Connacht Tribune
Putting food on menu for tourists
Lifestyle – A global forum in NUI Galway at the end of this month, which will look at the links between food, tourism and culture, has attracted leading figures from across the world to share their knowledge on how the sectors complement each other. Judy Murphy got the lowdown.
“We do these things well because it’s in our nature,” says Margaret Jeffares of Ireland’s approach to hospitality and culture.
Putting a formal structure on what comes naturally in order to drive sustainable economic growth, is the theme of a global forum on food, tourism and culture that will be held in NUI Galway on Tuesday, April 24.
TouRRoir is the brainchild of Margaret Jeffares, the founder of Good Food Ireland, and participants will include global tourism and marketing experts as well as some of the world’s top chefs and food producers.
There will also be a strong local involvement from people in the arts, culture and hospitality sectors in Ireland and Galway.
TouRRoir (the name is a combination of tourism and terroir) will explore how new links can be forged between tourism, culture and food to benefit communities and individuals, Margaret explains.
Tourism and agriculture are two of Ireland’s biggest indigenous sectors, she remarks, while we also have an international reputation as an artistic nation, with Galway being at the centre of this. TouRRoir is being held in Galway to mark the area’s designation as European Region of Gastronomy 2018 and in acknowledgement of Galway’s status as European Capital of Culture 2020.
The inaugural event will also honour people who have spearheaded links between food, culture and tourism, nationally and internationally.
They include Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe as well as Peruvian food ambassador and chef Gastón Acurio, who has been to the forefront of promoting Peruvian cuisine through his restaurant Astrid y Gastón.
Clarewoman Margaret Jeffares has been a ground-breaker in developing food and tourism in Ireland for more than a decade.
Twelve years ago, having observed so many of Ireland’s specialist food producers working individually to promote their goods, she decided to establish Good Food Ireland to co-ordinate these efforts.
From a farming background she had spent two decades working in tourism marketing and development and she saw a gap in the market.
Good Food Ireland was an umbrella brand that pioneered the link between Irish food and tourism, with the aim of growing Ireland as a world-class food destination and supporting sustainable food tourism.
All members had to be committed to using Irish food and drink and supporting Irish farmers, food producers and fishermen. That remains the case. Meanwhile for visitors and locals who love food, dealing with members of Good Food Ireland promises an authentic and enjoyable food experience. These members include hotels, restaurants and producers – here in Galway, Renvyle House and the Michelin-starred Aniar as well as Leahy Beekeeping are members.
As Good Food Ireland evolved, Margaret’s vision expanded and she realised that culture was also a vital part of the tourist experience, especially in Ireland.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
