Coveney ‘excited’ as national maritime festival casts off

Demonstrations from Ireland’s top chefs will be a feature of Ireland’s first national maritime festival.

SeaFest 2015 kicks off - or should that be - casts off in Cork this week and among the many items on the menu is a series of cookery demonstrations hosted by the seafood development agency, BIM and Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

Chefs Martin Shanahan and Rory O'Connell will display their seafood skills, while there will also be fishmongery demonstrations and a large fish market, as well as a 'Tales from the Deep' movie giving a glimpse into the life of an Irish fisherman.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney explained that SeaFest will become an annual event which will tour around Ireland with Cork playing host this year to be followed by Galway next year.

“As an island nation, it is so important to recognise and celebrate the incredible resources of Ireland’s abundant and surrounding seas. I am hugely excited about SeaFest and look forward to it becoming one of Ireland’s leading festivals in the coming years,” he said.

Mr Coveney revealed that as part of SeaFest 2015, the annual, Our Ocean Wealth Conference on Friday in Ringaskiddy will focus on the commercial opportunities presented by Ireland’s ocean wealth and the enormous potential of our ‘blue economy’.

Each year, this conference attracts hundreds of stakeholders including marine researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, maritime-related startups, businesses and organisations, from all over Ireland and from around the world, to hear from marine industry experts, he said.

The event also provides an opportunity to network with industry peers and develop opportunities for collaboration, said Mr Coveney, adding that SeaFest 2015 will also provide plenty of fun and leisure opportunities for families

The festival which opens next Friday in Ringaskiddy and Haulbowline before finishing up on Saturday at the Port of Cork will offer also the public the chance to experience everything from surviving a hurricane simulation to guided tours of a modern warship.

As part of SeaFest, a 'parade of sail' including yachts and boats will sail from Ringaskiddy to the Port of Cork marina in the city centre at 4pm on Saturday where they will follow behind the last of the 500 swimmers participating in The Vibes & Scribes Lee Swim.