Sheets of rain, that’s the only way to describe the weather when I first met Martin O’Donnell.
With a coffee in hand and a rain jacket to protect him, he arrives at the front door of The Twelve in Barna. “Ready to go?” he asks sceptically.
Internally, I am debating which one of us is going to break first, but I quickly realise this man is a bit hardier than me.
“Will we have a chat in the bar first before we brave the elements?” I suggest.
His face breaks into a smile and the relief is evident on both on our faces.
Seaweed foraging
Our proposed activity of the morning was to conduct our interview while foraging seaweed. 
The conditions aren’t ideal but this doesn’t usually stop Martin.
“It’s all thanks to the dog,” he says. “A few years ago, we got a dog and it was my responsibility to walk him. So now, every day, I head out to the beach to walk the dog and forage seaweed while I am at it.”
The result is the most delicious nori crisps, a crunchy brittle starter alive with Atlantic sea salt and vinegar that sets the food experience off at the West Restaurant at The Twelve to a great start.
“Seaweed is one of the stars on the menu,” says Martin. “I grew up on it, it was a staple in our diet. In the 60s my grandmother used to pick seaweed, dry it and sell it on. American tourists absolutely loved it. Crispy dillisk – they can’t get enough of it.”
Menu development
Being the head chef at The West in The Twelve has allowed Martin the creativity to experiment with this all-important ingredient, and along with other local offerings, he has developed a menu that is impressive yet understated, creative and memorable.
In fact, it was this food writer’s culinary highlight of 2019. The Twelve doesn’t come with the hype and palaver that other high-end restaurants possess.
Of course it is well known, but because it doesn’t have the unnecessary fuss, what is delivered to your table is an unexpected fusion of flavours that continues to surprise and equally impress with every bite.
The aforementioned nori is a crowd-pleasing taster while the Rossaveal crab served with apple and kohlrabi is delicate and thoughtful, the apple adding that all-important sweet crunch while an accompanying Dooncastle oyster elevates the taste sensation.
Cooked beautifully pink, the lamb is perfectly seared on top with the sweetbread adding an extra textural dimension
The main course of Inagh Valley Mountain Spring Lamb served with sweetbread, braised belly, roast artichoke and wild garlic caper is a taste reflection of the area, the artichoke coming from Aonghus Ó Coistealbha’s farm near the Aran islands.
Cooked beautifully pink, the lamb is perfectly seared on top with the sweetbread adding an extra textural dimension. And then the smoked chocolate creamaux is a dessert of beauty. Served with Baileys sorbet, it is decadent and luxurious, but still light enough to leave you nicely satiated and not overly full.
Achill Island lamb loin, lambcetta and crispy sweetbreads with Connemara Garrai Glas artichokes and baby herbs. \ David Ruffles
Gastro success
However, a menu like this didn’t evolve overnight. Martin has been working at The Twelve since it opened its doors 12 years ago.
As there are a few dining options, he has had a hand in developing the culinary offering available to Galway locals and those who travel from further away.
“I started in The Pins Restaurant, which is our gastro pub. I remember when we opened in 2007, we did a tapas menu.
Local hens egg yolk ravioli with Aran Islands Goats' Cheese mousse served with wild chanterelle, autumn truffle and Porcini foam. \ David Ruffles
“We knew within a week – a day even – that this wasn’t going to work. It was too fussy and it wasn’t what the people of Galway wanted. So we went back to basics and redeveloped a menu that was more mindful of our customer’s needs.”
We were one of the first restaurants to do early birds during the recession
However, Martin was always keen to push boundaries. “Our burgers, for example, are made with beef from James McGeough in Oughterard. He is doing some phenomenal work, dry-aging beef in cognac, brandy, whiskey, really trying new things, and that effort comes through in the taste.
“We were one of the first restaurants to do early birds during the recession, but instead of doing a cheap lasagne and chips, we raised the bar, putting items like slow-braised lamb curry on the menu with naan bread and tzatziki. And when it came to sandwiches, we would put seaweed in with the crabmeat to elevate the flavour.
“Our pizzas became so popular that we installed our own wood-burning oven from Napoli and we are the only pizza place in Ireland that has been accepted into the Napolitian Pizza Makers Association.
\ David Ruffles
“These were the things that helped us raise the bar and win gastropub of the year in both Connaught and across Ireland overall. There are a lot of pubs and restaurants copying each other but we’re not into that. We want to be the ones leading the way.”
