The Galway International Oyster Festival

Dates: 25th - 28th September, 2014.

The Galway International Oyster Festival is the premier event in the Galwegian calendar, when people from all over the world descend on Galway to sample the world famous oysters of Galway Bay and the legendary craic of the West of Ireland.

On the last weekend of September each year, the cosmopolitan town of Galway hosts the Galway International Oyster Festival, one of the biggest events in Ireland's social calendar. A feast of live entertainment, gourmet food, fine wine and of course Oysters and Guinness are enjoyed by some 10,000 people with guests and luminaries from all over the world.

The Galway Oyster Festival has come along way since its humble origins in 1954. The festival was the brainchild of Brian Collins, hotelier at the Great Southern Galway. His intention was to extend the tourist season into September with an Oyster Festival Banquet, which was first attended by just 34 people. Since then the festival has become huge business, sponsored by Guinness, it brings an estimated 2m euros into the local economy and has developed into one of Ireland's most celebrated festivals with a range of events.

Over the four days, the festival hosts the World Oyster Opening Championship, an annual beauty contest to select the Festival Pearl, a Mardi Gras Party with Champagne, Guinness and Oyster reception and an electrifying line up of top class artists, an afternoon Marquee Reception (with more Guinness and Oysters) and the grand finale, the Gala Ball.

The Oyster Festival is undoubtedly a world event and a great time for visiting Galway, the City of the Tribes.

For more information check out the official website for the Galway International Oyster Festival

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