This article is from page 18 of the 2006-10-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
CRITICISMS of the promotion of the annual Fleadh Nua festival have been accepted as reasonable.
Donal O’Loingsigh, Fleadh Nua PRO said he accepted comments made last week by John Madden, President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce.
In calling for the establishment of major international cultural festival for Ennis, Mr Madden was also critical of the methods used to promote previous Fleadhanna.
Mr Madden said that the Fleadh would have to play a major role in any proposed venture, but that the event would have to embrace new methods of promotion in order to make it more relevant to modern audiences.
“It requires a new and contemporary vision of how the music and culture is presented. Better organisational and promotional skills are needed to implement a new and enriched programme of events” said the chamber president.
Close to 5,000 people descended on Ennis for this year’s Fleadh Nua, but according to Mr O’Loingsigh, a greater promotional effort is definitely needed and a lack of resources has restricted efforts in recent years.
“In one way, I would agree with what was said, but the question is, if you were to invest more effort in it, where would you stop. At a local level we wouldn’t have a huge budget and neither would we have much personnel. A more vigorous approach is needed. To go beyond local advertising then you would have to go national and that would require a bigger budget. It is reasonable to comment that more could be done”.
In supporting Mr Madden’s proposal for an international festival, Mr O’Loingsigh also called for greater integration between community and promotional groups.
“We were working on a shoestring budget and a small voluntary committee. As I say resources are thin on the ground and both public and private groups would have to come on board. Neither Fáilte Ireland or the Arts Council have supported the Fleadh despite numerous submissions”
He continued; “If Wexford, Cork and Kilkenny can have major festivals then why not Clare”.
Mr Madden had last week deemed it remarkable that a town of the size of Ennis did not have an annual festival of national and international importance.
According to Mr Madden events like the Fleadh Nua, Ennis Trad Festival and Glór and the planned construction of a new GAA stadium, meant Ennis had the infrastructure to stage such and event.