As a result, The Pins is the kind of pub that is buzzing with local trade and alive with atmosphere. It’s a night out in its own right or if you are opting for fine dining upstairs, it is lively bar to enjoy a drink in afterwards.
While Martin found his feet in casual dining, he says the move upstairs to The West allowed him the time to indulge the creative juices.
“Downstairs, you would be going non-stop from 11am to 11pm. In The West, service doesn’t start until 6pm which meant more time developing menus, foraging for ingredients and building those crucial relationships with suppliers.”
Producer relationships
“I work with a people like Aonghus Ó Coistealbha from An Garraí Glas a few miles out the road. You know they say the soil isn’t great out west, but that man won’t let it stop him.
“He grows artichokes for me, squash, kale, rhubarb, micro herbs. He lays seaweed to help his potatoes grow and the taste is exceptional. Having the time to develop relationships with suppliers like that pays off on the plate.
We also just enjoyed our sloe gin over Christmas, using sloes that I foraged myself
“And then I love getting out to find my own ingredients. We talked about foraging the seaweed but I also have a real rocky beach about 20km away, no sand but it holds some of the best sea truffles.
“We also just enjoyed our sloe gin over Christmas, using sloes that I foraged myself. To take that journey literally from the beach to the plate is fantastic.”
Galway gastronomy
While visitors make their way from across the country to stay in The Twelve and enjoy their dining experience,
it is the locals from areas such as Oughterard, Spiddal, Moycullen and Galway city which ensure the lively ambience in The Twelve all year round. And it’s an exciting year ahead for the people of Galway as they celebrate 2020 as the European Capital of Culture.
“The Galway 2020 committee was set up as a group of like-minded, passionate and committed people. I’m not saying other groups aren’t as passionate but the Galway 2020 group are putting their heart and soul into it and everyone has jumped on board.
Dooncastle Connemara oyster
trout roe, dill oil and oyster cracker served on a salt-baked seashell plate. \ David Ruffles
“It’s not just about the city, it’s a county effort, a focus on the whole area – the Aran islands, the rural areas of Ballinsaloe, Oughterard and I think it’s this togetherness that drove that 2020 bid. It will be an exciting year ahead.”
Sheets of rain, that’s the only way to describe the weather when I first met Martin O’Donnell.
With a coffee in hand and a rain jacket to protect him, he arrives at the front door of The Twelve in Barna. “Ready to go?” he asks sceptically.
Internally, I am debating which one of us is going to break first, but I quickly realise this man is a bit hardier than me.
“Will we have a chat in the bar first before we brave the elements?” I suggest.
His face breaks into a smile and the relief is evident on both on our faces.
Seaweed foraging
Our proposed activity of the morning was to conduct our interview while foraging seaweed.
The conditions aren’t ideal but this doesn’t usually stop Martin.
“It’s all thanks to the dog,” he says. “A few years ago, we got a dog and it was my responsibility to walk him. So now, every day, I head out to the beach to walk the dog and forage seaweed while I am at it.”
The result is the most delicious nori crisps, a crunchy brittle starter alive with Atlantic sea salt and vinegar that sets the food experience off at the West Restaurant at The Twelve to a great start.
“Seaweed is one of the stars on the menu,” says Martin. “I grew up on it, it was a staple in our diet. In the 60s my grandmother used to pick seaweed, dry it and sell it on. American tourists absolutely loved it. Crispy dillisk – they can’t get enough of it.”
Menu development
Being the head chef at The West in The Twelve has allowed Martin the creativity to experiment with this all-important ingredient, and along with other local offerings, he has developed a menu that is impressive yet understated, creative and memorable.
In fact, it was this food writer’s culinary highlight of 2019. The Twelve doesn’t come with the hype and palaver that other high-end restaurants possess.
Of course it is well known, but because it doesn’t have the unnecessary fuss, what is delivered to your table is an unexpected fusion of flavours that continues to surprise and equally impress with every bite.
The aforementioned nori is a crowd-pleasing taster while the Rossaveal crab served with apple and kohlrabi is delicate and thoughtful, the apple adding that all-important sweet crunch while an accompanying Dooncastle oyster elevates the taste sensation.
Cooked beautifully pink, the lamb is perfectly seared on top with the sweetbread adding an extra textural dimension
The main course of Inagh Valley Mountain Spring Lamb served with sweetbread, braised belly, roast artichoke and wild garlic caper is a taste reflection of the area, the artichoke coming from Aonghus Ó Coistealbha’s farm near the Aran islands.
