Bunratty Manor Hotel has the Recipe For Success at the National

JUNE 2011 | MARINE TIMES NEWSPAPER 33
Lough Foyle Oyster Fishermen to Meet
Minister to Voice Their Concerns
Oyster fishermen are to be facilitated with a meeting
with Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, Simon
Coveney, during his visit to the peninsula next month. The
pledge was made by Fine Gael councillors when a deputation from the Lough Foyle native wild oyster industry gave
a presentation at a recent Inishowen Electoral Area meeting in Carndonagh.
Representing the oysthey have treated my busitermen were Liam Farren of
ness and the fishermen with
Whiskey Rock Fisheries Ltd,
contempt and duress. They
Paul McLaughlin, chairman
have ignored all advice we
of the Lough Foyle Oyster
have given them in relation
sub-committee and native
to how the fishery should be
oyster fisherman, James
managed.
The
Loughs
McKinley.
Agencys only previous
Mr Farren outlined the
knowledge of Lough Foyle
importance of the native oyswas in managing the salmon
ter to the fishing, business
fisheries an infrastructure
and local community and the
that they have failed to proneed for its preservation. The
tect.
group alleges that the ongo“We don’t want the
ing issue of mussel seed
same to happen to our oyster
aquaculture licences by the
fishery however the so called
Loughs Agency was causing
legislation
they
have
the problem. “Mussel seed
imposed is going to have an
was relaid on top of our pubadverse effect on the public
lic oyster beds. This practice
oyster beds which will potenis ongoing and can no longer
tially lead to the demise of
be tolerated if the native oysthe public oyster beds comter is to survive in Lough
pletely in the future.
Foyle,” said Mr Farren, read“The public oyster
ing from a detailed report
fishery is our community’s
prepared by the deputation.
and the next generations
The group, who called
future.
The
Foyle,
for a public inquiry to
Carlingford Fisheries Act
address their concerns, also
2007 sought to destroy this
outlined their worries relatby removing its only protecing to the arrival in the lough
tion in Irish law which was as
in 2005 of bonamia disease, a
follows from the 1997
blood parasite that kills
Fisheries Amendment Act:
native oysters. They said the
No. 23/1997: Fisheries
oyster industry was support(Amendment Act) 1997
ing more than 50 families
PART II REGULATION OF
along Lough Foyle and they
AQUACULTURE
AND
wanted to “let the truth come
RELATED MATTERS - 8.out in relation to Lough
(1) The licensing authority
Foyle”.
shall not license a person to
“The Loughs Agency
engage in aquaculture within
currently regulate the Lough
the limits of an oyster bed or
Foyle oyster industry. We
oyster fishery the property of
now want this overturned as
any private person or to
which an oyster bed licence
or oyster fishery order
relates, without the consent
of that private person or of
the person who for the time
being is beneficially entitled
to the oyster bed or oyster
fishery.
“This Act was struck
out by the then Minister,
Noel Dempsey and I quote
him: “We are back to the
original point I made, which
was that oyster fisheries in
Lough Foyle are public fisheries - they are not owned by
any individual or body.
Therefore, it is not necessary
to seek consent in the manner
that is being proposed and
we do not intend to include
such a provision in the legislation.” SOURCE PARLIAMENTARY
DEBATES
“SELECT COMMITTEE
ON COMMUNICATIONS,
MARINE AND NATURAL
RESOURCES” Foyle and
Carlingford Fisheries bill
2006: Committee Stage
30/01/07.
“Considering this is
still a public fishery the following questions have to be
asked: Who gave the previous
Fianna
Fail
led
Governments the right to forfeit our traditional rights to
the Loughs Agency? Who
gave the right for the North
South Ministerial Council to
pass legislation for the
Loughs Agency in this jurisdiction when we are already
controlled by the SFPA?
“This surely is a
breach of our constitutional
rights when we consider
our geographic location in
the Republic of Ireland!”
(Above): Head chef at Bunratty Manor Hotel Paddy Collins holding his award as National
Chowder Champion 2011. Also pictured is hotel owner Noel Wallace and MC Derek Davis.
(Below): Chefs Martin Shanahan, Paul Flynn and Kevin Gaudreau put the finishing touches
to a dish at the Celebrity Seafood Cook Off.
!
“Something Fishy is Going on
This July On Achill Island”
Féile Bia na Mara is a culinary celebration of Achill
Island’s rich heritage with the sea and it showcases the
bountiful harvest of the Atlantic Ocean. It will begin on
Thursday 14th July with complimentary Oyster Tasting in
the local pubs and restaurants and finish with the always
entertaining Achill’s Got Talent on Sunday 17th July. There
will be a host of activities and events in between for visitors
and local residents to enjoy.
Competition winner over the
Ross Lewis, Master
weekend. For details of the
Chef and proprietor of
competition please see the
Michelin Starred Chapter
Féile Bia na Mara website.
