Pipe Band Championships and Fleadh Fringe should clash, say officials: Holding them close by at the same time means 'potential for most benefits'
Annual Pipe Band Championships and an open-air Irish traditional event connected to the fleadh should clash this summer, officials have said.
Moves to hold both of them a short distance away from each other at the same time, which could mean pipe bands have their parades rerouted or restricted, have split politicians and sparked angry scenes in the chamber of Bangor City Hall.
Last month Alliance and the SDLP accused unionists who thought the two events would be better kept separate of secretly harbouring ulterior motives over the issue, alleging they wanted to get rid of the all-Ireland fleadh altogether – something that outraged the DUP, who were adamant they welcomed the event and the tourism boost it’s predicted to bring.
As the News Letter exclusively revealed last month, an eight-hour ‘Fleadh Fringe’ Irish folk show is to be staged on the same day as the 73rd annual Ulster Pipe Band Championships, each one taking place just a few minutes’ walk from each other in Bangor on August 1. The all-Ireland Fleadh begins in Belfast the following day.
The city’s council is also to spend more money on the folk event, leading to fears pipe bands could wind up playing second fiddle.
Council officials have now come back insisting the two should clash, arguing that has “the potential for most benefits”.
In a report due to be discussed at a council meeting tomorrow night, but seen by the News Letter, they argue that staging the Fleadh Fringe on a different day wouldn’t work.
Holding it on Friday, July 31 would mean only around half as many people would be likely to show up as it’s “a working day”, say officials, and may mean the event would have to be shortened to just the evening instead of the full eight hours.
It’s also predicted that people coming to the all-Ireland fleadh from outside Northern Ireland will arrive on Friday night and Saturday morning, so wouldn’t be around to visit a Friday fringe event.
The folk show is due to feature performances from the local Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, which teaches Irish traditional music and dance to children and is to be heavily involved in programming the event. According to the council report, that organisation has “indicated they are not available to participate in July dates”.
Staging it during the eight days the all-Ireland fleadh runs would mean Bangor losing its audience to events in Belfast, state officials; holding it the day after the fleadh finishes would put it on a Tuesday, reducing attendance numbers, while leaving it until the following weekend would mean most tourists coming for the fleadh have gone home.
Holding the Pipe Band Championships at the same time as the Fleadh Fringe would, they argue, allow “synergies and potential economies of scale with regard to traffic management and marketing to include both events”.
Clashing events would also “showcase Bangor for the day as a place of musical excellence” and “encourage more attendees” than would be possible if the Fleadh Fringe was on Friday evening instead of daytime Saturday.
Stating “the timeline to deliver any proposed Fringe Fleadh event is a concern”, officials want politicians at tomorrow night’s council meeting to give them a green light to stage the folk show.