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international award win

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Global reach of local event honoured at Fáilte Ireland Awards

November 27, 2023

Wexford native FRESH Street conference brought 21 countries to Inis Oírr Galway

Fáilte Ireland celebrated the outstanding contributions of 104 conference ambassadors, including renowned academics and industry leaders, at an award ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Wexford native and ISACS (Irish Street Art, Circus and Spectacle Network) Director Lucy Medlycott was there to receive the Fáilte Ireland CARA award for bringing a conference, FRESH Street 2019, to Galway and for its contribution to the region’s economic impact.  The event took place from 22 – 24th May 2019 in Galway City and Inis Oírr and brought together over 280 delegates from 21 different countries and from 4 different continents. Making it a local event on a global level which examined the incredible power of making artistic work for public spaces.

“ISACS are beyond thrilled to receive this award out of the blue for the wonderful FRESH Street event which we held in partnership with Circostrada and Galway 2020 back in May 2019. ‘It feels particularly special to get this kind of recognition for an event whose significance was slightly eclipsed by the ensuing pandemic. We are super grateful for the acknowledgment of the value of these art forms in our cultural landscape by Minister Martin and Failte Ireland and especially the Meet in Galway team,” said Lucy Medlycott Director of ISACS network.

“Every year we bring professional international programmers, festivals, and arts managers to Ireland to meet with the ISACS membership. This year alone we hosted over 15 arts professionals with the support of Culture Ireland. And next year we have some exciting plans once more for the international development of this most democratic of art forms. ISACS will in fact be hosting Circostrada – the European Network for Contemporary Circus and Outdoor Arts – in Ireland once again, during summer of 2024, with their DIVE programme. Details will be released soon.”

FRESH Street brought over 260 delegates attended from 21 different countries, across 4 continents. In advance of the seminar, a 2-day private meeting was hosted by the Arts Council of Ireland for policymakers across the world. Over 12 policymakers arrived from the UK, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Latvia and France to share and discuss topics of mutual interest. The Circostrada Network facilitated this, and it was highly influential in mapping out means to establish data and to grow knowledge of this rapidly developing art form across the territory.

The ambassadors were acknowledged for their expertise, industry knowledge and unwavering commitment to successfully hosting an international conference in Ireland between 2018 and 2022. Collectively these conferences have contributed €125 million to the Irish economy and have made a positive impact on our nation. 

Fáilte Ireland’s Conference Ambassador Programme was developed to support individuals who want to host an international conference in Ireland. The programme provides assistance and financial support at every stage of the event, from the initial bidding, through to the marketing and promotion of the event. Ambassadors are sector leaders or influencers in their field and since the programme was established in 2009, Fáilte Ireland has supported almost 3,000 ambassadors in their bids to host conferences and events worth more than €2 billion.

To find out more check out www.isacs.ie.

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Galway’s The Dough Bros named among world’s Top 100 pizzerias

September 14, 2022

First EVER Irish listed Pizza to make best in the world

Galway’s The Dough Bros have been crowned one of the Top 100 pizzerias in the entire world this week, and the single best in the country. The Dough Bros, Ronan and Eugene Greaney journeyed to Naples for the 50 Top Pizza event and were listed as the No. 79 best pizzeria in the world, and were also named the Top Pizzeria in Ireland 2022 with judges citing their “dough is made to perfection and the selection of raw ingredients is always top quality.”

The 50 Top Pizza is an online guide to the best pizzerias in Italy and the world, without preference to style.  The guide is inspired by the general concept of quality in its broadest sense giving preference to establishments that use locally sourced and seasonal products.  The inspectors for the guide, one thousand experts spread throughout the world, are invited to consider each pizzeria on the whole, and to make an assessment based on its capacity to guarantee the well-being of the customer based on their informed selection from the menu.  Then, the visits to the pizzerias are carried out anonymously. 

On Monday of last week, they flew back to Naples, where they fell in love with pizza as kids, where Ronan trained in 2015 and where they go often to try pizzerias and get inspiration. “We have flown across the world to New York, Italy, Copenhagen to eat and soak up what these guys do. We have ordered their cookbooks. And there we are on stage with them,” remarked Eugene.

These awards are judged on the quality of the pizza (leavening and primary ingredients), the service, the location, the wait, and the beverage lists. “We have some of the best dairy, meat, veg in the world right here, on our doorstep. So why can’t one of the world’s best Pizzerias be right here in Galway, on the west coast of Ireland? Sounded crazy but that has been our goal from day one, and now we have seen that materialise.”

The Bros were joined by their mother Eileen and sister Ailise (They may have snuck them into the awards!) who have been there with them from the start when they were a humble food truck and operating at the various markets learning their trade.

Eugene reflects a very focused mindset from the outset, “we started with a mission to change people’s perceptions of what pizza could be when it’s done right. When it’s done with craft, dedication and the best of Irish ingredients. We wanted to shake things up in the Irish Pizza scene but also to put Irish Pizza on the international map.

“After our training in Naples in 2015, and numerous trips to Italy, the States and more, we had a quiet confidence in the Irish Food scene and felt what some of our peers were doing here at home was up there with anything we had tried. The Irish food scene gave us huge confidence and inspired us like nowhere else. We started to ask why the best Pizzerias in the world have to always be in Naples, New York, London? And now Ireland and Galway is there.”

Pizza is loved across the globe, with over a MILLION places alone in the USA serving pizza and Eight on Abbeygate street in Galway when the Bros first opened in 2014, a win like this for Galway and Ireland highlights the commitment to excellence from this restaurant.

The Bros had also already been named the Best in Ireland at the 2021 awards, and held onto their title. There was big praise too for their pivot during 2020 for their at home pizza kits, which proved a huge hit when lockdown kept people from their favourite restaurants.

“The last two years have been very complicated for these brothers from Galway. However, the health crisis has made the two rethink their business strategy, leading them to decide on a new offer, a pizza which can be sent to all corners of the country.  The idea has been a resounding success, and now they are reaping the rewards. In fact, undeterred, they have refined their deliveries and they have developed a kit for making pizza at home. The pizza is baked in a wood oven and if you live near Galway or  they can be delivered to any part of Ireland,” Top 100 pizzerias Judges.

You can find The Dough Bros who have just renovated their base at Cathedral Buildings on Middle Street and at O’Connells Bar in Eyre Square in Galway. They open Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm to 10pm. 

Check out www.thedoughbros.ie for more or get social across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.