Gathering Project a Success in South Dublin County
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Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
Gathering Project a Success in South Dublin County
35 gathering events have taken place in South Dublin County so far in 2013 including martial arts, family gatherings, corporate gatherings, American football, baseball, cricket, kickboxing, arts and cultural gatherings to name but a few. The project engaged Sport National Governing Bodies, community groups, private individuals, tourism and hospitality businesses and corporate entities. Venues such as Peamount United FC, National Basketball Arena, Tallaght Stadium, Citywest Hotel Conference & Event Centre and Corkagh Park were showcased internationally.
The events attracted visitors from all over the world including Britain, USA, Canada, Norway, Jersey, Denmark, Portugal, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden and Bangladesh. Events welcomed an attendance of approximately 17,000 international visitors which generated 56,000 visitors in total. €225,000 was spent on marketing, programming and training of volunteers creating an economic return of €25M.
Family members and friends that couldn’t travel viewed games and events on www.thegatheringdublin.tv which generated views in the thousands from 15 plus countries. Online promotion through Irish Central, European Irish and An Lár TV also generated great interest in the project and complimented a social media drive which started in late 2012.
100 local volunteers from the active retired and transition year student demographs were trained in event management, basic first aid, health and safety which enabled them to work at many events. They acted as South Dublin ambassadors and it worked exceptionally well with very positive feedback from event organisers and attendees alike. The training was funded through Final LEADER Partnership. The volunteers will be called upon to work at future events and conferences being held in South Dublin County in 2014 and beyond.
Cllr Dermot Looney, Mayor of South Dublin County Council stated, "I have been lucky enough to attend many of the Gathering events and to meet with hundreds of visitors who have travelled to our County, all of whom mentioned the positivity of their visit here. In particular, it was superb to see so many events take place across a range of sports, showcasing the venues and facilities on offer here as a great sporting destination. Connections and friendships have been made which I have no doubt will bring repeat visitors to our county and country in the years ahead. I want to pay tribute to those who have worked on the ground in our community to facilitate so many well-organised events."
After a very successful Nollaig Na mBan event in January 2013, Liffey Sound FM Reviving Traditions The Wren Boys will take place in Lucan Village Green on St Stephen's Day 26th December from 2-4pm. Local musicians including Comhaltas will gather for an organised impromptu session. For more information contact Liffey Sound FM by phone 01 621 94 25 or email info@liffeysoundfm.ie.
The Gathering Dublin ‘Meet To Compete’ is a South Dublin County Tourism project in partnership with the Gathering Ireland. This project is financially supported by South Dublin County Council, IPB Gathering Fund, Failte Ireland, Fingal LEADER Partnership, Cuisine De France and The Square Towncentre. For more information on the Gathering Dublin www.thegatheringdublin.com.