Huge crowds expected for Galway Sea fest

MORE than 100,000 visitors are expected to attend what is likely to be the largest seafood and maritime festival in the British Isles this summer.
SeaFest will be held over three days in the Irish city and port of Galway, from June 29 to July 1, and is expected to showcase Ireland’s booming seafood industry.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) chief Jim O’Toole said: ‘This year, we plan to build on our popular BIM Seafood Experience with a range of activities that will give visitors, young and old, the opportunity to experience all elements of our diverse seafood industry and resource.
‘From seafood cookery and fishmonger demonstrations in partnership with Bord Bia, to a walk-in virtual reality stroll under the sea, our exhibition this year is more exciting than ever.
‘Sustainability will be a key theme, with informative exhibits, including how fishermen around the coast are playing their part to reduce marine litter through BIM’s Fishing for Litter initiative.’
He said visitors will also be able to discover more about Ireland’s maritime history and how the seafood industry benefits the country’s coastal communities.
SeaFest has quickly become one of the most popular summer festivals in Ireland, attracting more than 100,000 visitors last year.
It is separate to another big Irish seafood celebration, the Galway International Oyster Festival, which has been running since 1954 and also attracts tens of thousands of visitors.
The world’s longest running oyster festival will be held, according to tradition, on the last weekend in September (28-30).