This article is from page 4 of the 2011-06-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
ENNIS’ bid to host the 2012 Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann was formally lodged with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireannn on Friday, with the working group behind the submission confident that the submission to bring the traditional music festival back to Clare after an interval of 35 years will be successful.
Securing the Fleadh for the first time since 1977 would be worth an estimated € 30 million to the county capital – a financial windfall that has seen a coalition of forces emerge behind the Ennis bid.
“We are supremely confident that we would make a great job of hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2012,” the chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil Working Group, Micheál Ó Riabhaigh told The Clare People this week.
“We are also confident that we have made a very strong case to bring the Fleadh to Ennis, the best case that we could have made. Everything that we have done in making the submission was based on the premise that we would have the Fleadh coming to Ennis. That’s not to pre-judge the deliberations of the Ard Comhairle of Comhaltas either,” Mr Ó Raib- haigh added.
The Ennis bid to host the 2012 Fleadh, was launched in April when the local committee that draws together the local branch of Clare Comhaltas, Clare County Council, Clare GAA, Ennis Town Council and Shannon Development met with Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann chiefs.
Ennis is one of three competing towns to host the 2012 Fleadh – the others are Cavan, which in August will host the festival for the second successive year, and Sligo, which last hosted the event in 1991.
The Fleadh proposal has identified 25 venues in Ennis that would facilitate the 2012 event, catering for up to 200,000 music lovers from across the world, with new Clare County Council headquarters on New Road designated as the hub of operations. Ennis previously hosted Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1956 and 1977.
“The big work was identifying suitable venues and getting support from the hoteliers, vintners and local authorities in Clare,” revealed Mr Ó Raibhaigh.
“We are happy that everyone in Clare is very supportive of the application and everything has been done,” he added.