Ballina capable of hosting Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann despite €2 million price tag, meeting hears

THE chairmen of two recent All-Ireland Fleadhs have said Ballina is capable of hosting the nationally-renowned Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Joe Connaire, Chairman of Mullingar Fleadh, and Bartley Gavin, Sligo Fleadh Chairman, told The Mayo News that Ballina has the capacity to host the event.

This comes despite the event costing potentially up to €2 million to run, according to a  meeting between various stakeholders seeking to bring the festival to the North Mayo town in 2018

Ballina previously hosted Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1997 and 1998, which drew an estimated 150,000 people. The nine-day festival also generated an estimated €50 million for the town over the two years.

Today, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann attracts 500,000 visitors each year – up to 25 percent from abroad - and is worth an estimated €60 million to local economies.

Bunniconlon-based county councillor John O’Hara has tabled a motion before Mayo County Council calling on the local authority to lend their support to the town’s bid to host the festival.

Speaking to The Mayo News at the recent meeting in Ballina Municipal District’s civic offices, Joe Connaire said that ‘the west of Ireland could benefit from hugely from Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann’.

“You talk about the size of Ballina. I went around it all today, looked at venues, looked at the streets, the capacities, I feel that there has been towns that has hosted the Fleadh with similar size to this town. I cannot see it as a problem,” Mr Connaire said.

“You’re decent enough with your streets, your venues. You’d probably need a few more [venues] but you can work on that in the future.

“They’ve had festivals here in the past that have worked very well. This will build on that,” he added.

“Basically, President Joe Biden was here putting Ballina on the map, this will double that. It’s a huge event. The biggest event that could come to your town.”

According to the criteria for hosting the event, Ballina will require an outdoor venue suitable for hundreds of attendees. This may require the instillation of a temporary outdoor stage at an appropriate location in the town.

Sixteen indoor venues and 20 outdoor locations have been identified as potential venues to host the various competitions and events at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

These include four 750-capacity venues, St Muredach’s Cathedral (700 capacity) and six 500-capacity venues; Ballina Manor Hotel, Scoil Padraig, Old Convent Hall, Ballina Stephenites GAA Club, Culleens NS and the Twin Trees Hotel ballroom.

Mr Connaire estimated that the costs – currently estimated at between €1.7 million and €2 million – could be met through fundraising, government departments and Mayo County Council.

This year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is being hosted in Wexford town and is estimated to cost up to €2 million.

“The security in Mullingar cost €230,000. The barriers cost €120,000, portaloos cost €120,000. Stage hire, sound, lighting hire are in the region of €120,000,” he said.

“You have miscellaneous, you have diesel hire, generator hire, you have signage, you have branding, PR, marketing, event control. You add all them together you, don’t be long getting that €1.5 €1.6 million.”

Bartley Gavin, Sligo Fleadh Chairman, said the benefits to the Fleadh are ‘entirely positive’.

Mr Gavin said that a team of over 20 people would be required to organise the event should Ballina be successful in its application.

“Traditional music has a very big following internationally. When you have the fleadh in your town it gives you an enormous opportunity to market the fleadh. That’s not lost on people like Fáilte Ireland, that’s why Fáilte Ireland will put money into it year in year because they see the benefit in terms of marketing the town,” Mr Gavin told The Mayo News.

Eamon Walsh, PRO of the Connacht Fleadh – which was hosted in Ballina in 2023 – said he was ‘very encouraged’ by the recent meeting in Ballina.

Mr Walsh told The Mayo News that the fleadh would also provide a substantial ‘cultural boost’ to the area.

“We got thousands of people taking up Irish music because they were exposed to it for nine days. That was a big thing,” he said.

The raising of rates on businesses to fund the cost of the Fleadh has been dismissed by local county councillors and Ballina Chamber of Commerce CEO, Mags Downey-Martin.

A progress meeting on Ballina’s bid for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is to take place in the coming months.