Tall Ships group scoop award

THE ORGANISERS of the phenomenally successful Tall Ships Race in Waterford have been commended with a major award for their work.

The team behind the spectacular event have received the Tower Hotel Waterford Excellence Award for July.

The Tall Ships’ Races 2005 provided a direct economic boost of over €30 million to the Waterford region.

Hailing the event’s management committee, Tower Hotel Waterford general manager Michael Skehan said they and the subcommittees that they chaired had done an excellent job of pulling together all the various strands that inevitably make up so huge an event.

The organising group includes chairman Nicky Fewer; city manager Conn Murray; TV Honan, Spraoi; event manager Olivia O’Reilly; Flahavan’s marketing director John Noonan; chief liaison officer Joe Kenny; harbour master Capt Philip Cowma, and Supt Dave Sheahan.

“All of the team behind this massive event should be very proud of the part they played in delivering what were four amazing days for Waterford and the country,” said Mr Skehan.

The official garda estimate for attendance on the quays in Waterford and along the Suir Estuary between the morning of Wednesday, July 6, and the afternoon of Saturday, July 9, was 450,000.

This was almost double the 250,000 which had been forecast before the event.