The oyster, the Galway Flat (the Ostrea edulis, the native, the flat, the round, the 3 years to grow to the size of the palm, the opened by the champion shucker at the Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival on the last Saturday of the September, the 12 oysters shucked in the 90 seconds, the shell the flicked into the bucket, the oyster the tipped into the mouth, the salty, the metallic, the taste of the Galway Bay in the single swallow, the pint of the Guinness the chased, and the 30,000 oysters the consumed over the 3 days of the oldest oyster festival in the world, the 1954, the September, and the essential Irish food-festival experience), is the reason to plan the trip to the Ireland around the food. Here are the 8 Irish food festivals.

1. Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival

the last weekend of the September, the Nimmo’s Pier, the €25 entry, the oysters from the €2 each, the oyster-shucking championship, the live music, the Guinness, and the best food festival in Ireland. The essential: the hotel in Galway the book 6 months in advance, the city sells out for the festival weekend.

2. Dingle Food Festival

the first weekend of the October, the Dingle peninsula, the free entry, the 70 market stalls, the Blas na hÉireann (the “Taste of Ireland” food awards the held here), the Dingle Gin, the Dingle Distillery whiskey, the Murphy’s ice cream (the sea salt, the Dingle, the essential scoop), and the most beautiful food festival setting in Ireland, the harbour, the mountains, and the Fungie the dolphin (the RIP 2020, but the spirit remains). The essential: the Dingle is the 4-hour drive from Dublin, and the accommodation the book 3 months ahead.

3. West Waterford Festival of Food

the Dungarvan, the free entry, the 100 events over the 3 days, the cookery demos, the foraging walks, the €10 for the tasting plate at the market, and the best-value food festival in Ireland.

4. Whiskey Live Dublin

the €45, the 100+ whiskeys to taste, the masterclasses, the meet the distillers, and the best whiskey festival in Ireland. The essential: the designated driver ticket is the €20, and the designated driver is the essential for the Whiskey Live.

5. Connemara Mussel Festival

the free entry, the mussel-cooking competition, the seafood chowder competition, the live music in the marquee, and the best community food festival in Ireland. The essential: the Connemara is the most beautiful part of Ireland, the combine the festival with the drive of the Sky Road (the Clifden) and the Kylemore Abbey.

6. Burren Slow Food Festival

the €10 entry, the 50 artisan producers, the foraging walks in the Burren (the limestone, the unique flora, the 70% of Ireland’s 900 native plant species grow in the Burren), and the best slow-food festival in Ireland. The essential: the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival is the September, the 160-year-old, the largest matchmaking event in Europe, and the essential Irish experience: the food festival in the May, the matchmaking in the September.

7. Taste of Dublin

the €30 entry, the €5 per dish, the 20 top restaurants, the Neff the cooking the demos, and the best urban food festival in Ireland.

8. Galway Christmas Market

the not exclusively the food, but the food is the best part: the €5 for the bratwurst, the €3 for the mulled wine, the Eyre Square, the 50 wooden chalets, and the best Christmas food market in Ireland.