The wonderfully vigorous mackerel fish have been a very important part of Youghal’s Heritage and way of life for hundreds of years. Its very unique that they actually come into the town itself and right up to the quay walls in the dock. Fishing for mackerel is a popular tourist attraction, in years gone they by were vital to the economy because everybody made a little money from them comments Kevin Murphy, a local fisherman. For the locals its a wonderful traditional event every summer where you will find young and old alike fishing along the waterfront reeling in their special haul of fresh and tasty mackerel. It has been a long held tradition to fish for the abundant mackerel and give-a-plenty to those who have come to watch the spectacle. Local fishermen and pleasure boats also reel in the fish. Memories of the mackerel from times past include the fish jumping onto the quay at the height of the season….whoosh…splash.
The festival is in its 3rd year and is going from strength to strength. We’d like to get our “hooks” into and reel you in to come and join in the fun festival events and tastings for the fresh mackerel caught in Youghal during the natural phenomenon that is The Mackerel Season.
The festival, running from Friday 30th August to Sunday 1st September, will be a fun-filled affair with the delicious food trail, mackerel tasting sessions, plenty of live music and family entertainment , childrens amusements and a market of local foods.
Beginning Friday 30th August from 7.30 p.m, participating restaurants will offer the free mackerel starters and you can expect many specials on the night. Join in our delicious Fish Trail at local restaurants where the fish starters will be presented in mouth watering diplays.
Saturday 31st August at 2.30 p.m. the opening ceremony commences with Tim Magee.
Tim has been the travel and destination dining columnist at The Gloss magazine as Man In A Suitcase Twitter: @manandasuitcase in the Irish Times for the last three years. Previous to that he was a restaurant reviewer for three years (under the pseudonym of Charlie Pitcher) for Businesss & Finance magazine. Tim has also written about dining and hospitality for the Irish Independent, EFM magazine (the Irish Times), Brown Thomas Magazine (Irish Times), the Sunday Business Post, Hotel and Catering and Licensing World. Tim was one of this year’s Hospitality Heroes at Ireland’s largest industry conference CATEX where he was invited to debate restaurants trends with Dylan McGrath.
The Opening Ceremony will be followed by announcing the winners of our ‘Name our Mackerel Competition’ for kids. Help us pick a great fun name for our Mackerel Mascot
who will appear at the Mackerel Festival each year. Saturday and Sunday there will be some fishy goings on with the barbeques on Market Square by the clock gate, for the free mackerel tasters. The barbeques will be fired up and the mackerel will be flavourful and juicy. Local chefs will prepare a variety of fantastically flavoured hot and cold mackerel dishes… marinated, barbequed, sauced, pated and everything else too! The fish will be off the grill and onto our waiting plates in minutes…Oh so tasty!!…Oh so flaky!! There will be ever more appealing fish dishes, wonderfully garnished, to savour and recipes to take away.
You can enjoy a range of sweet and savoury goodies from the local food stalls in the square. Delicious home baking, freshly baked bread and savouries, local honey, home-made
Ice-cream, hand picked salad leaves and tasty summer salads, hot popcorn and lots of treats.
Family fun on both days includes unique Puppet Shows, Kiddies Amusements and a visit from Perkie Bear. There will be balloon making and face painting too. On Saturday on the water there is the Aquatrek Sailing Competition and for land lubbers the Volleyball Competition. On Sunday kids can make creative pottery pieces on the Potter’s Wheels and decorate each piece to take home.
Great music throughout the weekend will include live stage band Arkadia, Youghal Pipers, Ceolti Si, music from CRY Radio and local musicians.
Come and join everyone to celebrate and sample the wonders of the sea and local food producers at Youghal Mackerel Festival. If the weather is very poor we have secured an alternative venue under cover.