One restaurant in Dublin’s
Seaweed Safaris, Fresh
Parnell Square, will be the
Achill Fish Markets, Coastal
Guest of Honour at the 2011
Walks, Family Sand Castle
Féile Bia na Mara. Ross will
Competition, Maritime Table
officially open the festival at
Quiz, Cailíní agus Buachaillí
the Gala Seafood Banquet in
Óige, Sea Life Workshops, a
Ostán Oileán Acla on Friday
Sea Safety Exercise conduct15th July, where guests will
ed by the Achill RNLI
enjoy every imaginable type
Lifeboat, Achill Coastguard
of seafood and dance into the
and beach lifeguards and a
night to music by Safire.
photography competition are
Seafood
cookery
just a flavour of what’s on
demonstrations will take
offer over the weekend.
place on both Saturday and
More adventurous walkers
Sunday. Ross will take the
can make their way to the
stage on Saturday afternoon,
peak of Croaghaun to see the
when he will cook some of
highest sea cliffs in Europe
the thirty-four species of fish
and experience the Atlantic
to be found around Achill’s
breakers pounding on the
coastline and answer quesrocks more than 2,000ft
tions from the audience.
below.
Ross will also select the win“This is a fantastic fesner of this year’s Recipe
Bunratty Manor Hotel has the
Recipe For Success at the
National Chowder Cook Off
tival that highlights our
unique island and coastal
community,” said Kate
O’Malley of Achill Tourism.
“There will be a variety of
maritime activities on offer,
and visitors will experience
genuine Irish island culture
and fun - not to mention
everyone’s
seafood
favourites!” Dúirt sí, “Beidh
spraoi mór againn i rith
seachtain Féile Bia na Mara
agus beidh go leor iasc úr ann
freisin. Bígí ann!”
Féile Bia na Mara aims
to promote local seafood,
marine activities and water
safety awareness, and to celebrate the cultural heritage of
Achill Island and the
Gaeltacht. The weekend of
fun and feasting is supported
by Fáilte Ireland and Údarás
na Gaeltachta.
For information
on events & tickets
please contact Achill
Tourism: Tel: (098)
20705
Email:
[email protected]
W e b s i t e :
www.feilebianamara.ie
Bunratty Manor Hotel has been crowned National
Chowder Champion 2011 at the National Chowder Cook
Off which took place in Kinsale on Sunday 22nd May.
Over
600
people
Cook Off. Top Irish chefs
descended on Actons Hotel
Martin Shanahan of Fishy
in Kinsale for the first ever
Fishy Cafe and RTE’s
National Chowder Cook Off
‘Martin’s Still Mad About
contest. The competitors,
Fish’; and Paul Flynn, of The
made up of chefs, fishermen
Tannery Restaurant and winand commercial chowder
ner of the Egon Ronay Chef
producers travelled from
of the Year were joined by
around the country, with one
top American Fox TV Chef
contestant coming from as
Kevin Gaudreau for this fun
far as Newport, Rhode
filled cooking demonstraIsland, Kinsale’s twin town,
tion. The mouth-watering
to participate in the event.
aromas, witty banter and
In the end however, it
delicious food made for a
was Bunratty Manor Hotel in
hugely entertaining and capClare who wowed the pubtivating event.
lic’s palate. Head Chef Paddy
Chairman of Kinsale
Collins from Bunratty, attribChamber of Tourism Hal
uted his success to his special
McElroy said “The Cook Off
ingredient of smoked fish in
was a resounding success
the base when making the
with queues forming up to an
chowder.
hour before the event kicked
Commenting on their
off. Tourists from Europe,
win, Noel Wallace, owner of
America and beyond came in
Bunratty Manor Hotel said
their droves as well as locals
“We’re absolutely delighted
and visitors from all over the
to win. It was a fantastic day;
country. We are delighted
we are thrilled to have been
with the response from both
involved and to have done so
the public and the chefs who
well against some other fantook part and I would like to
tastic competitors in Kinsale,
thank them all for making the
the home of good food”.
trip to Kinsale today, in parThe Cook Off was folticular Kevin Gaudreau who
lowed by the highly anticitravelled all the way from
pated Celebrity Seafood
Newport Rhode Island! I
would also like to congratulate Bunratty Manor Hotel on
being crowned National
Chowder Champion and we
look forward to an even bigger event in 2012!
Other special guests on
the day included renowned
broadcaster Derek Davis
who MC’d the event and
Mayor of Kinsale Michael
Frawley.
As well as being
crowned National Chowder
Champion 2011, Bunratty
Manor Hotel also received a
customised trophy and an allinclusive package stay in
Kinsale for the 35th
Bollinger Kinsale Gourmet
Food Festival 2011 - including tickets to all events,
meals, plus accommodation
for two people for two nights
during the festival. Not only
that but they will also go forward to the Newport, Rhode
Island Great Chowder Cook
Off in June 2012.
For more information
on the National Chowder
Cook Off and the 35th
Bollinger Kinsale Gourmet
Food Festival, which takes
place in October, visit
www.kinsale.ie / www.kinsalerestaurants.com