Indiependence says thank you to local community
ALTHOUGH it has now grown into one of the biggest events of its kind in the country, the roots of the Indiependence Music and Arts Festival were firmly planted within the community of Mitchelstown and the surrounding area.
That is something that the organisers of the festival, which attracts thousands of music fans to the town each year providing a massive boost to the local economy, have always recognised and celebrated.
From its very inception they have been keen to give something back to the locality, each year donating a portion of the proceeds from the festival back to local causes
Over the past decade alone Indiependence has ploughed back more than €100,000 into the local community in recognition of the support the festival has received.
Members of the team behind the festival this week donated cheques worth more than €15,000 from Indie 2018 to eight sporting clubs, organisations and charities.
Kieran Walsh, one of the team that founded Indiependence more than a dozen years ago, said they were only too happy to be in a position to hand out the cheques.
“It’s something that’s very important to us and we hope to be able to continue it in the future. We have always enjoyed very good working relationships locally here in Mitchelstown and with the wider Cork community, so its nice to be able to put something back,” said Kieran.
Sporting clubs to benefit included Mitchelstown GAA, Park United FC and Mitchelstown Rugby Club, with Special Friends Mitchelstown, which does a huge amount of charity work locally, also presented with a cheque.
Donation were also made to Bumbleance (The Children’s National Ambulance Service), Glenahulla National School Marymount Hospice and Mitchelstown Community Council during the cheque presentation at Walshe’s Yard Bar.
“We were delighted to be able to help out these very worthwhile causes in any way we can and look forward to doing the same again in 2020,” concluded Mr Walsh.
With the ink barely dry on the cheques, the team was already looking forward to ‘Indie 20’, with early bird tickets going on sale last Saturday and the first acts set to be announced before Christmas.