Alcohol sponsorship ban would hit Galway Races and Arts Festival

The city’s two flagship festivals, that attract tens of thousands of visitors to Galway annually, have warned they face massive funding shortfalls if new alcohol sponsorship laws are implemented.

The drinks lobby has also cautioned that new measures in the Public Health Alcohol Bill pose a “huge risk” to the Galway Races and Galway Arts Festival and other popular festivals and cultural events.

These fears are echoed by the heads of the two major events, which are the tourist industry’s main economic driver every summer.

General Manager of Galway Races, Michael Moloney, said the consequences of the new bill would be “hugely damaging” to the summer racing festival at Ballybrit.

Paul Fahy, Artistic Director of the Arts Festival, said banning alcohol sponsorship would be a “huge loss” to the country’s annual cultutal highlight that celebrates its 40th year this July.

Guinness sponsors the entire cards on Thursday (Ladies Day) and Friday of the Galway Races, including a prize fund of €300,000 for the prestigious steeplechase, the Guinness Galway Hurdle. Hotels, and bars also sponsor other races during the weeklong meet.

Absolut vodka, meanwhile, is the main sponsor of the Big Top tent at the Arts Festival, which hosts The Coronas, Gavin James, Brian Wilson and Jenny Greene and the RTÉ Orchestra this July.

The new bill proposes minimum unit pricing to curb consumption. It also proposes restrictions on advertising, which are causing concern to organisers of events reliant on alcohol funding.

The fears were voiced just days after members of the HSE West Regional Health Forum supported a motion proposed by Labour Party City Councillor Niall McNelis to ensure the passage of the bill by Government as a matter of urgency.

General Manager of Galway Races, Michael Moloney, said the consequences of the new bill would be “hugely damaging” to the summer racing festival at Ballybrit. If enacted, the bill would leave a “gaping hole” in the funding structure of the races and other festivals, he warned.

In a statement, Mr Moloney said: “The proposals contained in this Bill will, I believe, have hugely damaging unintended consequences for the Galway Races in addition to other festivals and commercial events. Longstanding supporters and partnerships are integral to our continued success.

“Major festivals such as the Galway Races have a huge economic impact on the locality and the advertising provisions contained in the bill will leave a gaping hole in the funding structure and subsequently create real concern and uncertainty.”

Paul Fahy, Artistic Director of the Arts Festival, echoed these sentiments, and said the loss of the festival’s drinks partner, Absolut, who are “very, very supportive” would be “serious”.

Mr Fahy said it is difficult enough to acquire sponsors and to retain them, and ruling them out through this bill would represent a “huge loss” to the festival.

“I don’t know the exact figure of how much of the €8.5 million in alcohol sponsorship goes on arts and culture, and how much is for sport, but in the context of the Arts Council’s annual budget of €60 million, to lose sponsorship would be very significant,” he said.

The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland (ABFI) said the bill to restrict advertising will effectively ban sponsorship and pose a huge risk festivals and events including the Galway Races.

It will also undermine Government support for the creative industries and the role of the arts which support economic growth and balanced regional development.

“The Galway Races is one of the country’s flagship summer festivals attracting almost 140,000 visitors during race week. The drinks industry provides almost €8.5 million in sponsorship to over 50 arts, sporting and cultural events around the country which is essential to their viability and sustainability.

“These events showcase some of Ireland’s finest sporting and cultural contributions and have multiple economic dividends including job creation, tourism, regional development in addition to enhancing Ireland’s reputation abroad.

“The measures proposed will effectively ban sponsorship opportunities through a variety of advertising restrictions for the cultural sector in Ireland, which will threaten the Galway Races and Puck Fair amongst other cultural events,” said Patricia Callan, Director of ABFI.

She said the advertising provisions of the Bill will decrease the volume and value of sponsorship partnerships for drinks companies and will restrict the ability of drinks companies to activate sponsorship campaigns through advertising by making sponsorship “practically valueless” to the sponsor.

The severity of the content restrictions means that that images of conviviality – such as a scene in an Irish pub – images of a person consuming alcohol or indeed images of people will be banned, she said.

Ms Callan added: “It’s hard to fathom but it will mean the banning of the iconic Guinness Christmas advert. The hugely restrictive nature of the Bill will make activating any cultural and sporting sponsorships extremely difficult and potentially impossible and present a real threat to Galway.

“A much more workable solution is to place the existing codes on a statutory footing, with significant penalties for breaches. This could be implemented within a much shorter short timeframe with a regulatory authority already in place to police the system.”

Cllr McNelis received unanimous support for his motion in favour of the bill at the latest health forum meeting.