Clipper Festival expected to generate €10m in community

THE arrival of a round-the-world yacht race in Cork is expected to attract 100,000 visitors and generate €10 million in revenue for the region.

The Cork Clipper Festival will arrive in both the city and Kinsale next month, sparking a free eight-day festival.

Celebrations will begin in Kinsale on July 2 with 14 venues hosting 20 national and international musical acts.

As well as artisan food and craft markets there will be circus entertainment and walking tours to display the beautiful surroundings of Ireland’s acclaimed gourmet capital to the anticipated 3,000 overseas visitors.

Cork County Council and Kinsale Town Council have renovated the Mill Building which will host a Clipper-themed exhibition, Stopover, featuring art from each of the ports of call around the world visited during this year’s Clipper Race.

The festivities will continue when the yachts leave Kinsale in a “Parade of Sail” for the Port of Cork on July 7.

A specially constructed race village in Albert Quay will host an astounding 25 musical acts featuring over 110 musicians in three days of celebrations.

A new 100-metre pontoon on South Custom House Quay, where the yachts will be moored, will remain a permanent fixture in the Port of Cork making the city accessible to future visiting boats and leisure craft. The project is sponsored by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland with the principle objective of promoting Cork as a business and tourism destination.

With significant investment being made by the three parties a study has begun to assess and measure the financial benefits of the festival in Cork and Kinsale. In conjunction with the Department of Management and Marketing at UCC, project director Fiona Bolger has set up a research team of UCC students to monitor and evaluate the economic and media impact of Cork’s sponsorship.