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Festival fever to grip
Inishowen 22.03.07
FLIGHT OF the Earls
commemorations, Buncrana’s Ar Ais Aris Festival, the
Inishowen Summer Gathering and Earagail Arts
Festival are just some of cultural events people can
look forward to in Donegal this year.
They are among 600 festivals throughout Ireland this
year that are expected to attract more than seven
million people.
Lifford-born chief executive of Failte Ireland,
Shaun Quinn said: “Festivals and events are a very
important part of the tourism product. They are an
integral part of the Irish tourism offering while,
at the same time, affording an opportunity for local
people to enjoy the benefits. |
“The variety and array
of events which are interspersed into every corner
of Ireland give the visitor an opportunity to visit
both the urban and rural regions throughout all of
Ireland.”
Mr. Quinn made his remarks at the recent launch of
the State tourism authority’s ‘Ireland’s Festivals
and Events Calendar 2007’. |
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“Irish festivals also
promote Ireland as a tourist destination worldwide
with 30% of festivals receiving international media
coverage. On average, one-third of festival
audiences book into local accommodation staying for
at least one night. The indirect economic impact of
visitor’s spend at many of these festivals on other
sectors of the economy can be quite significant with
the National St Patrick’s Festival generating nearly
€60m and the Galway Arts Festival generating a spend
of over €20m in Galway every July,” added Mr. Quinn.
Another eagerly awaited event is the World Rally
Championship that is taking place in Ireland for the
first time and will include stages in the North West
during November. It expected to attract over 200,000
people and will be broadcast to over 800 million
homes around the world.
This year is also the 400th anniversary of the
Flight of the Earls and throughout the year a number
of festivals and events will take place in the North
West to celebrate one of the most significant
episodes and periods in Irish history. |
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