Mayo festivals will be no more when 'the last of the ejits are gone'

A MAYO councillor has called for festival committees and local groups to be given help to deal with insurance and other administration work or else there will be none in the future.

Members of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District expressed concern that the red tape and paperwork which comes to organising festivals and events were becoming too much for voluntary committees in small communities.

Erris-based councillor Gerry Coyle who is involved in the Geesala Festival which takes place in August told the meeting that 'when the last of the ejits are gone there will be no festivals'.

“It is getting harder and harder,” the Fine Gael councillor told the meeting.

“I have said it before that when the last of the ejits are gone there will be no festivals because there is no one who wants to spend half the year dealing with insurance and permits. It's a professional enterprise that is needed to run any festival...there are not too many willing to put their name down now. I see it in the football and boxing clubs and all voluntary organisations,” he said.

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Cllr Coyle added that unless young people are willing to take over from the older generation it will be difficult for these groups to carry on and called for the local authority or other community groups to make people available to help them.

“We have to look at getting a person to go out and help these individuals. They are volunteers. Unless we do something to help the volunteers because without them we are finished and won't have a leg to stand on.

“The volunteers are getting scarce on the ground...the amount of jumps we have to go through…it will soon be out of the reach of the volunteers,” he said.

His comments were supported by his fellow councillors who pointed out that it was the same people who had to do the work.

“But for volunteers giving their time there wouldn't be many events or charities in this country because it takes hours and hours of dedication. I hope they get some reward for it if not in this world but the next,” said Independent councillor John O'Malley.

Louisburgh-based councillor Chris Maxwell pointed out that the pony races in Connemara were cancelled because of paperwork and the Carrowiskey Races have to wait for a permit from Mayo County Council before they will know if it will go ahead in August.

“Things are getting so complicated and nobody will bother with these things anymore if we don't speed these things up,” he said.