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The launch of the programme for the fourth Galway Food Festival was held on Monday March 9 in one of Galway’s coolest new hangout spots, Bite Club. Celebrating Galway as a food destination, the festival strives to highlight the importance of food provenance and sustainability. Many of the great and the good of the Galway food scene were present — chefs, producers, restaurateurs, educators, and food writers. One of the best things about the launch being in Bite Club was the refreshments — spicy tacos, hot wings, and poitin slushies were the order of the day. It certainly made a difference to the usual smoked salmon on brown bread and a glass of pinot gris. A huge amount of organising goes into the festival, with the committee members and many others giving freely of their time and expertise to make it a success. More than 60 food related events will take place in hotels, restaurants, cafes, and shops throughout Galway city and county during Easter weekend. Fifty shades of kale, the Twelve Apostles, Cava on the Corrib, and Easter-themed afternoon teas are just some of the fun activities planned.

Recently I have had to reprimand my children for their overuse of the ‘N’ word. It is something that I, like many others, find deeply offensive. I have, I think, brought them up well and feel aggrieved that this is how they repay me. Such outrageous behaviour goes against everything that I believe to be right. It started off innocently enough with the five year old slipping the odd ‘N’ word into a sentence. I may have turned a blind eye, anything for a quiet life. Then all of a sudden it escalated into using it everywhere, at every possible opportunity, to my complete mortification. Out loud and in front of other people.

The cup of tea, beloved by the Irish, is very much in danger of losing its place as the nation's hot beverage of choice, threatened by our growing addiction to coffee. Even for those of us who cannot be bothered with the fuss of grinding and filtering and are happy enough to put up with the dried and jarred, coffee flavoured dust at home, we still expect much more from our coffee when out and about.

The launch of the programme for the third Galway Food Festival was held on Monday in one of my favourite Galway hang out spots, the lovely House Hotel. The late lamented Gerry Gavin had launched the first festival programme and the delightful Máirín Uí Chomáin the second. This year Ronan Byrne (aka The Friendly Farmer) did the honours beautifully. In a break with convention, they had not sought out a food celebrity, but in keeping with the theme of the festival, 'Food Traditions', a man of the land was called for. JP McMahon, festival chairperson, and Heather Flaherty also spoke at the launch.

by mary O’Connor

Having spent some time working in NUI Galway, I can justifiably lend my voice to those who say that the food available on campus is generally not that good. Sure, the pizza in the college bar is tasty enough, but it does not really count as a vegetable as the American government would have us believe. The Gourmet Tart Co used to supply the university with its freshly-made sandwiches, but these seem to be no longer available this year, replaced by a lesser sandwich to fill the gap. It is not, I am sure, because students don’t care what they eat — in fact a growing number of them are revolting against the banal food on offer.

The launch of the programme for the second Galway Food Festival took place on Monday March 11 upstairs at McCambridge’s. The lovely Máirín Uí Chomáin, in a particularly elegant outfit and a covetable pair of shiny, fire-engine-red shoes, did the honours beautifully. As an author, the chairperson of Irish Food Writers Guild, and a true Connemara woman, she was perfect for the job. JP McMahon, festival chairperson, also spoke at the launch, in particular speaking warmly of the late lamented Gerry Galvin, who had launched the festival last year. A man who will be sadly missed.

Tomorrow (Friday) sees the final of the Galway Advertiser-sponsored Junior Chamber Galway Young Entrepreneur of the year awards 2012. The awards ceremony commences at 6.30pm at the Menlo Park Hotel with a drinks reception. Seating for dinner will commence at 7pm, followed by a welcoming speech by JCI president Anne Marie Shanahan.

Last Thursday I was invited to attend a tasting of the renowned Kopi Luwak coffee at Mr Waffle, located on Scholars Walk, Newcastle. For those unfamiliar with Kopi Luwak, it is one of the world's most rare and expensive coffees, at almost €50 per cup. Not to put too fine a point on it, it is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian palm civet. Yes indeed folks, this unique coffee has the dubious distinction of being consumed before the customer has even taken a sip. I will take mine with milk, sugar, and a good dose of scepticism.

A special charity event for all the family takes place at the Shantalla Park (Sliding Rock) on Saturday.