Four County Roscommon festivals were among 218 festivals nationwide to receive funding today under the Second phase of the Fáilte Ireland 2016 Festivals and Events Programme.
The 9th FIPS World Championships Boat Angling, which is taking place on Lough Ree at Ballyleague and Lanesboro is set to receive €8,000. Boyle Arts Festival is in line for €3,000, while the O’Carolan Harp Festival in Keadue has been granted €2,500 and the Percy French Festival in Strokestown has been granted €2,000.
Announcing the grants, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD explained the significance of such funding for tourism: “The funding announced today will allow counties across the country to broaden their appeal to overseas visitors and attract visitors who are actively seeking to fully experience Ireland in all its aspects – from culture and sport, to festivals and fun.”
“Festivals and events are the life-blood of tourism and mobilise many visitors to choose to come to Ireland in the first instance. With this funding, we can provide the magnets for tourism activity – throughout the country and throughout the year – which will sustain jobs and generate revenue for many rural communities.”
As well as attracting visitors, festivals are important in terms of generating employment and community engagement. The objective of Fáilte Ireland’s 2016 National Festivals Programme is to drive growth from key overseas markets through compelling experiences that are attractive to our target audiences and to generate additional overseas visitors across the country and across the calendar year.
Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland, stressed the importance of festivals for Ireland and the tourism sector: “While recent tourism performance from overseas markets has been encouraging, we are determined to build on this momentum to drive and sustain economic growth. Ensuring that Ireland is offering compelling reasons for overseas visitors to choose Ireland, our festivals calendar plays an important role in ensuring that we have a varied and attractive menu of things to see and do for tourists. These festivals, both national and regional, that we are supporting today will provide the backbone to this year’s tourism event calendar and add to our ability to grow overseas visitors and revenue.”