West Cork’s festival scene is flourishing like never before, but is it a victim of its own success when it comes to funding?

FUNDING for festivals has never been more accessible since the formation of a new Community, Tourism and Rural Development directorate by Cork County Council one year ago.

As director of the new unit, and manager of the West Cork Municipal District, Nicola Radley is deeply cognisant of the fact that while funding and assistance were being delivered before, it was disparate, but now it is all under one directorate.

In January, Cork County Council opened applications under the Local Festival and Event Fund, otherwise known as the LFEF. With the backing of the elected members of Cork County Council, this fund was increased significantly so the benefits could be spread throughout the county.

By the end of the year, €272,000, with support from Fáilte Ireland, was allocated to festivals and events throughout Cork county.

There were two funding streams: 55 small-to-medium festivals and events shared €125,000 in funding, while eight large-scale initiatives were given an allocation of €147,000 to deliver festivals and events that have strong regional, national and international appeal.

Nicola told The Southern Star: “The fund enables us to give financial assistance, but there is a more holistic approach at the core of it because it allows us to help the groups to develop from small to large scale festivals and events.”

The local authority published a festival and events toolkit last year that is available on its website. Nicola explained: “The guide is there for anyone who wants to start a new festival or event, or develop their existing event.

“The LFEF enables Cork County Council to provide financial support, but it is also sustaining visitor activity and the hospitality trade, which benefits local economies outside the traditional peak summer period.

“Festivals supported [include] a wide range of cultural, music, food, sporting and family-focused events across all of the eight municipal districts in Cork county, not just West Cork and Bandon-Kinsale.

“Everyone is aware of the many ways in which these festivals and events contributes to local economies, enhances community life, and extends the tourism season. But it is important to point out that these events are at the heart of our communities.”

Looking back over the applications that poured in over the four weeks of January, Nicola revealed: “We received 90 applications for funding of which 75 were for the smaller events fund and 15 for the larger events fund.

“The total amount sought was €706,791, as opposed to the actual budget of €272,000. Of the small-to-medium festivals and events that were approved, 33 of the 55 projects were in the West Cork Municipal District and the Bandon Kinsale Municipal District.

“Meanwhile, of the eight large-scale festivals and events that were approved county-wide, four festivals and events received funding in the West Cork and Bandon-Kinsale municipal districts.”

Cllr Brendan McCarthy said it was great to see so many new festivals cropping up.

He added: “They are all worthy of support and of course it would be great if there was more funding to allocate, but I’m also conscious that there is not an infinite amount of money in the pot.

“The more festivals applying for funding naturally means that lots of them get relatively small funding, but Cork County Council is trying to support all festivals.”

Cllr Caroline Cronin also commented on the “abundance of wonderful festivals from January right through to December”. She said: “Funding is the key word. These festivals bring lots of revenue to our communities, supporting local businesses, tourism, hospitality and local economy, while also creating opportunities for people to come together and celebrate

“I’m always happy to advocate for increased funding and support for our festivals with the backing of cork county council. I’ll make sure to raise this at our upcoming budget meetings.”

Cllr Finbarr Harrington agreed. He said: “I think the success of the festivals grants in West Cork speaks for itself. The scheme is, in many ways, a victim of its own success, as it is oversubscribed, which is fantastic to see.

“As Deputy Mayor of Cork County, I was delighted to open so many of these festivals during the summer and saw first-hand the very positive impact they have on the local area.

“Given the huge success of the scheme and the demand that exists for funding, I would like us to be in a position to be able to increase the budget for next year when we come to discuss our budget later this year.”

Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland gave €72,500 to the small and medium events and €80,500 to the large-scale festivals and events in West Cork.

According to Nicola, the entire allocation across the West Cork approvals “reflects the really strong level of activity in these two districts”.

The figures show that more than 60% of the community groups who applied for funding in West Cork under the LFEF were successful.

The Ballydehob Jazz Festival received €10,000, as did the Sullivan clan event in Beara. The Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull received €10,500, while West Cork Music in Bantry - which runs a trio of renowned festivals - received €50,000.

“That is a lovely mix of music, family, heritage, and the arts,” said Nicola​. “There is something for every demographic.”

Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

Council recognises importance of events large and small

WEST Cork Music, which organises three major festivals in Bantry, generating an annual spend of €7.6m, received €50,000 in funding from the new Community, Tourism and Rural Development directorate this year.

West Cork Music, (WCM) praised the local authority for its year-on-year support, with the Arts Office and Cork County Library Services offering consistent, practical and financial backing.

WCM has been collaborating with Bantry Library on its West Cork Literary Festival in a partnership that dates back to the 1990s, and allows it to stage free events featuring world-class and local writers within the local community.

Its CEO, Francis Humphrys, commented on the vital role festivals play in providing access to the arts in rural areas, encouraging people to take part in, as well as enjoy, great performances.

He said festivals, including WCM’s upcoming Aiteall singer-songwriter mini-festival in October, play a crucial role in attracting visitors and extending the tourism season.

In relative terms, the council’s contribution has shrunk significantly. Before the crash of 2008, Cork County Council funding made up over 10% of WCM’s annual budget. Today that figure is roughly 5%, although Mr Humphrys said: “This change reflects the growth of West Cork Music as an organisation and limited council resources rather than any withdrawal of support.

Francis Humphrys (left), CEO of West Cork Music, is grateful for the ongoing support from the local authority year on year.

“Given that it covers a large and creative area, the funding allotted to festivals in West Cork is actually quite modest and produces impressive returns.

