![Fish and Chips (photo by Benreis CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons)](https://2paragraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Fried_Cod_and_chips_-620x374.jpg)
If you happen to find yourself in Ireland on Wednesday, be sure to drop into one of the country’s many chip-shops because May 25th is National Fish & Chips Day. Run by the Irish Traditional Italian Chippers Association (ITICA), the day is a celebration of the long history of the traditional Italian chip-shop in Ireland. In the 1880s Italians began settling in Ireland; many set up businesses selling fried fish. Many of these immigrants were from villages in Val Di Comino in Southern Italy, and their family names continue and are instantly recognizable in cities and towns across Ireland where getting takeout from the local Italian chipper is as much a tradition as visiting the pub.
“We look forward to ITICA National Fish & Chips Day every year,” said Peter Borza, chairman of the ITICA. “It’s a hectic but fun-filled day that gives us the opportunity to celebrate over 130 years of the ‘one and one’ and most importantly to thank our local communities for their ongoing support.”
