Festival hits all the right notes
The past weekend has shown what can be done to give a town a major boost in tough economic times through the hard work and dedication of the people involved.
Congratulations and thanks should go to the organising committee of the Gorey Market House Craft and Design Festival which took place over the weekend. With touristy numbers dwindling and people unsure about spending their hard-earned cash, the four-day festival brought locals as well as visitors out in their droves and gave the businesses of Gorey a boost when they needed it most.
It is this type of can-do attitude that we need more of in Ireland if we are to make it through the current recession. The festival not only gave businesses a boost, it gave the whole town a lift as people took advantage of the free street entertainment to come out and enjoy themselves fully.
From Thursday evening in the new Civic Square on the Avenue, it was clear to see that a lot of work and commitment had gone into the planning of the festival. The committee, which was comprised of town councillors, council officials and interested local people had decided to base the festival on the theme of craft and design in a hope to establish Gorey as a centre for these disciplines in the coming year.
Karen Hennessey from the Craft Council of Ireland spoke at the launch of the festival last Thursday and spoke of her admiration for what the committee was trying to do. She added that if the Craft Council could replicate this model all over the country they would have achieved something major.
While the craft and design element of the festival is going to be key to its future development, it was clear to see over the weekend that the live music on the Main Street on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings was what really got people interested.
The fact that the majority of the acts performing were local acts added hugely to the sense of inclusion and togetherness that marked this year’s festival.
The musicians and singers on the stage seemed to be enjoying the weekend as much as those listening and their willingness to give something back to Gorey will no doubt be rewarded with an increase in their fan base.
The amount of work which went on behind the scenes to get the festival organised is never fully seen, but what is remarkable is that all the work was done by people who want the best for Gorey and are willing to go that extra mile to make sure it happens.
Ireland is now overflowing with festivals. There seems to be a festival celebrating everything from potatoes to Marys and ships to Roses.
Marking yourself out as different and unique is tough but Gorey seems to be on the way to doing that. The craft and design trail as well as the Showcase Exhibition formed a central part of this year’s festival and no doubt as word spreads among the craft and design community, the festival will draw even more people in the coming years.
This is all dependant on the continuing work of the dedicated committee and I have a feeling they will not be resting on their laurels and following a well-deserved rest will once again be planning how they can improve a festival which has given Gorey a huge boost when it needed it most.
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