Culture and Chips Festival 2015

Picture by: Chris Luszczki.

By I Love Limerick correspondent Sarah Coghlan.

13/05/2015 REPRO FREE
Jean McGlynn and Jessica Bray of Cabaret des Frites indulge in some sampling ahead of Limerick’s Culture & Chips food carnival this June Bank Holiday weekend.
Pic: Sean Curtin Fusionshooters

Limerick’s “quirky food carnival” returns again this June Bank Holiday, running from 28 May – 2 June. Culture and Chips is a food carnival taking place in the Arthur’s Quay Park in a specially transported Salon Perdu Spiegeltent. The Spiegeltent is a European Mirror Tent, and has been used as travelling dance halls, bar and entertainment salons since the early 20th century. 

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Frites, chips, potato wedges or French fries – whatever you call them, there is little to rival the mighty chip. Humble in stature, there are few foods that hold such affection in the hearts (well, bellies) of so many. Curly or thick-cut, wedged or crinkled, made traditionally from potatoes but so often from many other vegetables now too, it is high time we celebrate the chip! 

Limerick is going to do just that, and this years festival promises to be “bigger and better” according to organisers, as the event is going to run for 6 days, and the Spiegeltent is going to be bigger. Last year, the Culture and Chips festival was one of the biggest events of the Limerick City of Culture 2014. 

This year, as part of the food and entertainment theme, the Spiegeltent will be hosting a Culinary Carnival Banquet with Paul Williams of Canteen as chef, the World Chip Championships, ‘Pommes in the Park’, children’s theatre, Clown Noir, a circus skills workshop and a range of musical performances. 

Mick Flannery, Bell X1’s Paul Noonan and Gemma Hayes under the Printer Clips moniker, Hermitage Green, Brad Pitt light orchestra, radio presenter Will Leahy, and Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader (of Fairground Attraction fame), will be performing in the Spiegeltent during the bank holiday weekend. 

The first ever World Chip Championships, sponsored by Meade Irish Rooster Chips, the centrepiece of the weekend long Culture & Chips carnival took place at the Salon Perdu Spiegeltent, Arthurs Quay Park, Limerick City Centre as part of Limerick City of Culture 2014.
Three finalists contested the World Chip Championships final in the Spiegeltent in front of judges Nick Munier (Masterchef Ireland) and Lorraine “@italianfoodie” Fanneran (La Cucina).
Picture: Alan Place.

Patricia Roberts, part of the committee of the festival, explains “What is different about it is that it is a niche festival, the world chip championship – there is no other such event but in Limerick and having it last year, it created such a buzz in foodie circles. Chips are for everybody, they are all inclusive, we all love them. Creating that was the niche, combined with a serious line-up of entertainment that will retain people in the city. It is coming back bigger and better.” 

If the weekend doesn’t sound busy already, the Barbarians rugby match is taking place in Thomond Park, there’s the TomCat Street Festival and the Irish Chamber Orchestra’s Viennese Prom. 

The Culture and Chips festival is sponsored by the Limerick Chamber, and Limerick City and County Council.

For more information on the Culture and Chips festival, check out the website here.

Find Culture and Chips on Facebook here, and on Twitter here. 

Read more about Culture and Chips here.

Photos by Sophie Goodwin for ILoveLimerick.com 2015. All Rights Reserved.

Photos by David Woodland for ILoveLimerick.com 2015. All Rights Reserved.