Started in 1954 with 34 guests and three dozen oysters, the festival is now a major international culinary event: the organisers counted 3,000 visitors last year - and they devoured a whopping 10,000 oysters alongside countless lobsters, langoustines and fish.

To kick off the four-day feast, there will be music on Friday evening - live and from the turntable. The next day - a first highlight - the world championship in oyster opening will be held: the experts will manage 30 pieces in two minutes.
Before and after, there will be parades and Irish folk, the election of Miss Oyster Pearl and a Mardi Gras masquerade ball.

 

It is no coincidence that oyster farming is flourishing in Galway on the west coast of Ireland: a strong tidal range ensures the right mixture of fresh and salt water, a warming Gulf Stream ensures a comfortable temperature for the molluscs and the clean sea water ensures healthy growth.

The Oyster Festival in Galway is not the only one on Ireland's shores. The delicacy is such an important part of Irish tradition that there are several events on the island.
The Carlingford Oyster Festival opens the season at the beginning of August: the four-day festival offers, among other things, a pearl oyster hunt, a sailing regatta and a crab fishing competition.
On the second weekend in September, Clarenbridge celebrates its oyster festival - again with lots of music, dancing and plenty of oysters.