€20k fund for 2013 Gathering events

MONIES TO PROMOTE KILLARNEY

KILLARNEY Town Council has allocated €20,000 to promote local events being organised as part of The Gathering 2013.

The decision was taken at the town council’s recent Budget meeting for 2013 when councillors voted for the funding allocation.

A proportion of the €20,000 will be used to fund the organisation of the ‘Global Gathering of Kerry Associations’ which will take place in the town from May 10 to 14, according to Mayor of Killarney Seán O’Grady.

The event will see local clubs and organisations join with their counterparts from the USA and the UK for the five-day event which will encompass the Mayor's Ball, Lakes of Killarney Marathon, Spring Racing Festival, traditional music and a conference themed around connectivity, which will cover business, enterprise, culture and sport.

Cllr O’Grady told The Kerryman that a significant amount of planning has gone into the event by a sub-committee consisting of town councillors, council management and the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.

“The funding will primarily be used for the Global Gathering of Kerry Associations and clubs in May,” explained Cllr Seán O’Grady.

“We can’t put a figure as of yet on the number of people that it will attract; at the moment we are endeavouring to maximise that,” the Mayor added.

THE importance of The Gathering 2013 and its potential to contribute significantly to the economy has been underlined by decisions made by three Kerry town councils to financially support local initiatives.

Despite the financial constraints that Killarney, Tralee and Listowel Town Councils find themselves operating within, each have seen fit to find monies to finance local events.

Members of Killarney Town Council voted to allocate €20,000 to Gathering projects. Their counterparts on Tralee Town Council have decided to provide €30,000, while Listowel Town Council will give €9,000 towards a number of festivals, including The Gathering.

A large number of events aimed at bringing the Irish Diaspora home to the Killarney area are already in the planning process. Just some of these include the Ireland Bike Festival, Run Killarney race series, Killarney Adventure Race, Killarney Racing Festivals, Shamrock O Ringen Orienteering, Coming Home for Christmas Festival, Hugh O’Flaherty Liberation of Rome street event and Memorial Weekend, family gatherings and the Gathering Cup organised by Killarney Celtic.

One of the more intriguing projects being mooted is a plan to invite the Oxford and Cambridge boat crews to race on the Lakes of Killarney this year.

The Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Seán O’Grady said the town council was involved with the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce in organising the Global Gathering of Kerry Associations to take place in Killarney between May 10 and May 14 which, he said, has the potential to attract hundreds of attendees to Killarney.