Search Results for 'Tommy Finnerty'

The first documented reference to the Galway Fishery is found in the Pipe Rolls, a collection of financial records maintained by the British Treasury. The Rolls of 1283 AD refer to the fishery at the time being part of the property of Walter De Burgo. The fishery passed through several ownerships until 1521 when Henry VIII granted a licence to Janet and Anthony Lynch to have three nets upon the river of Galway between the bridge and the sea and to build one water mill upon the river wherever they thought proper. In 1570 Elizabeth I granted the mayor, bailiffs, and commonality of the town and their successors “The customs of one salmon every Wednesday out of the Great Weir, a salmon every Saturday out of the High Weir, a salmon every Friday out of the ‘hale’ (haul) net and as many eels as shall be taken in one day out of twenty eel weirs.”

Finnerty’s butchers, which is located on the ground floor of the Eyre Square Shopping Centre and in Oughterard, has just scooped a top award at the All Ireland Craft Butcher Product competitions. It won supreme champion in the sausages and puddings section, quite an achievement when you think that there are about 500 butchers in the association and about 300 in the competition. Nevin Maguire was the main judge at the event so we can assume that the winners were all pretty impressive. I had often passed by the shop but never shopped there, so I decided to call in and try some of the award winning products. The main shop is in Oughterard and it has been supplying locally sourced meat for the last 50 years and supplies many of the main Connemara hotels like the Abbeyglen, Renvyle House, and Cashel House.