Capital of Culture attracting record visitor numbers

Over 730,000 people have made a trip to Cork to enjoy the city’s reign as European Capital of Culture, it emerged today.

Passenger numbers at Cork Airport have been sent rocketing by people keen to sample a taste of what the city has to offer in its year long role.

John Kennedy, director of Cork 2005, said: “The record attendance at events in the first half of 2005 is indicative of the great response to the Cork 2005 programme from local and from international audiences.”

Joe Gantly, chairman of the Cork Airport Authority, put the boom in passenger numbers down to the hundreds of events taking place to mark the city’s prestigious accolade.

“We are experiencing record growth this year, with half yearly figures up 15.9% on the same period last year. Cork’s designation as European Capital of Culture is undoubtedly a contributing factor in the significant increase in traffic at the airport,” Mr Gantly said.

Mr Kennedy said the city was reaping economic, as well as cultural benefits, from its designation as European Capital of Culture.

The latest figures found 730,000 people had attended official Cork 2005 events during the first six months of the year. The review examined attendance at 80 projects – including 562 events spanning theatre, music sport, visual arts, film, dance and literature.

Over 28,000 people have participated in over 514 creative workshops in the city as part of the event.

Mr Kennedy said the city is experiencing an unprecedented busy summer period.

“We expect this positive trend to continue with an excellent programme of events scheduled for the closing months of 2005 and look forward to a spectacular send off to the year,” he said.

Cork’s Lord Mayor Deirdre Clune revealed the Relocation Theatre Project - which saw four theatre companies from across Europe perform on the city’s streets – attracted audiences of around 14,000 people.

Over 35,000 people visited the Cork Vision Centre up to the end of June to see the 2005 Enlargement exhibition series featuring some of the top artists from the new states to join the EU.

Brendan Keating, chief executive of the Port of Cork Company, said its Maritime Painting Exhibition had been visited by Naval Services from Australia, Pakistan, Portugal and Brazil, as well as the UK, France, Belgium, Sweden and Holland.

Other events which attracted people in droves included – Ocean to City, the country’s largest ever rowing race involving 500 rowers in 120 traditional coastal rowing boats, and Surface Tension, a festival of graffiti art.