The organiser of the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival says they had no choice but to cancel the event for the second year in a row.
The decision comes following public health guidelines, with further state supports now being called for in the North Clare area to deal with the fallout of the decision.
For more than 160 years, the Festival has graced the North Clare town and has continued to grow during the time.
It’s estimated to attract around 80,000 visitors to the area each September from across Ireland and the rest of the world.
Its 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions – and today, organisers have made the call to call off 2021’s renewal for similar reasons.
In a statement to Clare FM, event organisers say they don’t believe many young people will be vaccinated by the end of September and that they would be unable to manage the very large crowds that traditionally descend on Lisdoonvarna for the Festival.
They say they owe it to performers who would have partaken at the event – including the likes of Nathan Carter, Mike Denver and Cliona Hagan – to provide clarity on the situation now.
Festival Organiser Marcus White believes shelving the festivities for 2021 is the right call.
Lisdoonvarna residents and businesses, though, insist the town is still very much open for business.
It’s estimated the decision to cancel the festival two years in a row is worth around €5 million to the local economy.
It is anticipated that some smaller scale events associated with the festival will still go ahead with social distancing in place, if they’re organised by local businesses – something festival organisers say is ‘their prerogative’.
Fine Gael councillor Joe Garrihy, who’s based in the town, wants the North Clare area to reimagine itself – and says this requires further support at state level.
