When are oysters in season, and what happens at the Galway oyster festival?
Native flat oysters run from September to April, the months with an r in them, when the water is cold and the oysters are at their best after the summer spawning season. Farmed rock oysters fill the gap and are eaten all year. The Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival closes the last weekend of September and has done since 1954: it was founded to mark the opening of the native season, and the weekend centres on the Irish and World Oyster Opening Championships, where shuckers race the clock, plus oyster trails through the city's pubs and restaurants. Book beds early, because Galway fills for it.
Useful pages: Irish food · Irish food and drink experiences · Food and drink basics · Irish pubs and music · What to eat in Ireland · Best Irish souvenirs · Tours · Events · Plan your journey
Sources
- Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival: festival dates and the oyster opening championships, galwayoysterfestival.com
More in Food and drink
- What should I order for a first traditional Irish breakfast, and what are black and white pudding?
- What Irish dishes should I try beyond stew, and where does each come from?
- What is boxty, colcannon, champ, coddle and a farl?
- How do pub opening hours, last orders and food serving times usually work?
- Which Irish cities have the best nightlife?