- Moran's Oyster Cottage
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Moran's Oyster Cottage Restaurant information Established 1760s Food type Irish seafood Street address The Weir City Kilcolgan, Co. Galway Country Ireland Website Moran's Oyster Cottage Moran's Oyster Cottage is a seafood restaurant and pub located at The Weir, Kilcolgan, in County Galway, Ireland, five minutes from the village of Clarenbridge, and ten miles south of Galway City.
It has hosted presidents, prime ministers and film stars, as well as tourists and locals, due to the quality of its seafood, particularly oysters and smoked salmon, combined with its tranquil setting by the weir.[1]
History and location
Located on an inlet of Galway Bay, the traditional thatched cottage with a peat fire in the hearth has been owned by the Moran family for six generations.
Daniel Moran, who arrived in the area in the 1760s, obtained a liquor license and began his business which has continued for six generations. His wife's family, who owned the wier, may have been serving food and drink even prior to that.
In the 1800s, when Kilcolgan was a busy port, the cottage did a thriving business. In modern times, it has hosted many notables and celebrities, including Julia Roberts, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Woody Allen and the Emperor and Empress of Japan.[2][3]
It has also produced international and world champions in oyster shucking competitions: Vincent Graham, Willie Moran, Gerry Grealish and Michael Moran.
Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney's poem, Oysters, was inspired by a memorable meal at Moran's.[4]
Today the cottage is one of the oldest and most famous pubs in Ireland.[5]
Awards
- Bord Failte Award of Excellence for Restaurants, 1983
- Award of Excellence–BIM Seafood Pub of the Year, 1999
- Gilbeys Gold Medal for Excellence, 2001
- BIM Seafood Circle Award, 2006
References
- ^ Daugherty, Christi Frommer's Ireland 2008, p. 402, Frommer's, 2007
- ^ Vincent, Muriel Ierland, p. 279, Media Boeken, 2005
- ^ Moran's Oyster Cottage Website, History
- ^ Abbott, Kate 10 Oysters and Shellfish, The Guardian, July 14, 2007
- ^ Morans Historic Irish Pubs
Categories:- 1760 establishments
- Public houses in the Republic of Ireland
- Buildings and structures in County Galway
- Restaurants in the Republic of Ireland
- Seafood restaurants
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