Free food, giveaways, entertainment, and parking on Sunday
Moycullen’s An Fuaran shopping complex is the place to be on Sunday as it celebrates a special family day with an array of activities and edible treats.
It is a year since An Fuaran set up its country market, boasting a wide selection of fresh locally produced food and craft. And to celebrate its birthday An Fuaran is inviting everyone to its family fun day with a host of activities and entertainment.
Visitors will be able to enjoy free samples of food from the market traders, children’s activities, vouchers from An Fuaran shops, and live musical entertainment between 2pm and 6pm on Sunday.
The day will highlight the choice of fresh food which is available every Friday from the market traders. Based along the wide sidewalks of An Fuaran, the market has mushroomed into a busy shopping and social occasion, providing shoppers with fresh, flavourful produce direct from the producers.
Children will be treated to great entertainment. In addition to bouncy castles and slides, a special attraction for the older children will be the Go Carts. Pipa the Clown will make your little ones laugh, while a special attraction is The Flea Circus. This special production from Pignut Productions wowed audiences at this year’s Galway International Arts Festival.
Described by the Irish Times as “a lovely tribute to the power of the imagination, and, indeed, the spirit of performance and showmanship, or showfleaship”, the troupe of performing fleas, too small for the human eye to see, recreates the Victorian entertainment in a delightful 25-minute show. Young ones will love watching the fleas perform trapeze and high wire acts, and being shot out of a miniature cannon.
For the bigger ones and the adults Moycullen Comhaltas will provide the musical entertainment, and in a rare treat, Brian Cunningham of the Cunningham Dancers will perform. The Cunninghams will be on show in The Venue at the Forge on Saturday evening for a full show.
Add in the Galway Bay FM roadcaster who will be broadcasting live throughout the afternoon, and there’s plenty to entertain. Vouchers and give-aways from the local businesses in An Fuaran, Rhapsody, The Forge, Paul Allen, Elysium, Ladies’ Workout Express, Evergreen, Centra, Howards Pharmacy, Sargam Indian Restaurant, Interior Fusions and Tom Lydon Furniture can be won.
As a special celebration of the market’s first birthday, the traders will be exhibiting their fine fare with free samples for all visitors, including a special lamb on a spit courtesy of Castlemain Free Range Farm and the Allen family from Roscommon. The cooking will be conducted by Floris from the Gourmet Offensive, a fast-growing catering service which featured on the television series, Weddings by Franc. Other suppliers include Justin Flannery from Flannery Farm Fresh Meats, who rears his own beef and poultry, while Stephan from the hugely popular Gannett Fishmongers and oyster supplier Richard West will have tasty morsels for the fish lovers, or try the homemade sushi from Jenny. Toby from The Real Olive Company will be providing samples of his rich array of olives and cheeses, as will Daniel and Helen from the Flying Cheese Brigade, and Martin from Irish Farmhouse Cheese company. Organic vegetables from Kenneth Keavey’s Green Earth Organics, Padraig and Una Fahy’s Beechlawn Organics, and Cait Curran will be available to sample. Home baking is a huge drawcard and An Fuaran’s family day will feature a range of sweet treats from leading suppliers, including Oughterard’s Yew Tree, Layla from Coolfin Gardens Organic Bakery, John Walsh from Banguban Restaurant, Kathleen Lally’s Buns and Cakes of Tourmakeady, Mike’s Pancake Factory, Jean Dominique Ballyvuahgan Gourmet, and Jay’s Farmhouse Baking. For those who fancy something a little sweeter Nora McDonnell provides sweets, fudge, and organic jam, while Bia Cuig Laoch has samples of its artisan relishes, pickles and jams. And with a range of arts and crafts also trading every Friday, Cru Valley Nurseries will be available on Sunday for any advice on your planting needs.
