The majority of our events are free and the festival itself is a non profit event. The Roscommon Lamb Festival runs until the evening of Monday 7th May.
Irish Lamb Cutlets - simply delicious! Pic: Bordbia |
Roscommon Lamb Festival started in 2008 organized by a committee of local farmers, restaurant owners and community groups. The vision for the festival was to “highlight the quality of locally-produced food and to attract additional tourists to Roscommon thus boosting the local economy and benefitting primary producers and suppliers”.
This is still the case with the added vision of creating an internationally recognised festival in the Northwest of Ireland and an annual celebration for the people of Roscommon and its visitors.
Based on the fact that Roscommon has the highest lamb output in the country, the festival celebrates lamb in a diverse range of food and farming events over the course of the weekend. They are organising this event to increase awareness of the festival and promote lamb as a dish.
As part of this year’s Roscommon Lamb Festival we are launching the Roscommon Alternative Money (RAM). The RAM will be in the form of tokens embossed with the Lamb Festival logo. 1 RAM token will be equivalent to 3 euros and will be exchangeable at participating Restaurants, Pubs and Businesses and events throughout the weekend. For example 1 RAM will pay for 1 tasting at the Global Village event.
On Saturday a Kids Can Cook workshop will take place in the festival marquee with a "Crafternoon" tea event running simultaneously.
There will be a competition to find the North West Young Sheep Farmer 2012 and this will be judged by Macra president Alan Jago. Saturday night finishes with the usual massive Barbeque Brazilian Style with music from Four Men and a Base. Sunday morning sees the start of the international sheep dog trials at 8am. The trials will continue throughout the day.
The family Fun Day takes place also on Sunday in Loughnaneane Park with a host of attractions and activities for all.
Irish Lamb cooked Brazilian BBQ style at the Roscommon Lamb Festival |
The Global Food Village will also feature in the park. Meanwhile the Wool Craft Village will be in full swing in the marquee with workshops and demonstrations featuring shearing, spinning, weaving, felt making, knitting, dyeing, in short everything to do with wool.
Sounds like a great weekend of what I reckon to be the Tastiest Meat in the World! Lamb.
For more details see http://www.roscommonlambfestival.com/