Northern Ireland Potato Festival

The Northern Ireland Potato Festival is being held this weekend in and around the Giant’s Causeway.

The festival will be a free three day event encompassing all areas of the industry by means of tours, talks, exhibitors, demonstrations and activities for all the family.

Friday 4th Oct - Glens of Antrim - 11 am - 4 pm:

Farm visits. A tour to a potato breeding facility and also a tour of a processing and packing facility. To book call 028 2177 1396.

Saturday 5th Oct - Innisfree Farm, Giant’s Causeway - 11 am - 5 pm:

Exhibitions, trade stands, cooking demonstrations and tastings from celebrity chefs including Paula McIntyre and Emmett McCourt, children’s activities, local farmers market and much more. Parking will be in Bushmills at the Park & Ride with shuttle bus up to Innisfree.

Sunday 6th Oct - Portnagree House / Ferry Terminal, Ballycastle - 11am - 5 pm. The exhibition moves to Ballycastle and will have a carnival feel in the town. Storytelling, talks, music and farmers market.

The north coast has good reason to participate in this Potato Festival.

Potato breeder John Clarke was born on 1 February 1889 at Lamnagh Beg, Ballintoy, son of Daniel and Margaret. He attended St. Mary’s Primary School at Ballinalea, but left, aged about 12, to work on the family farm in Broughgammon, and obtained no further formal education. Despite this, by dint of extensive reading in Ballymoney Library, and ongoing research and experimentation throughout his life, he became a recognised expert on the science of potato breeding.