The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Local economy boost as show-time returns
THE Gleneagle’s INEC Arena has put plans in place for a return to something like normality this summer, with a drive-in concert by Gavin James in August set to be among the highlights of the next few months’ offerings.
Following a webinar hosted by Gleneagle Group CEO Patrick O’Donoghue, the Gleneagle has confirmed that a series of outdoor drive-in movies will kickstart proceedings later this month, the first stages of a phased re-opening plan.
Tickets are currently on sale for the drive-in Gavin James performance on August 8, and while 50 shows were postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the vast majority have been rescheduled for later this year and into 2021.
“Everything we are doing is and will continue to be dictated by government guidelines,” Mr O’Donoghue said. “It will take time to return to the levels of business that we are accustomed to operating at, but we are determined to do so.
“We are working to secure artists and shows that will work while adhering to the guidelines and we are optimistically programming for the latter part of 2020 and beyond.”
The news will come as hugely welcome to Killarney and the greater Kerry area, reinforced by details outlined during webinar on the back of a report carried out by CHL. The report found that almost a quarter of a million people attended one of the 194 shows and conferences at the Killarney venue during 2018, generating almost 300,000 bed nights in the county in the process, nearly 200,000 of which were outside of Gleneagle Group properties.
Attendees were worth almost €35million to the local economy, the report also found.
“The Gleneagle Group might not consider that it is its role to generate such wider economic gains,” the report outlined.
“However, the fact remains that it does so, and it has been doing so for the past 20 years.
“If the INEC/KCC did not exist, these gains would not arise, and Killarney would be the poorer for it,” the CHL report added.