Cavan deserves to host Fleadh for third year in a row

As the cleanup from Fleadh 2011 continues, attention is already turning to whether or not Cavan will be successful in its bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for a third year running. The decision won't be made known until September 10 but already the 31-member Comhaltas Council who will vote on the location of Fleadh 2012 have been canvassed by the main contenders. Cavan faces stiff competition from Ennis and Sligo but surely the fantastic job that Cavan did in 2010 and again this year will stand to us. CCÉ delegates, locals, visitors, competitors have all generally agreed that the fleadhs in Cavan for the last two years running were the best ever. Why not then should Cavan get the fleadh for a third year? And if CCÉ have aspirations of sending the fleadh North for 2013 to Derry, what would then be the point of sending it to Ennis or Sligo for just one year. Surely it would be better to give it to Cavan (who are up and running and has the experience at this stage of running the event) for 2012 and send it to Derry for 2013 before then giving it to Ennis or Sligo for a couple of years at least. Let's face it. With the way the current economic climate is - and given the €35m direct boost to Cavan as a result of the fleadh - can we afford to lose it? There has already been talk on the rumour mill of certain businesses closing after the fleadh. Perhaps the news in a couple of weeks time that Cavan will host Fleadh 2012 would be the boost they need to hang tough for another while. Indeed it is telling that the revenue generated for the economy for last year's fleadh was more than was generated from overseas tourism revenue for the county in the whole of 2009. When you hear of a certain hotel going through two-tonnes of chips in one day during the fleadh, it is a real eye opener as to the very real benefits of staging an event such as the All-Ireland fleadh. But the fleadh delivered much more than just an economic boost in the county; it had major social and psychological benefits. The whole county was on a high this past week. Everybody came into the county town at some stage to enjoy the ceol agus craic. This is against a backdrop of job losses and pay cuts and companies going into receivership across the county over the past year. A boost like the fleadh creates a feel-good factor and people are then more likely to spend money and be more positive generally. A huge congratulations is due to the County Manager, Jack Keyes, the chairman of the Fleadh Executive Committee (FEC) and all of his volunteers, to all the sponsors, the business community, the Civil Defence, the stewards, the Gardaí, the emergency services, to all who helped to organise and steward this massive event. The business community and sponsors should now put all of their weight (and put their money where their mouth is) as far as the bid for Fleadh 2012 goes. Should Cavan lose out to Ennis or Sligo for next year's festival, there are bound to be more casualties as far as business closures go. It would be fantastic to see the fleadh coming back to Cavan next year. Who knows when we could expect to host it again. It is, above all, a real celebration of our Irish culture and heritage.