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Galway and the West of Ireland is so unique, nestled on the shores of the Atlantic at the very edge of Europe, Galway is a county of unparalleled natural beauty with a ripe land and rich marine which feeds nearly ten times its population. It also boasts a young, vibrant and culturally-diverse population.

Food plays an important role in all our lives. Whether you are a fisherman or a farmer, a food producer or entrepreneur, a restauranteur or a student we all engage with food on a daily basis however do we recognise the abundance of high quality, rich produce we have here on the west coast of Ireland. We produce enough food to feed over 1.5million people which is a testament to our local landscape. We boast over 12,000 farms, 689km of coastline, 52 islands and over 350 restaurants, food is at the epicentre of our daily lives.

This designation will focus attention on the vital role of the food industry in the West of Ireland and how central it is to our present and future. The award also presents us a with a European platform to not only showcase Galway and the wonderful food produce we have but also provides an opportunity to welcome European food tourists to our region to sample our fine fayre.

When we speak of Gastronomy people often assume we mean fine dining or Michelin starred venues but that is not the case. Gastronomy in it’s simplest sense is the relationship between food and culture.

The designation will commence in January and the programmes of events during the year will focus on the five main themes are outlined in the bid book, these are:

• Education and Health,
• Linking Urban with Rural,
• Cultural Diversity,
• Sustainability and Feeding the Planet
• Supporting SMEs and Innovation.

Under each of these themes, a wide range of exciting events, festivals, projects and initiatives will be taking place throughout the year which will have something for everyone.

The full programme of events will be available on the website and social media each month.