The sweet taste of success

THE annual Spud Off Mór competition might be all about finding the best potato in West Kerry, but where it really excels is in provoking debate about what goes into growing the best potatoes.

Some growers are firm believers in seaweed, some are committed to farmyard manure, others favour a mixture of both, while yet more are convinced that ‘a bit of the bag’ (artificial fertilizer) is vital.

But who can match Piaras Firtéar from Baile Uachtarach whose Sharpes Express potatoes won the judges’ approval at the Baile an Fheirtéaraigh / Márthain contest in Tigh an tSaorsaigh on Sunday night. Piaras grows his spuds on cow manure, but that’s only part of the success story. The spuds were grown in the shadow of the Star Wars film set on Ceann Sibéal and Piaras’s wife, Mary, reckons there’s no doubt but The Force was with them and after that they couldn’t fail.

The pupils of Scoil Iognáid Rís had no other-world influences but their British Queens did very well on simple seaweed and teacher Micheál Ó Conchúir’s advice and they won the day in Dingle.

The town proved a little difficult for Féile an Phráta organisers this year. Eight growers planned to enter the contest but three pulled out when they found only criocháns under their stalks and three more quit after the organisers stuck with the rules and declined to cook their spuds for them.

In Paróiste na Cílle Cois Cnoic, Bosco Ó Conchúir, Cill Cúile, was the winner;

Pádraig Jeaic Ó Sé, Baile Mhóraigh, won with his British Queens in Paróiste Mórdhach; Tony Shea, Cathair a’ Tran- taigh, was the Fionn Trá winner and Cathal Feirtéar, Com Dhíneóil, won in Dún Chaoin.

In the schools competition, which is run on a points basis, Scoil Mhaolchéadair is in the lead but it’s still all to play for.

The Paróiste na Cílle Cois Farraige contest will be held in Tigh TPs on this Friday, followed on Sunday, July 10, by the Spud-off Mór and An Práta Pláta potato cookery finals in Baile na nGall.

Sunday’s events get underway at 4pm with the Práta Pláta in an t-Ollphuball, followed by the Spud-Off final from 6pm to 7.30pm. Meanwhile, there’ll be fun and games for children and adults around the village and, no doubt, talk of spuds and other weighty matters will continue into the night.

Jack Flahive with his brother Thomas (left) and Thomas Kelliher delivering their British Queens to the Dingle parish potato tasting in the Courthouse bar on Friday afternoon.

The judges in the Paróiste an Fhirtéaraigh/ Paróiste Mhárthain section of Féile an Phráta, from left: Aengus Murphy, Tomás Ó Beaglaoich, Mairtín Ó Cuanaigh and Sinéad Lough.

Aengus Murphy (right) presents the Paróiste an Fhirtéaraigh / Paróiste Márthain champion’s certificate to winning grower Piaras Firtéar and his wife Mary, with their French student Tah-reer Baker from Paris.

Sniff test: Dingle potato judge Sinéad Sheehy.