Fleadh 2010 netted €35m for Cavan

The hosting of the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Cavan town over 10 days last August generated over €34.9m in direct expenditure to the local economy. This compares with an overall cost of €750,000 to run the event. The figures, the first ever compiled for the fleadh, give local organisers a real boost in advance of the Cavan Fleadh 2011 and the county's bid to win the fleadh for 2012. The detailed spending figures are revealed in a report measuring the direct economic impact of the fleadh. It was compiled by Fitzpatrick Associates economic consultants on behalf of Fáilte Ireland. The money was generated by about 250,000 visitors and 11,300 competitors to Cavan town. A detailed breakdown of the expenditure by visitors, participants and locals shows that over a quarter of the total spend went on food and drink, with local spectators splashing out as much as 46% of their money on this. Those who stayed overnight, meanwhile, devoted up to a third of their local spend on accommodation. Other areas of expenditure surveyed included entertainment and sight seeing, transport and shopping. In addition to the local spend, the detailed report estimates that the event had a further regional economic impact of over €19.7m and a national impact of €7m. Keyes 'overwhelmed' Speaking to The Anglo-Celt this week, county manager, Jack Keyes said that this was the first time that any scientific analysis had been carried out on the revenue generated from the All-Ireland Fleadh and the direct spend of €35m "totally surpassed" estimates and expectations. Mr Keyes explained that up to €350,000 of the money to host Fleadh 2011 will come in during the event, through money collected at events and income from campsites etc. However, the Fleadh Executive Committee (FEC) still needs to raise some €400,000 in sponsorship to cover the balance. A number of main sponsors have committed €50,000 each and they include Diageo and the local vintners, Fáilte Ireland, Eirgrid, Oxigen, P & S and the Cavan Local Authorities. Other local businesses have pledged in the order of €5,000 to €10,000 each. Mr Keyes said that collecting such sponsorship is a "huge task and challenge" particularly in a recession but he's encouraged by the response. He agrees that in some respects persuading businesses to part with sponsorship was easier this year given how much they benefited from the fleadh. "This year it was an easier sell. It's a very difficult economic climate and people are really feeling the pinch. There are two counter pulls. On the one hand people realise that it's good for the town and for business but on the other side people are facing real cutbacks but the response has been very heartening considering the economic climate," explained Mr. Keyes.