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food-drink · Friday 31 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Celebrity Chef Cookery Demonstration with Neven Maguire
At Enterprise Hub · Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
At Enterprise Hub · Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
Neven Maguire is one of those chefs whose enthusiasm for Irish food is genuinely hard to resist. He trained in Michelin-starred kitchens, built a restaurant and cookery school at MacNean House in Blacklion, Co. Cavan, and has spent years on Irish television making home cooking feel worth the effort. This live demonstration - part of the Castlerea Rose Festival’s week of events - is a chance to watch him work up close, pick up practical techniques, and leave with a head full of ideas for your own kitchen. It suits anyone who enjoys good food, whether they cook regularly or just like watching someone who really knows what they are doing.
The demonstration runs as a live cooking show rather than a classroom session - Neven cooks in front of the audience, explains what he is doing and why, and shares the kind of tips and shortcuts that rarely make it into recipe books. His style leans into modern Irish cooking using local and seasonal produce, so the dishes tend to feel familiar but with a bit more finesse. The venue, the Enterprise Hub in Castlerea - which also houses An Chistin Food Hub, a purpose-built facility for food businesses - gives the evening a working kitchen atmosphere rather than a stage-set feel. Tickets are €20 and have sold out fast in previous years, so booking early is strongly recommended.
Castlerea sits on the N60, roughly 30km east of Castlebar and 40km west of Roscommon town. From Dublin, the M4/N5 brings you to Roscommon town, then it is a straightforward run west on the N60 - allow around two and a half hours. Bus Eireann operates services on the Galway - Roscommon - Castlebar corridor with a stop in Castlerea; check current timetables on the Bus Eireann website before travelling, as evening return times may be limited. The Enterprise Hub is in the town and parking is available nearby. If coming by train, Castlerea has its own station on the Dublin Heuston - Westport/Ballina line, which makes it one of the better-connected small towns in Connacht.
The demonstration falls during the Castlerea Rose Festival, which runs across the full week with live music, family events and community activities throughout the town. It is worth arriving with time to explore before the evening begins. There is more to see in Castlerea and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Enterprise Hub in Castlerea? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Castlerea area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.