New Global Irish Festival Series to Celebrate Diaspora
Press release
21 August 2018
New Global Irish Festival Series to Celebrate Diaspora
Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciaran Cannon, today announced the launch of the new Global Irish Festival Series, a joint initiative between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Fáilte Ireland, which aims to encourage our diaspora to return home to visit Ireland.
Announcing the Global Irish Festival Series, Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciaran Cannon, said:
“I am delighted to announce the new Global Irish Festival Series. This initiative will enable local communities to further build upon diaspora networks, deepen connections around the world and encourage those abroad to return home. Engaging with the diaspora through new channels, we are able to re-affirm the value of our global Irish diaspora and re connect them to the county of their heritage.”
The new festival series provides funding and support to local and community event organisers which tap into international diaspora networks. The Global Irish Festival Series will be piloted along the Wild Atlantic Way in Limerick and Donegal this October, with €210,000 in funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade granted for the four festivals and events in these areas.
Commenting on the new festival series and its potential to grow tourism in the regions outside of high season, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, said:
“The Global Irish Festival Series will attract overseas visitors and support local communities and we look forward to welcoming our diaspora home to enjoy these great festivals and events this autumn.”
Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Festivals, Ciara Sugrue, said:
“The Global Irish Festival Series is a very exciting initiative and we are delighted to work with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to motivate diaspora to reconnect by visiting their home county. The festivals and events supported through the series will help drive tourism to specific locations, including regional areas outside of current hotspots, creating new economic benefits for local communities. As these events take place in the ‘shoulder seasons’ each side of summer, they will also help tourism operators to trade for longer.”
The Global Irish Festival Series is also being launched in the US this September at the Consul General of Ireland in New York in conjunction with Tourism Ireland.
To find out more about the Global Irish Festival Series, see www.wildatlanticway.com/globalirish.
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ENDS
Press Office
21 August 2018
Note for editor
- In Limerick, the Global Irish Festival Series is supporting I.NY which runs from 7th to 14th October, exploring the deep connection between Ireland and New York City and the Richard Harris International Film Festival which takes place from 25th to 29th October, marking the life and works of Limerick’s most famous actor.
- In Donegal, the initiative is supporting a Genealogy and Traditional Music Weekend which runs from 20th to 21st October, remembering our ancestors who travelled to Scotland to work in the twentieth century and an Inter-generational Sporting Weekend which takes place from 27th to 28th October, celebrating Donegal’s connection with football.
- Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, was established in 2003 to guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish economy.
- The tourism and hospitality industry employs an estimated 240,000 people and generates an estimated €7.2 billion in total tourism revenue a year.
- For further information please contact:
Lucy Cefai, Communications Officer, Fáilte Ireland Lucy.cefai@failteireland.ie | + 353 1 884 7105 | M: +353 86 460 7845
James Rowan, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, james.rowan@dfa.ie | +353 1 408 2148
