Possible €30m Fleadh windfall for Ennis

Clare could be tuning up to a €30 million windfall in 2012 if a new public community partnership succeeds in landing the return of the biggest competitive music festival to the Banner County.
Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council have joined forces with the local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóírí Eireann to get Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann back to Ennis in two years’ time.
According to Frank Whelan, cathaoirleach of Cois na hAbhna in Ennis, it is expected that Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann will be held in Cavan again next year.
“The last time Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann was in Ennis was 1977. Of course people always remember the 1956 Fleadh in Ennis too, which will be famous forever because of Robbie McMahon’s song The Fleadh down in Ennis,” Mr Whelan said.
He remarked that there is something special about a Fleadh in Ennis. “Because there is such a strong local tradition of music in Ennis and the whole county, the Fleadh really fits in very well here. The 1977 Fleadh was used as a template for others for many years, such was its success,” he added.
County manager Tom Coughlan told a council meeting on Monday that a number of meetings had been held involving Mayor of Clare Councillor Christy Curtin and Mayor of Ennis Tommy Brennan, which resulted in the establishment of a new steering group.
He stressed the need for the two local authorities to drive the project, in association with the local branch of CCE and felt that Clare would be an ideal county to stage this event.
He told councillors he had been in contact with council officials in Cavan and Offaly County Councils to learn from their most recent successful bids.
He noted there are plans to link in the national fleadh to several traditional music festivals that take place in the county to brand Clare a “county of culture”.
The need for the council to co-ordinate with Clare Comhaltas to help Ennis acquire the All-Ireland Fleadh in 2012 was highlighted in a joint motion tabled by Councillor Tommy Brennan and Pat Daly.
Councillor Brennan stressed that Ennis would be an ideal location to host the event with great venues such as Glór and Cois na nAbhna. He added it would also generate a great tourism spin-off for the whole county.
Seconding the motion, Councillor Gabrial Keating recalled the county town had benefited from staging the national Féile na nGael competition recently and he anticipated a similar tourism spin-off from this event.
Having attended a number of fleadhs in successive years, Councillor Joe Arkins pointed out Ennis had a number of advantages of over locations because it was very compact allowing people the luxury of walking to different venues.
Estimating a €30 million spin-off for the local economy, the Ruan Councillor noted that it would also put Ennis on the world stage considering six or seven documentaries were normally shot during the festival.
Councillor Pat Daly said it could be promoted in conjunction with other music festivals such as Willie Clancy week in Miltown Malbay and music in Doolin.