Sunny side up for best of West Kerry spuds

IT isn’t often that you can sit down to a feed of spuds ‘al fresco’ in wet West Kerry, but Sunday proved to be the exception and the judges in the grand final of the Spud-Off Mór contest at Féile an Phráta were arranged around a long table outside TP’s Pub in Baile na nGall to savour the finest potatoes from the parishes of Corca Dhuibhne and crown this year’s Laoch an Phráta.

Choosing one potato over another is no easy job, and less so when it’s done in front of an expectant audience – this latter crowd perched on benches and the sea wall, drinking pints and watching every mouthful eager to see if any particular spud might get a revealing nod of approval.

The judges were a mixed corps, led by seasoned potato taster Máire Moran who has been involved with Féile an Phráta since its inception nine years ago. Michael Quirke was flown in specially from London to act as a judge – or so Aengus Murphy said – and there also was Eric Prestage who was drafted in from closer to home in Ventry to take the place of a judge who was reported to have last been seen at the Galway Film Fleadh.

At the end of much poking, pinching, sniffing and gentle savouring of the potatoes, the Kerr Pinks entered by Kathy Seán Jim Pheig from Paróiste Mór were declared the winner with a very impressive 303 points out of a possible 360. Nora Murphy, Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, was second with 290 points and Maitiú Ó Grifín from Lios Póil came third with 282 points.

Kathy takes an organic approach to growing potatoes, planting them on seaweed and farm yard manure and using a traditional bluestone spay to prevent the blight. As for the cooking– and this was a matter of great discussion and debate outside TP’s on Sunday – Kathy boils her potatoes in spring water from Mount Brandon. When they’re just about boiled she drains them well and lets them stand in the pot for a minute or so on low heat to bring out that lovely floury texture.

Kathy’s success marked the end of the reign of British Queens in the Spud-Off Mór contest and celebrations for Kathy, her Kerr Pinks and Paróiste Mór continued “for quite a while” as the sun went down on Smerwick Harbour.

Meanwhile, in the Pláta Práta cookery contest run in conjunction with the SpudOff Mór final there was local success for Elaine Tom B whose potato salad was judged to be beyond comparison. There was an international element in this competition thanks to Jonathan Hass from Peru who timed his holidays to coincide with the event. Jonathan presented ‘causa’ a traditional Peruvian dish made mostly of layers mashed potato and salmon. In a village renowned for both spuds and salmon (before local fishermen were forced off the water) the causa went down well and earned second prize for Jonathan while Seánín Mac Eoin also had salmon mixed in with his potatoes and crowned off the lot with a sea urchin to earn third prize.

This year’s final was also enlivened with a potato peeling contest from which the nimble-fingered Mary Ferriter emerged the winner.

Photo by Declan Malone Cathy Seán Jim Pheig Moriarty who grew the best spuds in West Kerry this year brandishes the Laoch an Phráta trophy at the conclusion of the Féile an Phráta finals.

Eibhlín Ní Chéarna and Elaine Uí Laighin presenting Elaine Nic Eoin with her winnings after she came first in the Pláta Práta contest.

Spud-Off Mór judges Denise Ní Chíobháin and Eric Prestage giving serious consideration to their potato markings .

Michael Quirke peeling for dear life in the potato feeling contest