Slowfoodco Newtowncunningham

Slowfoodco Newtowncunningham – An artisan bakery in Newtowncunningham is making a name for itself across Ireland.

The Slow Food Co. is not just a Speciality Food company. We are an every-day food company that was born of a passion and obsession with Real Food. It is the culmination of generations of experience and dedication to carefully sourcing the very best ingredients available, foods of high quality, made with a dedication and integrity abundantly evident in the final product

The local business has been run by Kemal Scarpello, whose wife Rachel is from Derry, since it opened in 2011.

The bakery specialises in long fermented Sourdoughs, Spelt, Rye as well as Italian styled Focaccia and Ciabatta. All breads are baked in a wood-fired, retained heat masonry oven.

Kemal started baking ‘Real Bread’ in 2011 to sell at local farmers’ markets, farm shops and restaurants as well as directly to local communities in the North West.

Last month, Slowfoodco Artisan Bakery reached the finals of the prestigious Blas na heireann Food Awards for their Portlough Stoneground Sourdough, and were recently named in The Irish Times as one of Ireland’s leading Craft Bakeries.

The Slowfoodco Artisan Bakery is one of the first fifty bakeries around Britain and Ireland to adopt The Real Bread Loaf Mark since it was launched in September 2011 by Real Bread Campaign Ambassadors and renowned Real Bread Makers, Tom Herbert and Andrew Whitley. The Loaf Mark offers an at-a-glance assurance from a baker that a loaf was made without the use of any processing aids or other artificial additives.

All of the loaves we bake are what the Campaign calls Real Bread. Of course, our regulars know and love the taste of our natural loaves, but now The Loaf Mark makes it easy for other people to see that we’re baking an honest crust.

Contact Details

info [at] slowfoodco.com
00353 74 9156777
www.slowfoodco.com

 

Oireachtas Festival Letterkenny

Oireachtas Festival Letterkenny – “Is Gaeltacht ann féin é an tOireachtas a bhíonn ag taisteal na tíre bliain i ndiaidh bliana ag ceiliúradh ealaíona traidisiúnta na nGael i measc óg agus aosta.
Oireachtas na Samhna is cultural festival, nomadic in nature, as it travels the country, collecting friends and loyal followers in each new host town.

Letterkenny 30th October – 4th November 2012

Established in 1897 for the promotion of traditional Irish performing arts, the festival has at its core a series of competitions, at adult and junior levels, in the various art forms, including Sean-Nós singing, Sean-Nós dancing, storytelling, Agallamh Beirte (the ancient Irish art of dialogue in verse); Lúibíní (a witty dialogue in song) and much more.

The unique aspect of this festival is that it is conducted fully and completely through Irish!

Fringe events, which attract a substantial following also, include sessions, lectures, book & CD launches, workshops and exhibitions featuring various aspects of our national cultural heritage.”

Letterkenny Tourism groups say bed nights are now scarce in Letterkenny town centre from Thursday, November 1, until Sunday, November 4, due to the huge crowds expected for the Irish language extravaganza.

The festival will see more than 10,000 people descend on the town for a weekend of music, dancing and storytelling. There will be top sean-nós dancing, sean-nós singing and storytelling competitions.

The festival will take place in various venues in Letterkenny, including the Mount Errigal Hotel, the Clanree Hotel, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the Aura Centre.

Oireachtas na Gaeilge director, Liam Ó Maolaodha, said he was delighted that interest in the festival is still growing.

The Oireachtas festival is going from strength to strength each year and the challenge now is to find towns with enough places to accommodate the huge crowd the festival gathers. We’re delighted to be back in Letterkenny again as the town is ideal for all the competitions and events that are held during the Oireachtas festival

One of the highlights of the weekend is the ‘Steip’ sean-nós dancing competition which will be broadcast live on TG4.

Other highlights include the Corn Uí Riada sean-nós singing competition held in memory of Sean Ó Riada where champions and challengers will sing their hearts out in a variety of regional styles to win this most prestigious title. All major organisations in the Irish language sector will attend the festival including Foras na Gaeilge, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Conradh na Gaeilge.

