Fleadh Cheoil would be worth €50m to local economy

The head of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann has said he would welcome an application to host a future Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Galway City, which has never launched a bid despite being worth at least €50 million to the local economy.

Sligo will hold its second all-Ireland festival from August 9 for a week with at least 350,000 visitors tipped to return to the North East town for the jamboree of music, song and dance. Next year it will return to Ennis after the Clare town narrowly beat Sligo and its provincial running mate Cork City.

In 2013 the lucrative cultural extravaganza went north for the first time to Derry City, which staged the biggest event ever held in Comhaltas’ history when 430,000 attended.

There is no reason why Galway City should not be in the running for holding such a showcase, insists Labhrás Ó Murchú,director-general of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

“Galway City is a wonderful place, it’s such a vibrant city in so many ways because of the language and being so close to the Connemara Gaeltacht and it’s so compact – that’s why Derry was so successful, everything was near together,” he exclaimed.

“Personally, I spent my younger days in the Connemara Gaeltacht and we used to come into Galway City. I’ve often thought, gosh, wouldn’t this be a great location for the Fleadh Cheoil.

“The fact that Galway is well used to holding big events like the Galway Races is another brownie point for Galway that it could well handle large crowds. The main criteria is a place has to be big enough to have the services but small enough to have an atmosphere.”

A local branch of Comhaltas has to express an interest in staging it and a proposal is considered by the provincial council. Each provincial province nominates a location which is then voted on by the Ard Comhairle (or executive council), which has 31 members from Ireland, Britain and Australia.

An application generally is a joint partnership involving the local authority, chamber of commerce and organisations such as the GAA.

Local authorities play a major role. The chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil in Cavan was Jack Keyes, a county manager, while in Sligo the chairman was Bartley Gavin, a director of housing and corporate services in the council.

While the event costs upwards of €900,000 to stage, much of the budget is financed by corporate sponsorship with assistance from Fáilte Ireland.

Asked if there was any downside in hosting the event, the Fianna Fáil Senator was unequivocal.

“Oh gosh, no. This year there were five venues trying for 2016, two of them didn’t get past the province. There’s always a queue, Sligo were prepared to do a third year – the benefits are huge.”

A spokesman from Galway City Council said an approach had been made by the Galway Comhaltas branch and it is under consideration as part of a whole gambit of events which may help the city’s bid to become 2020 European City of Culture.

“It’s a big deal. The local comhaltas did take part in the parade this year. We’re not against it but it’s the sort of thing that needs to be driven by various groups, not just the council but we are considering it,” he said.