Benefits and challenges of Ballina Fleadh bid identified
It is hoped that Ballina could stage the event in 2028.
A Mayo County Council delegation have returned from the All-Ireland Fleadh in Wexford following a fact-finding mission to determine the potential for Ballina to host the traditional music event.
Ballina has been mooted as a host for the 2028 Fleadh. The Salmon Capital last staged the event in 1997 and 1998 and there is local appetite for the Fleadh to return to the banks of the Moy.
Over 600,000 Fleadh-goers converge on Wexford town for the event generating an estimated €60 million to the local economy.
The Fleadh will move to Belfast in 2026 and is hoped that Ballina could be the next location two years later.
Head of Ballina, Municipal District Declan Turnbull was among the delegation which included Fleadh campaigner Eamonn Walsh.
Mr Turnbull said the visit showed the benefits and challenges of bring the event to Ballina.
The cost of running the event is estimated to be in the region of €1.9 millio “We heard first hand what the challenges are and the benefits are,” Mr Turnbull told the Western People.
“We knew it was a big event but I think we came to realise it’s even bigger than what we thought it was. It takes a lot of work and organisation to put the whole thing together, it takes a lot of finances, and a lot of other resources. You need so many venues for comnpetitons, spaces available for campsites and large dome tents. It is a very, very big event,” he added.
Mr Turnbull said they will consider all they have learned before making a potential bid.
“It’s not just a council matter, Comhaltas, Gardai, the Civil Defence will all need to be involved in this. It can’t be taken lightly,” he commented.
If Ballina does host the Fleadh it is likely to play host for a two-year period.
Mr Turnbull said Ballina 2023 and the Joe Biden visit showed what Ballina can achieve. He said people at the Fleadh in Wexford were enthused by the prospect of bringing it back to Mayo.
“We are not saying we are definitely going to put a bid in but we think we could do it if all the logistics work out,” he commented.
