Faces of Galway 57/100
Meet Cathal from Oranmore.
When I heard of Cathal and his blog A glass of red wine I assumed he would be a sommelier. Looking at his blog for the first time I noticed the tag line "Good food, Good wine, Good company. " so I started to think there was more to this guy. When I met him he was instantly approachable and fun. Cathal works full time as a secondary school teacher, in the school he attended as a teenager. It was also the same school where he did his teacher training. As a teenager Cathal loved cooking. He toyed with the idea of studying Culinary Arts but instead decided to go to GMIT, to study Business Practice and Theology Studies. As he says himself theology was a challenging and enjoyable juxtaposition to the matter of fact business modules. Cathal loves teaching but decided to start his blog as a way to express his other loves; cooking and writing.
The name of the blog is based on his obvious love of red wine but also it's a play on his red hair. This blog allows us a little insight into Cathal's world. When I discussed his tag with him I expected Cathal to say his best dining experience involves Michelin stars and bottles of wine with too many zeros in the price tag. While he enjoys fine dining experiences Cathal believes the most generous gesture you can ever offer someone is a seat around your table. Good food is food you have prepared using influences from countries and cultures throughout the world. Good wine is whatever you like best. There can be a snobbery and inaccessible language used around wine that Cathal doesn't engage in. He doesn't have one favourite and doesn't drink the same wine all of the time. He says you won't eat the same food all the time so why drink the same wine. At the moment a full bodied Malbec might appear on his dinner table. The good company; family and friends.
Cathal is a down to earth guy who is very grounded in Galway, both physically and emotionally. His job keeps him here, and the vibrancy of the culture and people of Galway inspires him daily. Keep up to date with Cathal's latest inspiration by following his blog here.