The Hotel School at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology is holding what the school says will be one of the best Titanic commemorative events this year, an 11-course black tie dinner replicating the meal served to guests in the first class dining room on the RMS Titanic. Tickets are already sold out for the event, which takes place on Wednesday 21 March in aid of the Galway RNLI Lifeboat.
The evening kicks off at 6.30pm with a champagne and oysters reception followed by an 11-course dinner, each course served with a different wine. A string quartet will provide entertainment throughout the evening.
GMIT culinary arts lecturer Noel Loughnane, who came up with the idea for this unique dining experience, will lead a team, working in four kitchens, of students and their lecturers in culinary arts, hotel management, hospitality studies, bar supervision, bar management, and tourism management. Event management students will ‘deck out’ the Connemara training restaurant in an appropriate maritime theme for the occasion and also dress up in period costumes to lead guests through the campus to the hotel school restaurant on the night.
Mr Loughnane has always had a great interest in the Titanic. He has read extensively on the subject and, having discovered the menu for the last meal served on that fateful night on 14 April 14 1912, decided it would be fitting to do something for a maritime charity.
“Our menu on the night is the same as it was 100 years ago, but served in a contemporary style and in a different order,” he explained. “It will be a great learning experience for our students who are really excited about the event and happy to be volunteering their time and energy for a charity like Galway Lifeboat, while also respectfully marking the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.”
Cait Noone, head of the GMIT Hotel School, said the event demonstrates the school’s ongoing commitment to helping partners in the region. “Students in the Hotel School have a long and proud established reputation in the region for working with voluntary groups and managing fundraising events,” she added. “In addition, our students and colleagues have an opportunity at this event to showcase their outstanding culinary skills and restaurant service etiquette. We look forward to a gastronomic delight.”
Chairperson of the Galway RNLI Lifeboat fundraising committee, Ciara O’Byrne, expressed sincere thanks on behalf of the lifeboat station to the GMIT Hotel School and in particular to Noel Loughnane and his team for organising this unique event.
“One life lost at sea affects families and community for generations,” Ms O’Byrne said. “The dedication and selfless voluntary work of the RNLI crews in saving lives at sea does not go unnoticed but we are indebted to the people who fundraise and organise events to ensure funds are there for training our crews to successfully save lives at sea. We wish GMIT every success with this event and look forward to the night.”
