THE weather hasn’t quite matched the quality of entertainment on offer at this year’s festivals running across West Cork.
While the sun has been a rare visitor during the holiday season in Ireland so far this year, there has been plenty of entertainment to brighten spirits.
There’s surely no doubt that West Cork is truly Ireland’s festival capital. Last week, the West Cork Literary Festival came to a close after a hectic week. Festival director Eimear O’Herlihy and her team brought some of the world’s finest writing talent to Bantry, and they didn’t disappoint. This year’s festival boasted more sold-out shows than ever before.
West Cork’s international festivals in Bantry alone were worth €3.8m to the local economy in 2023, according to an independent economic impact assessment was carried out by Professor Eleanor Doyle of the Global Competitiveness Institute at UCC’s Cork University Business School.
The research on the three summer festivals delivered an economic impact of more than €3.8m. Audiences for the three festivals spent more than €2.1m on accommodation, catering, and local services in the area. This was twice as much as in 2022.
The estimated impact on jobs in the local area was 42.6 full time equivalent positions.
More than 4,600 people attended the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Literary Festival, and Masters of Tradition festivals in 2023. While no official figures for 2024 are available yet, there are high hopes that this year’s total could be higher.
This week, the Skibbereen Arts Festival gets underway, with a brilliant and diverse programme. The festival is capturing the Olympic spirit in West Cork with the street party on Friday July 26th one of the highlights and bringing the whole community on board.
The entertainment has kept coming – from the Clonakilty Street Carnival and the Old Time Fair to Dunmanway’s out-of-this-world Feel the Force festival; from Schull’s
Fastnet Film Festival to next month’s Bandon Walled Town Festival, to the brilliant agricultural shows across the summer.
County Mayor Cllr Joe Carroll was at the launch of the Skibbereen Arts Festival last week, and he highlighted the importance of volunteers to the success of all West Cork festivals. He’s got a point: the success of so much is down to this volunteer spirit which keeps the show on the road.
We all benefit from this community focus. Festivals in West Cork are a key driver of tourists to the region, with visitors spending in shops, restaurants, and hotels.
We have so much positive going on in West Cork: there’s an onus on all of us to get out and support them.
