Opening up nicely

The Northern Ireland Friendship Band was everywhere at the weekend's Oyster Festival in Galway, where it's an annual feature

The Northern Ireland Friendship Band was everywhere at the weekend's Oyster Festival in Galway, where it's an annual feature. The weather didn't live up to the outside tables at Nimmo's pier for the Guinness World Oyster Opening Championship, but the knives were out inside the marquee for the oyster-opening competition. The drink was in free-flow, even if the oysters were rationed.

John Phua from Singapore felt he didn't do well - Irish oysters are tighter than those back home; Per Olofsson from Sweden had no such trouble - he had the fastest time. Patrick McMurray was representing Canada for the third time; he works in Rodney's Oyster House in Toronto, where he opens 3,000 oysters a week.

At the gala that evening almost 500 people took to dancing on their chairs, waving napkins to the music; also an annual feature. And this was before the starters. Cathy Belton (aka the vet in Glenroe) was home in Renmore in Galway for the weekend and got a call from her pal Eunice McMenamin (formerly Fidelma of roll-in-the-hay with Miley fame) saying - "come to the ball". "And luckily enough I had the guna handy!" said Cathy.

Guest of honour was former chairman of Diageo, Anthony Greener, who's been sailing around the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland since retiring in June, reaching Galway just in time for the weekend. Galway stalwarts Doc - Dermot O'Connor - and Sandra Butler were there with family and friends. This month they celebrate their 16th year running the longest established nightclub in Galway, at the Warwick hotel, which they bought six years ago. And do you like oysters Doc? "Ahhm, I'm here for the Guinness."