This article is from page 13 of the 2014-03-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
CLARE’S bid to bring Fleadh Ceoil na hÉireann to Ennis has been thwarted once again, with the county missing out on the 2015 event at the selection elections over the weekend.
The Ennis bid was pipped by Sligo – who also beat off Ennis to secure the 2014 Fleadh – with Drogeda finishing third in the vote.
This latest set back come in the wake of the decision to back away from the Ennis bid to host the 2013 Fleadh. This decision was made in order to allow Derry to host the Fleadh Ceoil in the same year that it was European City of Culture. This was also the first time that the competition was ever hosted outside of the Republic of Ireland.
The Fleadh is the single largest music event to take place in Ireland each year and is worth tens of millions to the local economy.
Michael Ó Riabhaigh of Clare Comhaltas said that he was disappointed with the result but hopeful that this precedent meant that Ennis will secure the Fleadh for consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.
“We are very disappointed but it was always going to be a big ask this year. Normally towns will get it for two years. The first is usually a struggle and they reap the benefits of in the second year,” he said.
“It was always going to be difficult to unseat Sligo this year, so we are very hopeful for next year. We feel that Sligo will be out of the equation for next year. I’m not saying that it will be an easy task for next year but if we do get it I feel that we will retain it for 2017 as well.”
The votes between Ennis and Sligo was closer than expected with a second count being needed to separate the two towns, once Drogeda was eliminated.