Coastal foraging walk, Abalone farm tour and tasting in Rossaveal, Galway - Day Trip
Traveling Spoon · 0 days
Cindy has over 20 years of experience working in aquaculture, beginning with a B.Sc. in Marine Biology from California, then having worked for 6 years at the University of Miami’s experimental fish hatchery, where she raised different species of fish larvae i.e. yellow tail snapper, red snapper, rockhinds, redhinds etc. She then arrived in Ireland in 1996 and has been using all her past knowledge to build up the farm, which is a boutique producer of premium abalone, using only the best technology and procedures.
Sinead completed a law degree at University College Dublin and a masters degree in law at the University of Amsterdam (both of which she found to be very illuminating and enjoyable) but soon caught the entrepreneurial bug and realized her true passion lay in seaweed and abalone aquaculture. Having grown up working on her Mother's abalone aquaculture farm, she founded the seaweed company straight out of University. She now delights in the fact that she can wear wellies to work and finds great enjoyment in experimenting with various algae specimens to her heart’s content! She has even done a two month Professional Certificate in Cookery at Cooks Academy, Dublin.
Food tour: (2-8 guests) Meet your host Sinead and Cindy at their boutique abalone farm on the edge of Galway Bay, tucked away in a rugged, coastal landscape beside the old pier and coastguard building in Rossaveal. Head out with Sinead to the shores of Galway Bay to start your seaweed foraging tour. You will walk for about 5-10 minutes to the shore to learn more about edible sea plants and the local history and culture. The types of seaweed that you might see depend on the season. Your foraging tour will last about 45 minutes before you return to the farm to enjoy a tour of this modern aquaculture farm. You will be shown around the land based aquaculture farm to see how the abalone, sea cucumbers and sea urchins are grown. By the end of the tour all your questions - what is an abalone, how is it farmed and why?, will surely be answered! After the tour sit down with Sinead and Cindy to enjoy the wild Atlantic sea air and taste some fresh seafood dishes that are made using seafood grown on the farm and the sea plants foraged along the shore. A few dishes that you might try while enjoying the beautiful view are, seaweed and carrot salad with asian inspired dressing, seaweed, beetroot and courgette salad with honey-mustard dressing, seaweed tapenade and sea grass toast, pan seared abalone and sautéed samphire and sea urchin (when in season). You will end your tasting with some sea spaghetti cookies, served with tea or coffee.
Please note this is an adventurous experience and we recommend that you wear water-proof and slip-proof footwear (for example, gum boots or old sneakers) and dress for the weather of the day. Bear in mind that it will be cooler on the shore than on land.
Notes: Sinead and Cindy do not serve alcohol, however you're free to bring your own. They can also serve vegetarian and pescatarian meals on request.
What's Included
- Coastal foraging walk, Abalone farm tour and tasting in Rossaveal, Galway - Day Trip
- Food Tour
- Lunch 12:00pm-2:00pm
- Dinner 4:00pm-6:00pm
Air
Itinerary
Galway
Excursions
Inishmore, Aran Islands - 8 hours Full Day
— Optional Private Excursions
On the very edge of Europe, is an Island rich in the language, culture and heritage of Ireland, unique in its geology and archaeology and in its long tradition of gentle hospitality. Here is a place to sense the spirit of Gaelic Ireland, to touch the past, but with all the comforts and facilities of the present. Aran will take you back to an Ireland of Celts and Early Christians. This is an island of great peace and tranquility, but it is also an island of great fun and activity. A timeless land in an endless sea, weathered monuments on awesome cliffs, great labyrinths of limestone, meandering walls, patchwork fields, quiet beaches and a welcoming island people.
This morning we will depart from Galway and take a ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the three islands, the other islands being Inishmaan and Inisheer. The Islands are located off the West Coast of Galway about 18km out from Rossaveal Harbour in Connemara. Inishmore is approx. 13km long, and contains 3,092 ha. with a native population of about 900. Kilronan the chief center and port.
Landing in Kilronan on Inishmore, you are met by your driver in a horse drawn buggy for a guided tour of the Island and visiting one of its more impressive stone forts called Dun Aonghasa. It is semi-circular structure, resting on the edge of a perpendicular cliff rising 100 meters out of the ocean. The fort consists of an inner court 50 meters across surrounded by a wall six meters high and five meters thick at the base.
Visit the Aran Islands Interpretative Centre which highlights the unique history, spirit and landscapes of the Aran Islands. The center details the geology, history and present lifestyle of the islands. See how the legendary currachs, those open-topped, often tar-coated, boats that skim over the waves, are made. Also on display are details of the fish species off the islands and how the islanders have long used seaweed to create patches of soil that could be cultivated for crops, in between the dry stone walls that crisscross the islands and divide its tiny fields. The islands' other craft traditions, including weaving of the famous Aran sweaters, are also documented.
Duration: 8 hours
Included:
Enjoy a pub lunch on Inishmore
Departing the island by ferry you return to Galway City.
Note: it is also possible to fly to Inishmore.
Pricing: Please inquire
Terms & Additional Information
Note: This is a DAY TOUR with no hotel accommodations included. Additional tour options are available and can be combined. Price may vary by date of travel, currency rate fluctuations, number of guests and tour option; please inquire for the best prices for your preferred travel dates.
All fares are quoted in US Dollars.