Rose seeking support after funding cut

THE organisers of the Rose of Tralee street carnival are pleading with local business to dig deep and support the event after Fáilte Ireland slashed funding for the festival.

In April it emerged that Fáilte Ireland is to provide only €15,000 in financial support to this year’s Rose of Tralee festival.

The 2017 allocation is just half what the festival received in 2015 and 2016 and a fraction of the €107,000 allocation provided to the extended ‘Gathering’ year Rose festival in 2013.

Typically the state funding is put towards staging the Rose festival’s costly street carnival, which is organised and funded separately from the Rose of Tralee pageant itself.

Festival bosses and the street carnival’s organisers are now calling on businesses to help them make up the funding shortfall.

Rose of Tralee Chief Executive Anthony O’Gara – who was highly critical of Fáilte Ireland’s decision to cut its funding – called on local businesses to do what they can to support the festival.

“Overall in 2016, we saw a major increase in visitor numbers to the town due to the presence of 65 Roses, their families and supporters descending on Tralee for the extended week of festivities,” said Mr O’Gara.

“This could not have been delivered without the valuable contribution from various local business sectors ranging from under €100 to in excess of €10,000. Such generosity, totalling €86,000, helped us cover the cost of providing so much quality free entertainment for locals and visitors and we would welcome similar support in 2017,” he said.

The Rose of Tralee Festival is worth in excess of €14 million to the local economy in Tralee with a wider kickback to other parts of the county.

“We have already written to more than 100 local businesses inviting them to contribute towards the cost of providing this year’s free street entertainment and so far we have received a positive response. We won’t be knocking on doors this year,” said Mr O’Gara

Anyone who wishes to make a contribution can do so by contacting the Festival office on 066 7121322 or by clicking ‘donate’ on www.roseoftralee.ie.

The festival company has confirmed that all street entertainment at this year’s festival will be free of charge with the only ticketed events taking place at the Festival Dome. The Denny Street stage is also set to return.

Angela Turner and Elizabeth Sheehan assist Fr Sheehan to cut the cake at the farewell function for the priest which was held recently in Caherdaniel Hall.

Freddies Bar – a south Kerry landmark – as it appeared in Cake form.