Festival decline is devastating for towns and communities in Donegal

Support is needed from the highest level to turn the tide on festival decline in south Donegal.

That was the overriding message from councillors in the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal, who are seeking to meet with funding bodies and other stakeholders.

READ NEXT: Locals ‘living in fear’ at three Ballyshannon junctions

It follows news that Ballyshannon’s Rory Gallagher Festival was hit with a huge bill - said to be in the region of €40,000 - by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO). And it also follows the cancellation of Sea Session in Bundoran, the Donegal Town Summer Festival, and the challenges faced by those trying to revive Donegal Town’s famous food festival, A Taste of Donegal. 

Cathaoirleach of the Donegal MD, Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) raised the issue at the June meeting of the MD. He said a strategic plan was needed to support festivals into the coming years.

“I am requesting a meeting with Fáilte Ireland and Donegal Tourism to look at festivals and events,” he said. 

“Credit to everybody in the Rory Gallagher Festival, they had the biggest numbers in years with 40,000 people attending Ballyshannon over that weekend. That rolled on to benefit Donegal Town and Ballyshannon. 

“But we have a situation where, with one hand we are giving out money, and then IMRO is taking a cut on every individual going into the place. IMRO is walking into these events taking €30,000 to €40,000. That is a phenomenal amount of money. 

“Then you have the insurance for these events. I appreciate that it is needed, but at what price?”

Bundoran’s Cllr Michael McMahon (FG) also congratulated the team behind the Rory Gallagher Festival, stressing its economic value. He did not hold back in calling out the government for the lack of support. 

“Even before it started there were concerns about would there be enough funding,” he said.

“Ballyshannon really needs this festival. Now there is a Cork contingent talking about running their own Rory Gallagher festival, and that could have an impact. The Ballyshannon festival needs an injection of money.

“Sea Session fell apart because it doesn’t have funding. A smaller festival Salt Water is taking place in September instead, and hopefully Sea Sessions will be back, but support is needed. 

“My party colleague Pearse Doherty brought it up in Dáil that 18 festivals have been cancelled in rural Ireland this year. 

“The towns in this region need festivals to raise revenue. 

“We need to have a sit down, but we need to go further to find out why the government of the day is not putting money into festivals.

“Then you have insurance, public liability costs. But we haven’t heard of any major accidents at any of these festivals.

“For the survival of our towns, we need these festivals, and what it boils down to is money.

Cllr Noel Jordan (SF) agreed, and he seconded Cllr Naughton’s proposal for a meeting with funding bodies. 

“We are seeing the huge loss of the food festival to Donegal Town. This was always a magnificent event. 

“A lot of questions are being asked. There have been a number of meetings recently and a committee has been set up to try and revive that festival. It is all down to funding. 

“It is hugely worrying for the Rory Gallagher Festival that it can’t sustain itself. 

“Are we seeing the end of festivals? Sea Sessions didn’t go ahead, there is no music festival in Donegal Town this year. We need to be sitting down with all the stakeholders to figure out a way to revive all these festivals and to get specific funding to sustain them going forward. 

Cllr Niamh Kennedy (Ind) voiced her concerns over the prohibitive cost of insurance.

“If there was someone from the insurance industry who could meet with us and give us information, that would help,” she said. 

Cllr McMahon suggested taking things even further, saying: “We should have a delegation to the minister in Dublin to find out what he really thinks of rural Ireland and why we are denied money.”

Joy Browne from Donegal County Council’s Economic Development section told councillors that she was aware of the range of challenges faced by festival organisers. She also outlined funding options.

“I know it has been difficult for festivals and events,” she said. “Insurance, lack of volunteers - a lot of people who would  have been involved and giving time haven’t been as involved in the last few years - and IMRO is an issue too.

“We have our Festival and Grant Scheme with a total fund of €49,750 and we had a lot of applications into that.

“We are meeting with festival and event organisers and we understand the challenges. We are promoting them to try and get them as much publicity as we can. 

“I will get in touch with Failte Ireland and see if we can request that meeting.”

Ms Browne added that Fáilte Ireland had a Strategic Festival and Events Scheme, though that was for larger events, with Donegal County Council not involved in its administration. 

She said that there was also funding potential within the FLAG programme in some circumstances.