Failte Ireland announced €1.6m in festival funding

Fáilte Ireland has announced over €1.6m in funding for festivals in 2017.

The money is going to 16 different events across the country - with Dublin's St Patrick's festival receiving the largest portion of the pot at €1m.

Next largest sum went to the Galway International Arts Festival which received €275,000 and then the Cork International Choral Festival, Tradfest Dublin and the West Cork Music and Literary Festival which each received €60,000.

The body says the chosen festivals have a proven track record of attracting tourists into Ireland.

Caeman Wall, Head of Research and Evaluation with Fáilte Ireland, emphasised the importance of festivals for Ireland and the tourism sector: “Large festivals drive tourism activity and are vital to sustaining tourism growth by providing enough compelling reasons for overseas visitors to choose Ireland.

"Festivals play an important role in guaranteeing that we have a full menu of things for tourists to see and do and provide the backbone to the tourism calendar. Significantly, they also help to bring to life our key brands – Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East and Dublin, A Breath of fresh Air.”