Fresh From The Sea presenter Clodagh McKenna heads for Galway’s International Oyster Festival which has been going for more than fifty years. Clodagh meets John Rabbitt, the current Festival chairman, ‘Chopper’, the American winner of the annual oyster opening contest and Diarmuid Kelly, whose family has supplied the festival with oysters ever since it began.
After the Festival, Clodagh visits another Galway institution, McDonagh’s Fish and Chip shop on Quay Street to learn the secrets of the best batter (use iced water) and the best chips (King Edward potatoes: long, only one eye, crisp on the outside, floury on the inside).

Clodagh then goes to the Kelly family’s oyster beds in Kilcolgan. Oysters filter up to 9 litres of water an hour and are three to four years old when harvested – the quality of the seawater around Kilcolgan contributes directly to the flavour of the oysters.

Lisdoonvarna is where Swedish woman Brigitta Heidin-Curtin came looking for the “Celtic spirit” twenty five years ago. Brigitta married local publican Peter Curtin and together they started the Burren Smokehouse, famous for its award-winning smoked salmon. Clodagh meets Brigitta over a glass of stout to see how the Swedish and Irish traditions of curing and smoking fish have been brought together.

Moy House, overlooking Lahinch Bay is Clodagh’s final destination. Here she helps head chef Daniel O’Brien prepare potato gnocchi with some of Brigitta’s smoked salmon.