The Gathering - Give tourism initiative full support

Today marks the launch of The Gathering, a year-long celebration of all things Irish and a readymade opportunity to promote this country’s image abroad.

With more than 70m people across the diaspora claiming to be Irish in one degree or another, the simple idea behind the Gathering is to give people up and down the country a chance to reach out to those who have gone away, be they relatives, friends, or descendants, and invite them home.

Admittedly, the concept of Irishness can be as broad or as narrow as one cares to define it. Whether somebody is an Aran islander with fluent Irish or an Irish-American hoping to trace old roots, it comes down essentially to a question of belief. There are as many kinds of Irishness as shades of green, and, according to the song, there are 40 of those.

Like many such initiatives, the venture has not been without its teething troubles. Former cultural ambassador Gabriel Byrne warns that Americans will be turned off if they see the move as an opportunistic bid to extract money. Rather than rejecting his advice, it should be taken as a well-meant word of warning because if there is any lack of subtlety in selling this concept, it will undoubtedly backfire.

As a tourism initiative, it is a worthwhile idea and should help increase visitors. That’s a laudable objective at a time when so many hotels and restaurants are under pressure. However, a realistic pricing policy with real value for money will be a vital ingredient if the industry is to attract more people from the US, Europe, and Britain.

Ideally, the event should also be a shop window for exports. Quality farm produce and hi-tech goods are playing a key role in this country’s economic revival by helping the balance of payments and maintaining jobs.

With the leaders of Europe converging on Dublin for tomorrow’s opening of Ireland’s presidency of the EU, it will be regarded as a setback for the Gathering if, as reported, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins do not attend the New Year’s Eve festival today. Billed as a spectacular event, it will kickstart a year-long series of local and national happenings, ranging from girls throwing Wellington boots to philosophical debates and literary conferences.

From Ballydehob to Ballybofey and from Dún Laoghaire to Dun Aengus, this imaginative and ambitious project deserves to be fully supported.