{"id":594782,"date":"2026-08-16T06:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T06:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/594782\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T06:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T06:36:14","slug":"an-oysters-journey-from-sea-to-spoon-in-ireland-its-far-from-umami-we-were-reared-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/594782\/","title":{"rendered":"An oyster\u2019s journey from sea to spoon in Ireland: \u2018It\u2019s far from umami we were reared\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

On a clear day at Cromane Bay in Co Kerry<\/a>, you can see all the way to the top of Carrauntoohil. I\u2019m standing with Sharon Sugrue, waiting for the tides. \u201cYou know the tide is leaving the harbour because all the boats are facing south,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen they turn north, we\u2019ll know it\u2019s coming back in.\u201d Beyond the shingle beach, a bank of golden sand is emerging, and nudging above the receding seawaters are the oyster beds. <\/p>\n

Nestled between the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas, in the sheltering sweep of Castlemaine Harbour, it\u2019s a near perfect spot for oysters and mussels, with the nutrient-rich waters running down the rivers from the surrounding mountains. \u201cWith the tides going out, all the oysters and mussels are exposed, and that\u2019s when the birds come. It\u2019s a bird watcher\u2019s paradise,\u201d she says, describing the spoonbills, brent geese, curlews, heron gulls and, of course, the oyster catchers. <\/p>\n

She has watched both birds and boats coming and going in great numbers over the years. \u201cThat\u2019s our home house there,\u201d she says, pointing back to the shore. \u201cThis was our back garden before we made it a business.\u201d Sharon, her brother Miche\u00e1l Sugrue, and business partner Emmet Casey are the fourth generation of each family to make their living from the sea. They run R\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish, where you can buy fresh oysters and mussels, and tour the facilities, learning and tasting as you go. Photographs dotted around the R\u00e9alt na Mara buildings show the trio\u2019s grandfathers, Patrick Sugrue and Jimmy Casey, working on the local mussel beds and fisheries in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

\"SiblingsSiblings Sharon and Miche\u00e1l Sugrue of R\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish. Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was our way of getting to live in the place where we grew up, the place we love,\u201d says Sugrue, who doubles up as a marine biologist, having spent time on the State\u2019s Marine Institute research vessels, keeping an eye on the waters that are, right now, nurturing her crop. \u201cWe harvest wild Cromane mussels and farm Pacific oysters,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd we still fish for the native oysters too, when the season is open.\u201d That fishing season, from September to April, also explains the idea of eating oysters only when there\u2019s an R in the month. The rule doesn\u2019t apply to farm-raised oysters. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople often ask why we grow Pacific oysters on the Atlantic coast,\u201d says Sugrue, explaining how overfishing, pollution and habitat loss led to a decline in Ireland\u2019s native flat oyster populations. Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, were introduced in the 1970s, and proved to be perfectly suited to the clean, nutrient-rich waters in this part of the Atlantic. They also grow well in farms, unlike the native oyster population, Ostrea edulis. Native oysters these days are, according to Sugrue, carefully managed, and while they are not at the levels they once were, regulations and stock management, through licensing and seasonal closures, are endeavouring to keep them viable for the coming generations. <\/p>\n

So what is the difference? \u201cOysters reflect their merroir,\u201d says Sugrue, introducing me to the concept of an aquatic version of terroir \u2013 the term used to describe how climate, soil and environment localise the tastes of food and wine. This means that while most consider the native round flat oyster to have a heavier, more mineral-driven flavour, the two oyster types will share some characteristics when growing in the same waters. \u201cThe flavour that our farmed oysters develop, due to the unique combination of our tides, plankton, salinity and Atlantic waters, is unmistakably Irish,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

