Dublin’s St Patrick’s festival is get the lion’s share of €1.6m in Irish festival funding announced today by Fáilte Ireland.
It announced that the 2017 Dublin event would be receiving €1m, with the remainder split between 15 national festivals and events. The funding is the first phase of its 2017 National Festivals and Events Programme.
Fáilte Ireland will be announcing another phase of funding early next year, mainly aimed at festivals taking place later in 2017. Caeman Wall, head of research and evaluation with Fáilte Ireland, said: “Large festivals drive tourism activity and are vital to sustaining tourism growth by providing enough compelling reasons for overseas visitors to choose Ireland. Festivals play an important role in guaranteeing that we have a full menu of things for tourists to see and do and provide the backbone to the tourism calendar. Significantly, they also help to bring to life our key brands – Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin, A Breath of fresh Air.”
The 16 approved festivals being funded by Fáilte Ireland are:
- St Patrick’s festival Dublin – €1,000,000
- Tradfest Dublin – €60,000
- Dublin International Film Festival – €10,000
- Dublin Dance Festival – €10,000
- Cork Intl Choral Festival – €60,000
- Tattersalls Horse Trials & Country Fair – €12,500
- Galway International Arts Festival – €275,000
- Donegal Rally – €15,000
- Listowel Writers Week – €25,000
- Sea Sessions – €20,000
- Earagail Arts Festival – €45,000
- West Cork Music & Literary Festival – €60,000
- Rory Gallagher Festival – €40,000
- Cúirt – €12,000
- Quest Adventure Races – €15,000
- Ireland Bike Fest Killarney – €15,000
