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Pigtown Festival 2021 serves up ‘The 061’ on your plate

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Pigtown Festival 2021 – Members of the Pigtown Committee at the Limerick of Milk Market: Tom Flavin Chef & Food Consultant, Cllr Olivia O’Sullivan of eatinlimerick, Eithne Gavigan of LIT, Keith Piggot Head Chef of No1 Pery Square Hotel, David Fitzgerald, Manager of Limerick Milk Market

Pigtown Festival 2021 serves up ‘The 061’ on your plate

Pigtown Festival 2021

Patricia Roberts of No1 Pery Square Hotel, Chef Michael Tweedie of Adare Manor Hotel and Edon O’Brien meeting the pigs at Rigney’s Farm, Co Limerick

For the fifth year in a row, the Pigtown Food and Culture Series is taking place this September and October across Limerick city and county, to celebrate Limerick’s food culture, local food producers, and famous food heritage.


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Developed by Limerick Food Group and supported by Limerick City and County Council, organisers had to change the Pigtown Festival 2021 dramatically in 2020 to work within Covid restrictions, but several dining events managed to take place as well as family fun with Pigtown’s giant pig, which usually leads the Culture Night Pigtown Parade around Limerick City in previous (pre-pandemic) years and hopefully we will see the return of next year.

Chair of the organizing committee and food consultant, Chef Tom Flavin, explained, “Last year we had to curtail our festival somewhat given the covid restrictions but we focused on the dining element and local producers, and we’ve taken that one step further this year, particularly with our new opening event, The 061 Dinner. Obviously we are missing the annual Pigtown Parade through the city that is always a big colourful family event for us, but hopefully that will be back next year – instead we will have a Culture Night Pigtown Party in the Milk Market this year with our giant piggy. I hope people enjoy the delicious locally produced food in some of the wonderful establishments we have in Limerick and it might open visitors’ eyes to the great food we have in Limerick.”

Pigtown Festival 2021 is organised by Limerick Food Group, a group from industry formed since 2015 working together to promote Limerick food.

For full details on this year’s festival programme and booking links to the dining events visit the website HERE  and look out for updates on instagram, facebook and twitter.

Organisers are urging people attending any of the Pigtown 2021 events to please follow all Covid-19 protocols in place at each venue for the safety of all.

Why Pigtown?

With four large bacon factories operating in the heart of Limerick city, the pig played a vital role in Limerick’s economic and social life from the early 1800’s until the last factory closed in the 1980s. O’Mara’s, Matterson’s, Denny’s and Shaw’s (later Clover meats) built an international reputation for Limerick ham and bacon and provided employment for thousands of families linking the city and the surrounding county in the production of bacon products.

As a result of our bacon factories, Limerick Ham held a huge international reputation and was famously insisted on by Queen Victoria for her Christmas dinner and so made it a custom throughout the English speaking world.

The Pigtown Culture & Food Series is a celebration of Limerick’s historic relationship with the pig and our deep-rooted food heritage.

Thursday,  Sept 16: The 061 Dinner  #061dinner

This year, the festival kicks off with ‘The 061 Dinner” (0 Imports, 6 Restaurants, 1 Goal) on Thursday 16th September 2021. This will be a 3-course dinner to be served in different restaurants at the same time using only Limerick suppliers on the menu.

Restaurants taking part in The 061 Dinner serving an exclusive Limerick-produced menu on Thursday September 16th include 1826 Adare, the East Room at UL, Longcourt Clubhouse at Newcastle West Golf Club, River Bar and Restaurant at the Limerick Strand Hotel, Sash Restaurant at No 1 Pery Square, and Tuscany Bistro in Castletroy. Cost is €40 per person, contact each venue to book.

These suppliers will include Rigney’s Farm, Bally Goat Farm, Attyflin Estate, New Leaf Urban Farmers, Croom Eggs, Adare Microgreens, Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Barry Butchers, Cotter Organic Lamb and many other Limerick food producers and suppliers throughout the county.

Treaty City Brewery have an exclusive beer brewed for the 2021 Pigtown Culture and Food Series, called the ‘Pigtown Pilsner’, a bohemian pilsner brewed in Limerick especially for this night.

Friday,  Sept 17: This Little Piggy Went to the Market for Culture Night

Of course The 061 Dinner is only the opening event to the festival, the following night Pigtown will celebrate Culture Night on Friday September 17th with family fun at the Milk Market in a Pigtown Party that will include a FREE pig mask making workshop, hot food vendors, craft stalls and more.

The mask making workshop will be hosted by Lumen Street Theatre and run from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. It is suitable for children aged 10-13 years, younger participants will need a parent to assist. Places in the workshop are limited to 12 children and will operate on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Saturday, Sept 18: Pigtown Cookery Demos Presents

Pigtown Festival 2021

Chef Michael Tweedie of Adare Manor Hotel meeting the pigs at Rigney’s Farm, Co Limerick

Michael Tweedie, Executive Head Chef, Adare Manor Hotel

First in series of three cookery demos at the Milk Market Upstairs, capacity limited (please note, this event will be filmed)

Thursday, Sept 23: Pigtown Dinner at the Mustard Seed

An annual sell-out evening in the renowned Ballingarry restaurant, the Pigtown Dinner at the Mustard Seed returns for another year on Thursday September 23rd 2021 with four course menu €49pp.

Saturday, Sept 25: Pigtown Cookery Demos Presents

Wade Murphy, Chef/Owner, 1826 Adare

Second in series of three cookery demos at the Milk Market Upstairs, capacity limited (please note, this event will be filmed)

Sunday, Sept 26: Antique & Craft Fair

As part of the Pigtown festival, the Milk Market will host an Antique and Craft Fair on Sunday September 26th from 11am to 3pm.

Saturday, Oct 2: Pigtown Cookery Demos Presents

Pigtown Festival 2021

Chefs Tom Flavin and Wade Murphy at Rigney’s Farm, Co Limerick

Keith Piggot, Head Chef, No1 Pery Square

Tom Flavin, Chef & Food Consultant

Third in series of three cookery demos at the Milk Market Upstairs, capacity limited (please note, this event will be filmed for broadcast)

Sunday, Oct 10: ‘The Art of Pigtown’ Art Fair

As part of the Pigtown festival, the Milk Market will host The Art of Pigtown art fair on Sunday October 10th from 11am to 3pm that proved very popular in previous years

Sunday, Oct 31: Authentic Limerick Tacos at Springfield Castle

 Created especially for the Pigtown festival menu is an authentic taco evening at the Green Room Café in Springfield Castle, Broadford, Co. Limerick, using all local ingredients at €20pp covering food and entertainment.

Staycation In Limerick 

For the duration of the festival, No1 Pery Square Hotel and the Limerick Strand Hotel are offering Pigtown staycation packages with lots of local food offerings.

For full details on this year’s festival programme and booking links to the dining events see HERE

For more stories on pigtown, see HERE

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.