Cooked beautifully pink, the lamb is perfectly seared on top with the sweetbread adding an extra textural dimension. And then the smoked chocolate creamaux is a dessert of beauty. Served with Baileys sorbet, it is decadent and luxurious, but still light enough to leave you nicely satiated and not overly full.
Achill Island lamb loin, lambcetta and crispy sweetbreads with Connemara Garrai Glas artichokes and baby herbs. \ David Ruffles
Gastro success
However, a menu like this didn’t evolve overnight. Martin has been working at The Twelve since it opened its doors 12 years ago.
As there are a few dining options, he has had a hand in developing the culinary offering available to Galway locals and those who travel from further away.
“I started in The Pins Restaurant, which is our gastro pub. I remember when we opened in 2007, we did a tapas menu.
Local hens egg yolk ravioli with Aran Islands Goats' Cheese mousse served with wild chanterelle, autumn truffle and Porcini foam. \ David Ruffles
“We knew within a week – a day even – that this wasn’t going to work. It was too fussy and it wasn’t what the people of Galway wanted. So we went back to basics and redeveloped a menu that was more mindful of our customer’s needs.”
We were one of the first restaurants to do early birds during the recession
However, Martin was always keen to push boundaries. “Our burgers, for example, are made with beef from James McGeough in Oughterard. He is doing some phenomenal work, dry-aging beef in cognac, brandy, whiskey, really trying new things, and that effort comes through in the taste.
“We were one of the first restaurants to do early birds during the recession, but instead of doing a cheap lasagne and chips, we raised the bar, putting items like slow-braised lamb curry on the menu with naan bread and tzatziki. And when it came to sandwiches, we would put seaweed in with the crabmeat to elevate the flavour.
“Our pizzas became so popular that we installed our own wood-burning oven from Napoli and we are the only pizza place in Ireland that has been accepted into the Napolitian Pizza Makers Association.
\ David Ruffles
“These were the things that helped us raise the bar and win gastropub of the year in both Connaught and across Ireland overall. There are a lot of pubs and restaurants copying each other but we’re not into that. We want to be the ones leading the way.”
As a result, The Pins is the kind of pub that is buzzing with local trade and alive with atmosphere. It’s a night out in its own right or if you are opting for fine dining upstairs, it is lively bar to enjoy a drink in afterwards.
While Martin found his feet in casual dining, he says the move upstairs to The West allowed him the time to indulge the creative juices.
“Downstairs, you would be going non-stop from 11am to 11pm. In The West, service doesn’t start until 6pm which meant more time developing menus, foraging for ingredients and building those crucial relationships with suppliers.”
Producer relationships
“I work with a people like Aonghus Ó Coistealbha from An Garraí Glas a few miles out the road. You know they say the soil isn’t great out west, but that man won’t let it stop him.
“He grows artichokes for me, squash, kale, rhubarb, micro herbs. He lays seaweed to help his potatoes grow and the taste is exceptional. Having the time to develop relationships with suppliers like that pays off on the plate.
We also just enjoyed our sloe gin over Christmas, using sloes that I foraged myself
“And then I love getting out to find my own ingredients. We talked about foraging the seaweed but I also have a real rocky beach about 20km away, no sand but it holds some of the best sea truffles.
“We also just enjoyed our sloe gin over Christmas, using sloes that I foraged myself. To take that journey literally from the beach to the plate is fantastic.”
Galway gastronomy
While visitors make their way from across the country to stay in The Twelve and enjoy their dining experience,
it is the locals from areas such as Oughterard, Spiddal, Moycullen and Galway city which ensure the lively ambience in The Twelve all year round. And it’s an exciting year ahead for the people of Galway as they celebrate 2020 as the European Capital of Culture.
“The Galway 2020 committee was set up as a group of like-minded, passionate and committed people. I’m not saying other groups aren’t as passionate but the Galway 2020 group are putting their heart and soul into it and everyone has jumped on board.
Dooncastle Connemara oyster
trout roe, dill oil and oyster cracker served on a salt-baked seashell plate. \ David Ruffles
“It’s not just about the city, it’s a county effort, a focus on the whole area – the Aran islands, the rural areas of Ballinsaloe, Oughterard and I think it’s this togetherness that drove that 2020 bid. It will be an exciting year ahead.”
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