Limerick’s Pigtown set to be the best one yet
Kicking off on September 20th with a Culture Night Pigtown Parade through the streets of Limerick City, the Pigtown Culture & Food Series trots out for a third year in celebration of Limerick’s food culture, past and present.
The festival is developed by the Limerick Food Group and supported by Limerick City and County Council.
The festival is named after the time when four great bacon factories operated out of Limerick – Matterson’s, Shaw’s, O’Mara’s and Denny’s – each competing for local, national and international trade out of Limerick City during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. From this era emerged the renowned ‘Limerick Ham’ dish which became world famous with Queen Victoria insisting on it for her Christmas dinner.
Inspired by the history of Limerick’s famous bacon industry, which provided employment for thousands of families, the Pigtown festival is a programme of themed food and cultural events taking place in various venues in Limerick city and county.
Events this year include:
PIGTOWN PARADE
- Family fun at the Pigtown Parade on Culture Night (Sep 20th) through the streets of Limerick City followed by after party at the Limerick Milk Market
GUIDED TOURS & WALKS
- Guided food tours with Teacht Linn Tours of the famous Saturday morning farmer’s market at the Limerick Milk Market, meeting stall holders and tasting along the way (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)
- Guided food heritage tours winding from Limerick’s Georgian Quarter to the market area giving insights into the life of times past (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)
- The Brewer, Baker & Cheesemaker Tour craft beer trail through six of Limerick’s finest public houses tasting elements of a deconstructed sandwich on the way and finishing up in Bia bistro (Sep 21st)
- Urban Foraging Walk in Limerick City with Theresa Story of The Green Arpon (Sep 22nd)
- #eatinlimerick food and drinks walking tour with Olivia O’Sullivan tasting and sampling at several local stops, finishing up with a tour of Treaty City Brewery (Sep 27th)
- All About IPA talk and tour with Stephen Cunneen at Treaty City Brewery (Sep 28th)
COOKERY DEMOS
- Free weekly Cookery Demos over four Saturday mornings with chefs Eoin Sheehan (Country Munch), Dominique Majecki (Glenlo Abbey Hotel), Bryan McCarthy (Greenes Restaurant), and Ciara Brennan (Happy Food At Home vegan cooking) (Sep 21st, 28, Oct 5th, 12th)
- Cooking demo with Rachel Allen for Leon’s Lifeline charity campaign (Sep 25th)
THEMED DINING
- Limerick Food Mile – one evening meal over four venues starting in the Limerick Strand Hotel, taking in Treaty City Brewery, the Green Onion, and No1 Pery Square with executive transport included (Sep 26th)
- The Veggie BBQ six courses, zero miles at New Leaf Urban Farm with Chef Keith Pigott of Oak & Apple Adare (Sep 29th)
- Themed restaurant events including Family piggy picnic on the terrace at No1 Pery Square Hotel (Sep 21st); Foraging & 4-Course Lunch at The East Room Restaurant (Sep 25th) and Food Meets Science 7-Course tasting dinner (Sep 26th); Pigtown Dinner at the Mustard Seed (Oct 10th), Swine & Wine at Limerick Strand Hotel (Oct 25th)
THEMED EVENTS
- The Art of Pigtown Fair with 40 artists under the market canopy (Sep 22nd)
- Pigtown FoodWorks industry event sponsored by Limerick LEO (Local Enterprise Office) with guest presentations from the Irish food industry at Fitzgerald’s Woodlands Hotel Adare including lunch at Fielding’s, Limerick’s first organic restaurant with onsite tour of Mary’s Organic Garden
- ‘Queen Victoria & Limerick Ham’ free lunchtime lecture at St Mary’s Cathedral by Limerick Museum’s Dr Matthew Potter
The Pigtown Culture & Food Series takes place from September 20th 2019 for a month across Limerick, and is part of Taste the Island, a celebration of Ireland’s Food & Drink. For full event listings and further details visit pigtown.ie or search #PigtownLimerick or ‘Pigtown Food Series’ on social media.
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