MUSIC FESTIVAL DOWN A FEW QUID BUT NOT OUT
Indiependence chief organiser Shane Dunne has revealed that last weekend’s festival ran at a slight loss – but not enough to deter the festival from happening again next year.
Speaking to The Avondhu Shane said that the event was ‘down a few quid’ but not by a significant amount that would prevent the event from happening again next year.
He added that the organisers would provide a more detailed breakdown of the costs of running Indiependence to the press next week, but said the total cost of the festival was approximately €200,000 – with some ten to fifteen thousand euro spent on preparing O’Connell Park following the week’s heavy rain.
Shane said that despite the problems presented by the composition of the land in the park, the organisers would like to bring the festival there again next year.
"We would like to do it here again next year, though the ground was a problem. When the NRA laid this park (after work on the Mitchelstown relief road) they put down about 8 feet of yellow clay, which gives no drainage and as a result cuts up the pitch badly in wet weather.”
“Anyone here on Sunday could see that. We hope to sit down with the trustees of the park to discuss the use of the park in future with them,” he said.
Meanwhile gardai say the weekend presented few problems. There were 4 minor public order offences detected in Mitchelstown over the weekend, and 9 drug related arrests for substances such as amphetamine and cannabis.
A garda spokesman, however, emphasised that those detected with illegal substances were from outside Mitchelstown.
“The new location certainly helped, and it was an older crowd in attendance so overall there were no problems and little hassle,” the garda spokesman said.
Published:
Thursday 6th August 7:33pm