EDITORIAL: Tipperary’s summer of dancing in the rain

While you may not be able to say much about the weather this summer, you can’t fault the spirit of festival-goers around the Premier County.

This week gone, we saw the North Tipperary Agricultural Show in Nenagh and Hoolie in the Hills in Upperchurch.

Before that, we had the Liberty Music Festival, also in Thurles, Cutloose in Holycross, The West’s Awake in Clonoulty Rossmore,

When We Meet Next, Clonmel and more not listed but certainly not forgotten.

Visitors from all around Ireland, the UK and further afield have visited Tipperary, and we have not been found wanting for events. New amenities like the Fethard Town Park opened. Ballingarry had its inaugural fundraising vehicle run, and that’s before we talk about sport.

And of course this will have a huge positive impact on the local economy, tourism and general wellbeing of residents.

The pandemic put an end to many groups and gatherings, with many diary dates no longer on the calendar.

But if anyone is thinking of restarting their activities, take this summer as your sign.

For those of us covering the festivities, we have had an absolute ball.

We danced with you, took pictures and enjoyed the chats in all the fields, before retiring to our desks to write about the day’s fun and games. All that and the summer season is not yet over yet.

Politics and courts are great, but this too is what local journalism is all about, people. Despite popular opinion about the negativity of news, the fun stuff does count.

Last month one of Ballina’s visitors from Basse-Goulaine, Caroline Brémond said that the weather wouldn’t dampen their spirits.

She said Irish people were sunny enough.

It is hard to disagree with that when you think of the amount of dancing in the rain we have done.