Business community must get behind fleadh, says Connaire

It is “vitally important” that the business community in the Mullingar area lends its support to the fleadh organising committee through sponsorship, according to its chairman.

Speaking before the announcement was made on Wednesday that the government had allocated €100,000 towards the running costs of the fleadh, organising committee chairman Joe Connaire said that he hoped that the business community “gets behind” their efforts and provides financial support.

“It's vitally important. We are bringing this event into the local economy to create business and tourism into the future. In conjunction with Westmeath County Council we are looking at the big picture here. I hope they support us in any way, shape or form that they can,” he said.

As part of its fundraising efforts, the committee is set to launch a car draw in the coming weeks. Joe says that the tickets will be keenly priced at €20 for one and three for €50.

Mullingar was scheduled to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2020 and 2021, but both years were cancelled due to the pandemic. After missing out over the past two years, Joe is confident that this year's instalment of the biggest traditional music festival in the world will break previous attendance records.

"Basically, the fleadh family that comes year in, year out, that is their holiday every year. People have missed out for two years.

"Also, the 25 per cent of fleadh visitors that come from overseas they have missed out as well. At all stages we have been in contact with people from North America, Argentina, Japan and all these places. They are saying that they can't wait for the fleadh in Mullingar and that they are all coming. I have no doubt that the fleadh will be bigger than previous years because the restrictions we had to endure over the past two years," he said.

While they will need a large group of volunteers to keep things running smoothly, as well as local households to provide accommodation, he says that the committee has spent the last two years preparing for the event.

" As a committee we have been working from when the fleadh was called off in 2020 right through to now to make sure that we were prepared when we got the green light. We have been planning for the big event and never took our foot off the gas," he said.