“A significant windfall for businesses in the town” has been predicted for traders in Ennis ahead of Fleadh Cheoil na Mumhan Inis 2018.
Frank Whelan was Chairman of the Fleadh Cheoil Committee for the All-Ireland event staged in Ennis last year. He was present at the launch of the Munster Fleadh and is confident it will leave a positive impact on the town.
“The Munster Fleadh is the biggest of the provincial Fleadhs in Ireland, it’s a big event and it does attract. You have the same number of competitors as you do for the All-Ireland so you will have the numbers coming into the town, there will be quite a significant windfall for businesses in the town and hopefully the windfall for traditional music and Comhaltas that it will attract more young people into the music”.
“We always said that we were going to try have a legacy after the two big Fleadhs so it was great, we were delighted to be able to host the Munster Fleadh now and there will be a huge influx of people because they know the town and they know what it’s like after 2016 and 2017 and I would hope that this Fleadh will be the first of many new festivals that will be attracted into the town of Ennis,” Whelan told The Clare Echo.
This year his input is not as influential as it was for the past two years. Frank is happy to have fewer commitments to fulfil. “I’m not as involved, I’m part of the backroom team, I’m involved in putting the programme together. It’s very hard to cut your ties completely, I was very involved in 2016 and 2017 so it was nice to sit back and to some degree enjoy what’s going on”.
On Sunday the eight day long Munster Fleadh commences.
*Photograph: Martin Connolly
