FLEADH CHEOIL NA HEIREANN -AUGUST 12- AUGUST 19TH
TheStoryofRory’s onedreamtobring visitorstothetown
FOR the man who first mused whether Drogheda could ever play host to the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, his challenge will now be to get those 400,000 people to return again, and again.
Rory Scott was General Manager of the d Hotel in 2012 when he was heavily involved in the RTE Local Heroes project and saw the town’s potential to host a festival of this size.
Six years later, and now the owner of successful graphic design company Story Rory, he simply can’t wait to see the streets teeming with visitors to his adopted town.
‘ The lift to the town in the lead-up has been incredible, and you can really feel a sense of pride in the community, which hasn’t been felt since the Local Heroes effect,’ says Rory, who hails originally from Kilkenny.
‘It started with me wanting to bring a family-friendly event to the town, and the Fleadh is the biggest of them all, and Drogheda has a huge welcome ready for everyone.’
He says visitors may be surprised by just how much the town has to offer in terms of culture and tourism.
‘We all pass places like St Peter’s Church, Laurence Gate and Millmount every day, and probably take them for granted, but when I was in Sligo and Ennis for the Fleadheanna, and no offence to either, they don’t have anything like that, and people are going to say ‘Oh my God’ look at that! They’ll be pleasantly shocked,” says Rory.
‘I think 95% of people get Drogheda and Dundalk mixed up, and this will really give the town its own definite identity and put it firmly on the map.”
Rory suggests people plan well ahead if they want to make the most of their time in the town.
‘It’s really a great town to walk around, and there are lots of walking tours organised – they can be booked on MyStreetsIreland.com - as well as tours of the region, and if you have a few hours to kill in between music events, it would be great to get out to one of the tours too, maybe Oldbridge or Monasterboice, then back into town for lunch or dinner in one of many restaurants or a pint in our many pubs,’ he suggests.
‘About 30% of the people coming are foreign tourists – Japanese, Korean, American are all coming – and so many even want to volunteer – and the trick will be to get them all to come back and spread the word to others, which is why I am chair of the Charter Legacy to bring tourists here to 2020 and beyond.’
Part of Rory’s business is social media management, and he says the town will definitely be trending for the week.
‘Just watch Twitter, Instagram and Facebook explode during the Fleadh – if 5,000 people are talking about Drogheda this week, it’ll be 250,000 and more over those seven days!’
And another thing local people have to remember is the amount of money that will be left in the town will be phenomenal. There’s a misconception it goes to the council; it will be left with the businesses, the staff, the people who rent their homes – everyone will benefit from the Fleadh.’