Galway plans for tribal gathering

Date Published: 12-Dec-2012

Members of the ‘Tribes of Galway’ living in the US are being invited to compete in an oyster eating competition next year’s international oyster festival as part of The Gathering 2013.

So far 74 gatherings within the county have been registered on The Gathering website since it launched ten weeks ago.

One of the biggest events is the Tribal Shuck Off event on Sunday, September 29 as part of the yearly seafood festival.

Entry is open to those with a link to one of the 14 ‘Tribes of Galway’, the merchant families that drove Galway’s prosperity from the mid-13th century to the 19th century – Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyes, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris and Skerrett.

All but two of the 14 names (D’arcy and Kirwan) are of Anglo-Norman origin.

Profiting from one of the best seaports in Western Europe, the families accumulated such immense wealth and fame that they claimed complete control over civic affairs. In 1484, Richard III granted the families a charter to rule and gave the families control over the ecclesiastic affairs of the city. Thus, the merchants had supreme and unfaltering control of Galway for nearly the next two hundred years.

Entrants must be non-resident in Ireland and they should be able to open a minimum of 15 oysters in 120 seconds.

Another large Galway event is the international hurling tournament sponsored by Aer Lingus that will take place in Galway from September 18 to 21.

Aer Lingus is inviting teams from all over the world to compete in the first ever hurling competition of its kind. The best hurlers from North America, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada will descend on Galway for a three day festival of ceol, craic and culture. The tournament will feature sixteen international teams competing in four groups of four, with the eventual winners crowned in Pearse Stadium.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune