A city council needs to come clean over why a controversial £40,000 ‘Fleadh Fringe’ event seems to have ditched any formal links to the all-Ireland festival.

That’s according to the TUV, after the News Letter revealed that a taxpayer-funded concert specifically set up to connect to the huge Fleadh has been rebranded to take out any mention of it.

The Fleadh kicks off in Belfast in less than a fortnight. The day before it begins, an open-air Irish folk show is being held in Bangor – one that clashes with this year’s Ulster Pipe Band Championships, which are to happen just a few minutes’ walk away on the same date in the Co Down seaside city.

Earlier this year Ards and North Down Council assigned £40,000 to the ‘Fleadh Fringe’ concert, even though at the time politicians didn’t have any details of how the money would be spent. That’s a larger budget than it gave to the pipe band championships, and unionists warned the move could cause ill-feeling among community groups who struggle to get council cash for their own events.

placeholder image — A promotional image released to publicise Bangor's open air folk show that no longer seems to be connected to the all-Ireland Fleadh. Pic: Visit Ards and North Down

But officials insisted the gig would be worth it, including the clash with the band contest, as the Fleadh link would give Bangor a chance to soak up tourists arriving for the massive festival in Belfast.

Now, however, the show is called ‘Bangor Beats and Rhythms’ and council publicity bears no official Fleadh tie-in. The gig is instead being plugged as part of ‘Bangor Vibes’, said to be a weekend of music including the pipe band championships, the open-air folk concert, and a Queen tribute act performing a free show in a city park the day after the other two.

Quizzed by the News Letter, the council didn’t say why the name was changed or what impact dropping the Fleadh connection could have on the event’s tourist appeal.

That has local TUV representative Peter Wilson demanding officials come clean over what happened.

“This was sold to the public and to councillors as a major ‘Fleadh Fringe’ event, backed by £40,000 of ratepayers’ money,” he said. “It has now been rebadged with no mention of the Fleadh at all.

“The council rushed this through and is now trying to quietly distance itself from the very branding it pushed in the first place. It is very telling that they didn’t answer questions put to them by the News Letter.”

The all-Ireland Fleadh does have a ‘fringe’ section on its website, but the Bangor event doesn’t appear to be part of it. Although full listings aren’t yet available, the site specifies official fringe gigs are “planned for north, south, east and west Belfast”.

Added Mr Wilson: “I said forcing this clash would put unfair pressure on the pipe band championships, a disciplined, family-friendly event with a proven track record. The council ploughed on regardless.

“Now even the Fleadh itself doesn’t list the Bangor event as part of its fringe. I won’t shed any tears over that, but councillors need to explain what happened.”

The council has stated ‘Bangor Vibes’ was set up to “complement the anticipated increase in visitors” and a publicity campaign “positions [it] as taking place ahead of the Fleadh” – though in fact the Queen tribute act’s performance clashes with the opening day of the all-Ireland festival in Belfast.