Festival failure in Killarney

Westport watches as Killarney Festival of Music and Food is cancelled


Áine Ryan

IT’S just a year since the music died on Westport Festival of Music and Food which over the last weekend of June 2012, 2013 and 2014, transformed the rolling lawns of Westport House into a carnival of chic, colourful and cool riffs and vibes. For another historic house situated in Kerry’s national park, Killarney House and Demesne, the music never even got to the sound-check stage as promoter, Daryl Downey’s relocated festival unravelled over last week.
Indeed, earlier in the month the festival became the subject of a DΡil question when Fianna FΡil Deputy Dara Calleary asked Minister for the Arts, Heather Humphreys, if Downey was paying for the use of the national park, if he had paid the fee and provided a valid tax clearance certificate. Humphreys confirmed that negotiations regarding the fee were at an advanced stage and that her department had agreed to facilitate the festival subject to fulfillment of all the usual regulations and conditions.  
In the aftermath of last year’s Westport festival, Downey’s spokeswoman, Nicola Watkins told The Mayo News: “We don’t feel we could have depended on the locals if it rained and that leaves us exposed and this could be too big a risk to run again.”
 
Poor ticket sales
REPORTEDLY, the Westport event attracted 15,000 people last year and Downey hoped to attract 36,000 to the Kerry venue this year. However, despite a line-up of more than 70 acts that included Duran Duran, Texas, The Proclaimers, Walking on Cars, Burt Bacharach and The Undertones,  poor ticket sales left him fire-fighting as late as this time last week. On Tuesday last an announcement was made that he was moving to the smaller venue of Killarney Racecourse, which could cater for a significantly smaller number of just 6,000 people.
By Wednesday evening a new statement ‘regretfully announced’ that due to ‘unforeseen circumstances beyond our control’, the festival would not go ahead at all.
A spokeswomen said: “We are devastated that the festival has been cancelled – we did everything in our power to make it happen this weekend.”
“We would like to extend our sincere apologies to all the festival goers who were planning to attend the event in Killarney and we would like to thank all the local businesses and statutory agencies for their help and support,” she continued.
Those seeking refunds were advised to contact Ticketmaster, which confirmed reimbursement, as did Irish Rail and many accommodation providers.  

‘Mini Electric picnic’
DUBBED as a ‘grown-up festival for music fans who treasure their record collection’,  one reveller at last year’s Westport festival likened it to ‘a mini-Electric Picnic with access to a town’. After a closure of 60 years, the Church Lane gateway to Westport House facilitated this sense of proximity to the town centre when they were reopened just before the inaugural festival in June 2012.
Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, Sheelyn Browne, the joint Managing Director of Westport House, said:  “We were sorry to hear that the Killarney Festival had been cancelled and our sympathies are with everyone involved.  We are aware of the hard work, money and risk that goes into making a successful festival happen. Darryl Downey took a big chance on Westport and he delivered three  fantastic years of the Westport Festival. In doing so, he has helped set up Westport House as the premier outdoor event venue in the West.
“We are in regular talks with promoters and event organisers about bringing a range of events to Westport House. And we’re delighted that this summer won’t pass without a big gig on the front lawn of Westport House.  So if you haven’t yet got your tickets for the Hooley at the House, get them quick and make sure you join us on August 30.”
With a more country flavour, The Hooley at the House, has a star-studded line-up that includes Nathan Carter, Mike Denver Jnr, Jimmy Buckley, The Willoughby Brothers, The Benn Sisters and many more. Early Bird tickets are still on sale at Westport House and other venues throughout the county.