the Guinness Food and Music Trail," he said. "They will be serving food of a certain theme, be it Cajun, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, American, Irish or French. Each pub will feature live musical entertainment." This year Guinness has incorporated a competitive element, with the pubs split into six groupings, each competing for the best atmosphere, food, entertainment and of course craic. The winners in each section will win a free barrel of Guinness and a plaque.
This competition started last evening with a bartenders' race down Cruises Street. Each competitor carried two pints on a tray and the winner had to finish with at least one pint of liquid between the two. The Guinness Jazz Band stepped up the pace at the finish as if to increase the spill.
The Limerick Food Festival is an initiative of Shannon Development as a part of its programme to foster growth within the Shannon region. It is described as "a unique event in the mid-west, providing a vital opportunity to improve culinary awareness and skills". Ken Thompstone, assistant chief executive, Shannon Development, said one of its aims was to foster economic growth in the area and provide a showcase and centre of excellence for the region's wonderful range of speciality food producers.
The organisers aim to provide international cuisine at three levels: fine dining, casual dining and pub food. Although the main focus is in the casual area, it developed around the Epicurian World Master Chefs Society World Banqueting Competition, which was held at the University of Limerick over the past two years.
This led to the setting up last year of the Limerick Good Food Circle followed by similar circles in Ennis, Tralee and north Tipperary. The restaurant trade in the city has been centrally involved in the organisation and the sponsorship.
The importance of healthy eating to a healthy lifestyle is the theme of this year's festival, with the co-operation of the State agencies and the Mid-Western Health Board. Free admission to morning seminars in the marquee give the public a chance to learn about a healthy diet using Irish meat, fish, cheese and potatoes.
An Bord Glas, the Horticultural Development Board, on Tuesday organised a seminar on "Irish Potatoes - the Oldest and the Best" to show how to use more potatoes in the daily diet.
The gathering was told that although the potato has been associated with Ireland since the popular legend credits Sir Walter Raleigh with its introduction to Youghal, Co Cork, the first Europeans to discover it were the Spanish during the invasion of Peru in the 16th century.
Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are not fattening, according to Ursula O'Dwyer, consultant dietician to the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health. Bord Iascaigh Mhara this morning has as its theme "Make Friends with Fish". Tomorrow, after Bord Bia has finished extolling the pleasures of "marvellous meat", the way will be cleared for a Texas barbecue and line dancing.
Monday was the day for the fully fledged and aspiring wine buffs. Throughout the day wine-tasting took place in all four Fine Wines outlets in Limerick, as well as the new Food Hall in Roches Street and selected retail outlets. Ralph Parks, the owner of Fine Wines and one of the sponsors, was master of ceremonies that evening at the marquee, at an event featuring wine and food tasting and advice, as well as talks on wine and food by leading authorities.
John McKenna, co-author of The Bridgestone Best in Ireland Guide 1997, told the audience that "Irish people have great palates, and everybody has the ability to be a great taster".
Most of those assembled already knew that, because for almost two hours they had been around and around a circle of 12 wine tables, courtesy of the leading importers. Like the Munster farmers at the RDS who become "decenter and decenter as the day went on", they too became more expert at wine tasting as the evening progressed.