At this point, her brother Miche\u00e1l walks up the beach to say the tides are right and it\u2019s time to go. He and Casey pull their custom-made flat-bottomed barge, The Endeavour, close enough to step on, and we putter across to the sand bank to see where the magic happens. And there is a level of magic to it. According to the Centre for Environmental Humanities at Trinity College Dublin, the farming of oysters can be one of the most sustainable and environmentally restorative forms of food production<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re like trees,\u201d says Sharon. \u201cBoth mussels and oysters take carbon from the waters. They get their nutrients from the water, there\u2019s nothing added, and we get years out of our trestles and bags. Still, there is a lot of husbandry,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Alighting from The Endeavour, I get to see this in action, as the team detaches each mesh bag of oysters from the rows of metal trestles to shake, or \u201ctumble\u201d them. This keeps the shells smooth and evenly shaped, and causes the oyster to grow a deeper cup, which can lead to a bigger bite inside. While the tides and winds will also help, the manual shaking is what brings additional quality and, as I lift a 10kg bag, I realise it would certainly keep you fit. Thinking of muscles (not mussels), I wonder about the reputation of oysters as an aphrodisiac. While not exactly scientifically proven, the idea persists thanks both to the high zinc content, which is involved in testosterone production, and the notion that they are, in the right hands, pretty sensuous to eat.<\/p>\n

Back at R\u00e9alt na Mara, a line of bubbling water tanks is purifying the oysters, a vital part of the process before they are ready for sale. When a red tide comes in, the colloquial term of a tide overfull with harmful algae, caused by anything from heavy rain to warmer ocean surfaces to agricultural fertiliser run-off, the oysters will happily feast. Time spent in the clean water tanks washes through anything harmful to humans, which is also a reason always to buy your oysters from a reputable source, rather than pick them yourself \u2013 which is illegal without a licence in Ireland.<\/p>\n

\"SharonSharon Sugrue of R\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish in Cromane, Co Kerry. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \"SharonSharon Sugrue of R\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish in Cromane, Co Kerry. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \"GemmaGemma Tipton with the Sugrue siblings. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \"RéaltR\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish oysters. Photograph: Bryan O\u2019Brien \"SharonSharon Sugrue and Emmet Casey of R\u00e9alt na Mara Shellfish. Photo: Bryan O\u2019Brien <\/p>\n

At this point a car appears down the sandy drive and a couple get out, apparently having done their research. French tourists, they are here to buy their dinner, and after some chat leave happily with their box of Cromane oysters. <\/p>\n

Aphrodisiac myths aside, oysters weren\u2019t always considered a delicacy. Back in the day they were so abundant and undervalued that they were thought of as peasant food. Writer Samuel Johnson fed them to his cat, Hodge, and a statue of Hodge in London shows him sitting on top of Johnson\u2019s famous dictionary, beside a pair of empty oyster shells. Lobster and caviar, and more recently monkfish, were all likewise once thought of as food for the poor, which just goes to show how fashions, as well as tastes change. <\/p>\n

Oysters are nonetheless an acquired taste for many, and we seem slower to pick up on this harvest of deliciousness here at home. Some 90 per cent of R\u00e9alt na Mara\u2019s oysters are exported wholesale via France and The Netherlands, from where they go as far afield as Asia and the Middle East. \u201cThey\u2019re very resilient,\u201d says Sharon. They don\u2019t even need to go into very cold storage. \u201cThey like seven degrees.\u201d So what about serving on ice? \u201cIt\u2019s preference. I was at an event in France where they were all served at room temperature.\u201d The same goes for taste: \u201cIt\u2019s like you preferring a certain type of wine. Someone might like a Cromane oyster, or a Carlingford, or a Galway or Sligo oyster. We have had oyster sommeliers here, who have said there\u2019s a very cucumbery and umami flavour to our oysters.\u201d She pauses. \u201cIt\u2019s far from umami we were reared,\u201d she laughs. <\/p>\n

And then it\u2019s time to get down to the serious business of tasting. R\u00e9alt na Mara has a dedicated tasting space, with shucking lessons (see goodfoodirelandexperiences.com<\/a>) and plenty of dressings to try, but we\u2019re heading across the peninsula to Kenmare\u2019s Landsdowne Hotel, where owner Patrick Hanley has invited his friend \u2013 local chef and wildlife expert James Coffey \u2013 to give us a mini masterclass. The pair go way back, Hanley having been raised at the Landsdowne, then owned by his parents, Breda and Bobby Hanley. <\/p>\n