“Festivals are becoming more expensive to run for all sorts of reasons linked to rising travel, accommodation, and production costs. There is also work involved in making sure that our events are as accessible as possible, while we continue to strive for the highest artistic standards.

“We are hugely grateful to receive funding from a supportive council that recognises the importance of festivals and events – large and small. Reconsideration at national level of how festivals are supported would be welcome, so we can maximise their benefits in places like West Cork.”

Just last month, Cork County Council granted planning permission for a new concert venue and education centre for West Cork Music in Bantry town centre. That decision is now under appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála.

Nicola Radley said: “We recognise the critical importance of these events, not just to Bantry, and not just to Cork, but to the region and nationally. They are important in terms of promoting our music heritage, our language, our culture, and the reach that they have is phenomenal.

“We are very proud of the work done by West Cork Music and all of those who volunteer to ensure the smooth running of these events every year. We are happy to support them in any way that we can: we provide financial assistance, but the heavy lifting is done by West Cork Music.

“Cork County Council is very excited by the prospects of the new venue. It has the potential to be a major cultural asset. The festivals themselves are already a major asset, but this gives them a world-class home to raise their profile even further.”

District more than holding its own when it comes to grants

THE West Cork Municipal District accounted for 26 of the 55 county-wide projects securing €57,000 in funding for small-to-medium festivals and events. The Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District secured seven​, amounting to €15,000.

Under the large-scale fund, West Cork benefited to the tune of €80,500 for four large-scale festivals and events: €10,000 for the Ballydehob Jazz Festival; €10,000 for the Sullivan World Record attempt in Beara; €10,500 for the Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull; and €50,000 for West Cork Music’s trio of festivals in Bantry.

Lilah Steward (10) and Leah Virahswamy (9) at the launch of the annual Clonakilty Street Carnival. (Photo: Dermot Sullivan)

Festivals receiving funding under the small scheme for the first time include: Clonakilty Arts and Minds (€1,000); Castletownbere Festival of the Sea (€2,000); All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships (€6,000); Tour de Beara cycle (€2,500); Craic On singles festival in Bantry (€3,000); October Weekend Festival in Bantry (€2,000); and the Listening Project, the December Sessions in Skibbereen (€3,000).

Two new funding streams were added this year – a €30,000 fund for the maintenance of walking trails, including a shared €12,700 for four of West Cork’s Fastnet Trails; The Sheep’s Head Way; Beara Tourism; and Kilbrittain Trails Group.

The other, part of a Tourism Development Fund, provides €60,000. In West Cork, three were successful – The Lusitania Museum at the Old Head in Kinsale, Bere Island Projects Group, and Bandon Business Association’s new Visit Bandon initiative.

Cutting out the red tape

PAPYROPHOBIA, a mortal dread of form filling and red tape, can put many voluntary organisations off accessing resources that are readily available to them.

Nicola Radley explains how Cork County Council has simplified its administration. The local authority is now operating the Local Festival and Events Fund (LFEF), and is reaching out to those who were unsuccessful in their 22026 applications to assist them with follow-up applications and give them a better chance of securing funding.

The funeral parade at the Ballydehob Jazz Fest.

A key message that Nicola sought to convey is that the local authority is trying to make better connections with communities, promoting the new directorate via social media.

“We notified all of our Public Participation Network (PPN) representatives throughout the county” said Nicola. “There are more than 700 community groups registered with the PPN, so it is a great vehicle for getting news out about funding possibilities.”

The directorate’s six-member team also wrote to applicants to explain why their bid was refused, providing them with contact details should they want further feedback or a meeting.

“Critically, for us, we offered to discuss alternative funding streams with the groups,” said Nicola. “For instance, they may have been unsuccessful under the LFEF fund, but we are able to put them in touch with alternative sources of funding within the local authority, such as the library department, the arts, the Irish department, the heritage office, environment, or their local municipal district community fund.”

She continued: “People seeking funding specifically for Seachtain na Gaeilge events could be directed to the council’s Irish officer; people looking for Uillinn residency awards could be directed to the arts officer; and events for National Heritage Week could be directed to the heritage officer.”

What many voluntary organisations have found refreshing is how the new directorate is opening doors and engaging with them in a practical and helpful way.

Ten community roadshows were organised this year to promote the various funding and supports that are available through Cork County Council.

“We had representatives at those roadshows from planning, from our town regeneration office, and from our environment and biodiversity team,” said Nicola. “We had representatives from all of the local development companies in those areas too, so community groups and volunteers could come in and engage with a whole series of people, all in the same room.

“Across all of the roadshows we engaged with more than 1,800 individuals and volunteers, groups, and community organisations, so the reach was fantastic. And now we are seeing the rewards because there is a really strong pipeline of projects, festivals and events, some of which we never knew existed and are now being funded for the first time.”

The new directorate is accessible through regular meetings of the Western Committee, which is attended by public representatives, some of whom are members of the Council’s Tourism Strategic Policy Committee (SPC).

That SPC has 20 members that includes representatives of the PPN, community representatives, as well as people working within the tourism sector.

Applications

THE Local Festival and Event Fund will reopen in January for fresh applications, but Nicola Radley, the director of the Community, Tourism and Rural Development directorate, said: “Our team would be very happy to engage with community groups in advance of that if they are starting their planning at an earlier date. We would be happy to engage with them and guide them through the process.”

The email address to contact is: localfestivalfund@corkcoco.ie.