Donegal in Bridgestone Guide

Donegal in Bridgestone Guide
* check out the video at the bottom of this post

32 Donegal businesses are featured in this year’s edition of John and Sally McKenna’s prestigious Bridgestone Food Guide.

Now in its 10th year, the Guide have been central to Ireland’s food revolution and been instrumental in spreading the word about quality and authenticity in the Irish food and hospitality industries.

Donegal has been making great strides, year on year, and this year sees and exceptional 32 premises being singled out for honours. They include:

  • Nancy’s Bar and The West End Café in Ardara
  • Doherty’s Café and Harry’s Restaurant in Bridgend
  • The Beach House Bar & Restaurant as well as Linsfort Castle in Buncrana
  • Quality Sea Veg in Burtonport
  • Claire The Bakers in Burtonport
  • The Glen House in Clonmany
  • Aroma Coffee Shop, The Blueberry, McGettigan’s Butchers, The Olde Castle Bar & Restaurant, Simple Simon Natural Foods,and Eddie Walsh & Sons in Donegal Town
  • The Green Man, The Mill Restaurant and Starfish Café and Bistro in Dunfanaghy
  • Castle Murray House, St John’s Point
  • The Red Door, Fahan
  • Filligan’s Preserves and Good Earth in Glenties
  • Glenveagh Tearooms
  • Kealy’s Seafood Bar, Greencastle
  • The Wine Buff and Cafe Banba in Letterkenny
  • The Village Tavern, Mountcharles
  • The Farm Shop, Moville
  • Donegal Rapeseed Oil, Raphoe
  • Moorfield Lodge, Ramelton
  • Kinnegar Brewing and Rathmullan House in Rathmullan

There is no recession in Irish quality food. In fact, the best food producers, restaurateurs, markets and counties are enjoying unprecedented success. It may seem difficult to believe that things have never been better, but things have never been so good in Irish speciality food. Conditions are tougher than ever in the marketplace, but food producers who have the right product at the right price now have a devoted audience, who are more conscious than ever before about buying Irish foods.

John McKenna discusses Donegal Tourism

Lenan Fort Inishowen

Lenan Fort Inishowen is one of a number of defensive forts built by the British to defend the deep-water anchorages of Lough Swilly. The gun positions, all of which are linked by extensive underground magazines and passages are still in remarkably good condition.

The fort occupies a headland, and is defended by a ditch system with fortifications at the corners. Much of the fort area comprises the former barracks area. The buildings of the barracks have not stood the test of time well and all that remains of them are the redbrick chimney stacks.

Lenan Fort looks over Lough Swilly

Video by Gerry McVeigh

An exploration of an abandoned British military base at Lenan Fort, guarding the mouth of Lough Swilly on the Inishowen peninsula, Donegal, Ireland. Lookout posts, abandoned gun emplacements, underground magazine tunnels and other buildings stand in an amazing location surrounded by lough, sea and mountain.

Location of Lenan Fort

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Start Your Own Artisan Food Business

Start Your Own Artisan Food Business

Start Your Own Artisan / Food Production Business Information Road Show
A Practical Guide to Starting a Food Business

Information Road Show

In line with the recently launched Food Strategy DCEB is running a 10 week Start Your Own Artisan / Food Production Business programme. Come along to find out how this programme will help you build your business. You will hear about the structure of the programme from the trainer as well as the experiences of a local artisan food business.

Letterkenny, Donegal County Enterprise Offices on Wednesday 17th Oct at 7pm
Donegal Town, Enterprise Centre on Thursday 18th Oct at 7pm
Moville, Community Chef Premises on Tuesday 23rd Oct at 7pm
The Programme

Aimed at: People thinking of starting their own artisan / food production business or in the early stages of start-up.

Objectives: On completion of the programme participants should have a sound knowledge of the rudiments of food business start-up.

