“I came a long way from Thailand to come here just for the Oyster festival. I took about 30 hours to get here because I got stuck in Heathrow airport for about six hours,” says Noi Seesamea.
Sitting on a bar stool in An Púcán to watch the All-Ireland oyster opening final, Seesamea says: “I have never been to Ireland but I love oysters that’s why I came here. I think this is number one for oysters.”
She is taking full advantage of her time in Ireland, eating oysters every day. “I am [here for] five days so I try different places,” she says.
But the festival that Seesamea travelled so far for, the Galway International Oyster Festival, nearly didn’t happen.
“The festival almost went bust two years ago, but now we have been named the best autumn festival in Europe ahead of Oktoberfest in Munich,” says Patrick McMurray, as he opens the heats to select the Irish finalist to join the 16 other country champions competing to win the title of World Oyster Opening Championship.
The festival format was changed in 2025 when a costly marquee on Nimmo’s Pier was discontinued, and a greater focus placed on revenue generation. The oyster shucking heats to select an Irish finalist were held in An Púcan on Friday night, before the international final took place at a covered stage on Cross Street at 2.30pm on Saturday.
To be crowned champion, contestants must shuck 30 oysters at speed, lay them in neat rows, with a clean shuck, no shell in the oyster and, most importantly, “no blood”, jokes McMurray.
David Small of Moran’s Oyster Cottage in Clarinbridge, Co Galway, took the title of Irish champion, but ultimately lost out to Finland’s Martin Soderstrom who lifted the cup in Saturday’s International final. England’s Fredrik Lindfors won the best presentation award.
McMurray, who presents both the national and international finals, was the 2022 oyster opening champion. He says that the Galway native oyster – the variety used for the competition – is “technically very difficult to open” due to its “deep cut flat top”.
Now in it’s 72nd year, the festival continues to attract international visitors in their droves, such as Michelle Moore, who travelled from Texas and had never tried a raw oyster before.
“This will be my very first time having an oyster out of its shell,” Moore says, adding that she had never tried oysters before because they are “raw and slimy looking”.
When asked why she would travel so far for a food festival celebrating a seafood she never tried before, she replies: “Why not? It sounds like fun, it’s a festival.”
After trying her first oyster she declares: “Oh that’s not bad. That was kind of spicy, I liked it. That was really good, I was surprised.”
Seán Dillon, a University of Galway student, was not as interested in the bivalves as some of the attendees who had travelled considerable distances.
“No, I don’t like them. I tried them once and I wasn’t a fan of the texture,” Dillon says.
“I guess they are known as a delicacy. People like to be seen to be eating them.”
[ An oyster’s journey from sea to spoon in Ireland: ‘It’s far from umami we were reared’ Opens in new window ]
For reluctant oyster eaters, Scottish champion Grace Murray advises to add something you like, such lemon or tabasco. “See if those two complimentary flavours can make them a wee bit more pleasing for you,” Murray says.
“I promise you. They are not as offensive as some people seem to think they are.”