Donegal Senator calls for summer festival Government funding

A Donegal Senator has called for increased support to help festivals across the country to continue to exist. 

Senator Manus Boyle said local summer festivals across the country were a summer highlight for thousands of people, but were struggling to run events due to increased costs.

He said: “Many of our regional and rural festivals are really struggling and fearing for their future. We’ve seen the increased cost of running a festival, with the high cost of insurance, operational costs, site set up costs, and energy costs, so we need to see increased funding to support these community groups.”

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Senator Boyle said he had asked the Minister for Culture, Patrick O’Donovan, to “urgently address” the need for increased financial support for our local festivals across Ireland, like the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival.”

He commented: “Festivals can be a significant draw for tourists, bringing new visitors to the town who might not otherwise consider visiting. Tourism revenue generated by festivals can be a major boost for the local economy and can also raise awareness of the town as a tourist destination, potentially attracting future visitors.”