Word from the West

West of Ireland food writer Anne Marie Carroll revisits the village of Cong, Co Mayo and discovers that it has reinvented itself as Cong Food Village

The village of Cong in County Mayo is small and intimate with narrow streets and friendly pubs. Famously the village is where much of the Quiet Man was filmed. Although you can retrace the steps of the actors throughout the town, Cong is so much more than just a movie set for tourists.

There are the ruins of the old abbey right in the town to explore and a path along the river where you can stroll through one of the loveliest woods. Adjacent to the village stands the dramatic and magnificent Ashford Castle.

One of Ireland's most magnificent and most luxurious resort hotels, the Castle has overlooked the shores of Lough Corrib since the 12th century. You can stroll around the grounds and get a feeling of what Ireland was like hundreds of years ago.

Yet, for all the elegance and splendour of the castle, it is far from being Cong’s only attraction. Sure, they have speciality teas, champagne and finger sandwiches. There may be talk of tasty pastries and cupcakes. But after many decades in the shadow of Ashford Castle’s grandeur, Cong at last is defining itself and carving out an identity of its own as Cong Food Village (www.facebook.com/www.congfoodvillage.ie).

Until very recently, Cong’s credentials as a food destination seemed unpromising. Apart from Ashford Castle and its associated businesses, breakfast options for visitors were largely limited to traditional greasy spoon style operations.

Lunch was a similarly sparse affair. But in the last few years the streets have blossomed into a veritable hub of good places to eat, and casual dining has replaced formal afternoon tea as the village’s selling point.

There’s a plethora of new laid back, friendly eateries catering to the many visitors from far and near. Locally sourced ingredients make up the breakfasts, sandwiches, soups and salads, and the luscious cakes and scones are all homemade. As food tourism grows in popularity in Ireland, they develop their local food and hospitality to take on a central role in their tourism offering while also sustaining their local environment.

Cong sits right on the border of Galway and Mayo and this is where they source most of their produce. Locally smoked salmon from the nearby village of Cornamona, beef and pork from Kelly’s of Newport, coffee roasted in Westport, bottled water from the nearby hills of Tourmakeady, shellfish from Killary Harbour and fish such as hake and mackerel from Galway Bay. They even have their own Connacht Craft Beer.

Cong has some very active members of Slow Food Mayo and along with Aran McMahon from Rua in Castlebar and Jonathan Keane, head chef at the Lodge at Ashford Castle, Cong Food Village has been instrumental in bringing the ethos of good local and fair food to Mayo.

They have extended themselves to create something that they can be truly proud of, and for that they deserve recognition. Cong’s reputation as the day-trip capital of Ireland seems assured.

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Anne Marie Carroll is a freelance food writer and member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild who lives in Galway with her husband and two children.

With a background in design and illustration, Anne Marie made the switch to journalism with a regular food and wine column in The Galway Advertiser. Her work now mainly focuses on restaurant reviews, writing and editing recipes, the development of food photo shoots, including styling and photography. She also writes for a number of other publications and works as a consultant for small producers, food retailers and restaurants.

Anne Marie writes about all things food from the West of Ireland at her blog, Warm & Snug & Fat. You can also find her on twitter as @Biscuits4ABear