Starting: November 2012

To register or for further information, please contact Mairead or Danny on 074 9160735 or email mmcmullin@donegalenterprise.ie or dmceleney@donegalenterprise.ie

Ireland Events Database 2013

Ireland Events Database 2013 – Remember, next year will be a special year. It will be the year of THE GATHERING IRELAND 2013. Be sure to let us know if you are organising anything special. If you would like your Festival/Event to be considered for inclusion in the Discover Ireland Festival and Events Database 2013, please complete the online participation form URGENTLY.

The deadline is October 28, 2012.
Click here to add your event

Ireland Events Database 2013

The Discover Ireland Festivals and Events 2013 database is a list of the festivals and events which are being held, throughout Ireland, next year – the year of THE GATHERING IRELAND 2013.

The information is gathered by Fáilte Ireland for the purpose of promoting Festivals, Events and Tourism in Ireland.

These festivals and events will feed into the DiscoverIreland.ie and THE GATHERING IRELAND 2013 websites and a smaller selection of events will be chosen, from time to time, for even wider profiling and promotion by Fáilte Ireland, through various online, print and other communication channels.

Click here to add your event

Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at Ballyliffin

Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at Ballyliffin

Don’t forget the fundraising Helicopter Ball Drop on Saturday 29th September.
Closest to the pin wins €1000- tickets form the Bar,Shop,Office or any member of the Entertainments Committee.

Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at Ballyliffin

Derry Journal Move to New Offices

Derry Journal Move to New Offices

End of an era as the Derry Journal turns over new page

The last edition of the Derry Journal to be published on the Buncrana Road
One of the oldest newspapers in the world is turning over a new page with a change of premises.

The Derry Journal is leaving the Buncrana Road in the city after over 40 years, and moving to new offices at Pennyburn Pass less than a mile away.

It is only the third time the Journal has moved offices in 240 years.

The first offices were in Shipquay Street where the Richmond Centre is now.

Editor, Martin McGinley, started with the Journal in 1980 and said the paper, like the industry is unrecognisable from that time.

“I was a cub reporter. People might have recognised the newsroom from old films, it was very much like that.

“I sat down to a manual typewriter, I thumped out the story. You took your story and you folded it over and because it was on paper hoped you had a good thick bunch to bring into the editor.”

The Derry Journal holds perhaps the most important archive on the history of the North West and Mr McGinley said experience has taught them to be extremely careful when moving it.

“We will be packing up the archives very carefully today because one of the things that happened when we moved in 1970 from Shipquay Street was that there was an accident and a lot of glass negatives were actually broken, so extra care will be taken with this move.”

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This article first appeared on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-19596224

Johnny Doherty Festival Ardara 2013

Johnny Doherty Festival Ardara 2013

This year’s Johnny Doherty Festival takes place in Ardara on the weekend of September 27-29.

Following on from the huge success of last year’s festival which brought people from all over the world to the scenic town of Ardara, the organisers are confident of a successful weekend again this year. The organisers hope to provide something for everyone to enjoy, with Concerts, Ceilis, Barn Dances, Sean Nós, Set Dancing, Workshops, Pub and Street Sessions.

Celebrating its 5th anniversary, this festival is going from strength to strength. It all kicks off this year on Thursday the 26th September with the unveiling, at the Diamond, Main Street, Ardara, of a sculpture dedicated to the fiddle legend Johnny Doherty. This stunning sculpture was commissioned by the Ardara Comhaltas branch and was sculpted by Redmond Herrity.

Already confirmed for the weekend are the ever popular Irish/American group Cherish The Ladies who make a welcome return to the festival. Also appearing will be the very talented Friel sisters from Glasgow. The Campbell family, Denise Boyle, Martin McGinley, Derek McGinley, Tara Connaghan, Aidan O’Donnell, Jim Byrne, Fiona Heywood and Donna Harkin are just some of the musicians who will feature throughout the weekend.

The Emerald Ceilidh Band and Ceilidh Time will provide the music for the sets and ceilidh dances.
Set dancing workshops with Mick Mulkerrin and a ceilidh with Clement Gallagher will feature on Saturday the 28th along with master class workshops in fiddle, flute, accordion and piano – workshops must be booked in advance.

There will also be pub and street sessions throughout the weekend.

For full details of the programme, visit www.johnnydohertyfestival.com