After working in hospitality around the world, Hanley bought back the hotel from John and Francis Brennan in 2024, and now runs it with his wife, Aileen Hanley. Previously chef at the neighbouring Park Hotel<\/a>, Coffey now works as a deer manager for Kerry and Cork, and is passionate about local food. He deftly demonstrates how to protect your hand with a tea towel, then insert the oyster knife into the hinge of the shell, and lever, lift and twist. A quick slide of the knife on the underside of the oyster cuts the muscle inside. A pro will then flip the oyster flesh over, although this isn\u2019t strictly necessary.<\/p>\n

For Coffey, and for Sharon Sugrue, there\u2019s nothing like a fresh oyster with just a dash of fresh lemon juice, and forget about the idea of gulping it down in one go. If you don\u2019t bite, you don\u2019t get the full taste. Tastes in oysters have changed, and where once Oysters Rockefeller \u2013 baked oysters on the half-shell, topped with butter, herbs and breadcrumbs \u2013 was the height of culinary chic, these days it\u2019s considered too heavy and rich, as is wrapping and baking them in pancetta for Angels on Horseback, and the like.<\/p>\n

\"RéaltR\u00e9alt na Mara oysters at The Landsdowne in Kenmare. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien \"PatrickPatrick Hanley, owner of The Landsdowne. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien \"ChefChef James Coffey. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien <\/p>\n

If you do prefer your oysters cooked, barbecuing is a surprisingly brilliant and simple suggestion. \u201cSit them in the campfire,\u201d says Coffey. \u201cThe heat will pop the shell when it\u2019s done, add a bit of butter, and you get the taste of the oyster, and the smokiness of the fire. With a nice glass of white wine, it\u2019s lovely. Oysters have a delicate flavour,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe key is to make sure the oyster taste stands out. Don\u2019t mask it with other flavours.\u201d<\/p>\n

He whips up a zesty apple and cucumber topping, where the finely chopped ingredients are mixed with fresh dill, herb oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Suddenly the cucumber note in the oyster comes to the fore, and it is delicious. Alongside this, I discover, my former go-to of a dash of Tabasco has been destroying the subtleties of what I\u2019m eating. A very light breadcrumb and garlic butter topping adds crunch to another oyster, while there\u2019s also a classic mignonette \u2013 chopped shallots with vinegar and black pepper \u2013 to try. <\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the day out on the sand bank, with the taste of the salt air and sunshine in my mind, the glorious Kerry landscapes or the oysters themselves, but later, lying in my very comfortable Landsdowne Hotel bed, I realise it is up there as one of my most unforgettable meals. Perhaps that\u2019s the true essence of farm to fork (sea to spoon?) \u2013 you\u2019re eating memories as well as tasting the terroir. Merroir, even. And we are lucky enough to have it all, right on our doorsteps, whatever the number of Rs in the month. <\/p>\n

Going off-menu <\/p>\n

The Landsdowne Kenmare<\/a> will source and prepare local foods, from oysters to venison, for guests on request. Give advance notice to make sure the foods are perfectly fresh. <\/p>\n

Cromane Oyster Tours<\/a> at R\u00e9alt na Mara include an on-land tour and tasting, and an oyster shucking lesson. The minimum group size is four people and the tour takes about 90 minutes. Cost is \u20ac75 per person. Discover this, and a wide range of farm to fork experiences, at Good Food Ireland (goodfoodirelandexperiences.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Gemma Tipton was a guest of The Lansdowne Kenmare hotel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On a clear day at Cromane Bay in Co Kerry, you can see all the way to the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":594783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[13355,162646,61,60,7727,11655,43,15342],"class_list":["post-594782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-food-production","tag-francis-brennan","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-kerry","tag-marine-institute-foras-na-mara","tag-news","tag-trinity-college-dublin-tcd"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}