The Listowel Food Fair is set to host its 31st staging of the forthcoming festival in the North Kerry town of Listowel, famed for its literary geniuses, food production and culinary delights. An exciting full festival programme of events for all ages and appetites starts on Thursday 5th November and runs until Monday 9th November 2026.
The Listowel Food Fair is delighted to announce, ‘Blood, Guts and Black Pudding –Ireland’s Dying Art of Blood as Food’ by Kate Ryan to be the recipient of the ‘2026 Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year’.
Speaking on behalf of the Listowel Food Fair Jimmy Deenihan said:
“In 2008 the Listowel Food Fair Committee decided to launch a Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year Award to mark the historic connection between Food & Literature in North Kerry. As the years have gone on, this award has evolved to become a much sought after and prestigious nationally recognised award among food writers across the country.
Cornucopia the now renowned Dublin Restaurant won the inaugural award for its colourful cookbook ‘Cornucopia at Home’. Food influencer & bestselling author Sophie Morris won the 2012 Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year Award with her book – ‘Sophie Kooks: Quick & Early Feelgood Food’.
Almost all of the most successful food writers in Ireland have received the Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year Award over the years. This year I am delighted that Kate Ryan is the recipient of the 2026 Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year Award for her book ‘Blood, Guts and Black Pudding – Ireland’s Dying Art of Blood as Food.’ Kate’s book is based on Ireland’s dying art of blood and food which is a longstanding North Kerry tradition and will resonate with the older population in particular.
On behalf of the Listowel Food Fair, I would like to congratulate Kate Ryan, and we look forward to welcoming her to the forthcoming 2026 Listowel Food Fair.”
Speaking about the adjudication process and the winner Jeremy Murphy of JM Agency Book Publishing said:
“In selecting our ‘2026 Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year’, our adjudication is guided by three core criteria: excellence in food writing and storytelling; depth, substance and a sense of purpose; and the connections between food, culture and community. Together, they reflect the spirit of the award, which has evolved over the years to celebrate not simply the best new food books, but works that make a lasting contribution to our understanding and appreciation of food. Kate Ryan’s ‘Blood, Guts and Black Pudding’ excels across all three criteria.
We were particularly impressed by Kate’s research and her ability to bring a fascinating, but often overlooked, aspect of Ireland’s food heritage to life in such an engaging and accessible way. The book goes beyond the history of black pudding to explore the traditions, knowledge and craftsmanship that connect food with our cultural identity, and what we risk losing when those traditions disappear. Kate is a richly deserving winner, and we are delighted to recognise her achievement.”
Speaking on the announcement of ‘Blood, Guts and Black Pudding’ as the 2026 Listowel Fair Food Book of the Year, Author Kate Ryan said:
“I am so honoured to be named the recipient of the Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year award, 2026, for Blood, Guts & Black Pudding – Ireland’s Dying Art of Blood as Food. To be included in the roll call of past winners of this award, from Darina Allen and Ross Lewis to Mark Moriarty, is a wonderful accolade.
My book is not a book of recipes, of course, but rather a celebration of one of Ireland’s oldest foods and foodways in utilising the blood of animals to make an ordinary, yet also extraordinary, food. It was always my hope with this book to rekindle a love so many people have of black and other blood puddings of Ireland, one that stokes precious memories of people, community, gathering and sharing around food.
I also wanted to restate the important role of women in the Irish food story; their resourcefulness, industry, and tradition of recipe that is fundamental to our shared heritage of black pudding making. I am so pleased the judges have recognised the importance of a book like this to Ireland’s food identity and deem it worthy of such a prestigious award. Thank You!”
The Listowel Food Fair Food Book of the Year Award was first established in 2008 to recognize excellence in traditional food literature, highlighting the town’s rich literary and culinary heritage. The inaugural award ‘Cornucopia at Home’ was won in 2008 by Eleanor Heffernan, Orla Keeshan, and Orlagh Murphy. Previous winners also include Mark Moriarty – ‘Season’ in 2024 and ‘Flavour: Everyday Food Made Exceptional’ in 2023, Maura O’Connell Foley – ‘My Wild Atlantic Kitchen: Recipes and Recollections’ in 2020.Ross Lewis (Chapter One restaurant) – Chapter One: An Irish Food Story in 2013 and Martin Shanahan and Sally McKenna – From Tide to Table in 2009.
With something for all ages and appetites, festival highlights this year include an opening night of live theatre performance at St. John’s Theatre called ‘Bumbled’ on Thursday 5th November 2026 at St. John’s Theatre, Listowel. The popular Listowel Food Trail, and a Harvest Afternoon Tea at the Kerry Writers Museum.
One of the festival’s highlights this year is a Positive Ageing Seminar – In Association with Listowel Credit Union on Friday 6th November at 7pm at Listowel Community Centre. Guest speakers include Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Older People Kieran O’Donnell TD and Dr. Niall Moyna, Professor of Clinic Exercise and Physiology, DCU. There will also be an Autism Seminar with Dr. Susan Crawford at Listowel Community Centre on Saturday 7th November 2026 at 11am.
Cooking Demonstrations with Celebrity Chef Rory O’Connell and Award Winning Kerry Chef TJ O’Connor, an evening of Gourmet Food & Fashion with Marietta Doran and Paul Galvin, the popular Food & Craft Hall and a Live Jazz Sunday Lunch at the Listowel Arms Hotel.
The Farming Seminar will deliver a series of guest speakers including the Minister of State for the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine Niall Collins TD and Pat Murphy, CEO Kinisla, Title Sponsors of the festival. Presentation of the ‘Best Factory Heifer Award’ also takes place in association with Listowel Livestock Mart, Kinisla, FBD Insurance plc and Buckley Agri.
The 2026 Listowel Food Fair is supported by Kinisla, Fáilte Ireland, Kerry County Council, Kerry Local Enterprise Office, FBD Insurance plc, Garvey’s SuperValu, John J Galvin & Son Ltd, Listowel Credit Union, Media365, Buckley Agri and Tipperary Crystal.
FBD Insurance plc is the Preferred Insurance Partner of the 2026 Listowel Food Fair.
Information on the 2026 Listowel Food Fair is available at www.listowelfoodfair.ie.
Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ie