For the past six years we’ve been attending a very small local village of Cong, beside Ashford Castle and made famous by the move The Quiet Man for a food festival. In year one the festival took place in the car park of a local pub and there approximately 10 small businesses present, and maybe a few hundred people came to see it. This weekend they estimate over 11 000 people attended , primarily Mayo and Galway locals and a good few tourists as might be expected.
The atmosphere was wonderful, everyone was helping everyone, lift, carry, sell, smile and have fun. It’s a huge credit to the organising committee who have had the vision to keep going and develop something wonderful for their community.
Its also gratifying to see how the food culture in the West has changed, there was everything from chocolates, cheese, bakeries, whiskey, sauces, honeys ,cakes yogurt and more. So if you are planning holidays in the West next year, keep a look out for announcements for Cong Food Festival 2024.
