Derry Donegal focus at Milwaukee Irish Fest

A delegation from Derry and Donegal will be travelling to the Milwaukee Irish Fest later this month to showcase the region and engage with key partners to attract tourism, trade and cultural exports.



Representatives from Derry City Council, Failte Ireland, Ilex , the University of Ulster, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the DVCB will be accompanied by business representatives, musicians, artists and performers to attend the Milwaukee festival, which is renowned as the world’s largest Irish cultural festival and an ideal location to promote the North West region.

Mary Blake, Tourism Development Officer with Derry City Council, who is co-ordinating the event, said the festival was a unique opportunity to promote Derry and Donegal to a global audience.

“This is a huge festival aimed at promoting and celebrating all aspects of Irish culture and with an estimated 150,000 people attending the four-day event, it provides us with a unique opportunity to tell our story, promote our region and encourage visitors, trade and investment and forge new links and friendships.  Our showcase is being supported by Tourism Ireland and the NI Bureau in Washington, both of whom are supporting promotional and showcase opportunity.



“By working in close partnership with Donegal we are able to promote the North West region as a whole and showcase our local talent and work collectively to promote the region as a good place to visit and do business,” she added.

Mary Blake added that the event was an important medium for presenting the region’s culture tourist potential, sports and current affairs to a wide US audience and help establish long-term relationships between participants from Derry and Donegal and the Milwaukee event.

A key aspect of the visit will be the promotion of the Council’s Genealogy Service. The Council’s Genealogist Brian Mitchell said the Milwaukee festival was a fantastic opportunity to capitalize on the growing interest in family and ethnic history among the Irish Diaspora.

“Genealogy is a key element of the showcase with 32.6m Americans claiming Irish ancestry and an estimated 9million in North American claiming to have roots in the NW region of Ireland. Since the service has been up and running we have been inundated with requests and we believe this is an area that has room for growth and where we can really tell our story and show the impact and legacy our region has had in the United States.”

Joan Crawford, Fáilte Ireland said “There is evidence of a recovery from the US market and we have been working with our colleagues in Tourism Ireland in the states to explore opportunities to promote the North West on a cross-border basis. They have recommended this event as the biggest for Ireland in the United States.

By working in close partnership with Derry we are able to promote the North West region as a whole and showcase our talent and work collectively to promote the region as a good place to visit and do business”
As part of the festival a range of musicians and performers who hail from the North West region will be participating at the festival including Altan, Brendan Hendy Band, Different Drums of Ireland,  the Henry Girls, Kintra. Moya Brennan and Tom Sweeney.

To find out more about the Milwaukee Festival visit – irishfest.com/

Ends

Further press information can be obtained by contacting Derry City Council’s Marketing and Communications Section, Tel. 028 7137 6504.


Doire agus Dún na nGall faoi chaibidil ag Irish Fest i Milwaukee

09/08/2011

Beidh toscaireacht as Doire agus Dún na nGall ag taisteal go dtí féile Irish Fest i Milwaukee níos moille sa mhí seo leis an réigiún a chur chun cinn agus le naisc a bhunú le heochairpháirtithe chun turasóireacht, gnó agus earraí easpórtála cultúrtha a mhealladh chuig an chuid seo den tír.

Beidh ionadaithe ó Chomhairle Cathrach Dhoire, Fáilte Ireland, Ilex, Ollscoil Uladh, Institiúd Teicneolaíochta Leitir Ceanainn agus ón Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau ag taisteal in éineacht le hionadaithe gnó, ceoltóirí, ealaíontóirí agus taibheoirí atá ag freastal ar an fhéile. Tá clú ar Irish Fest i Milwaukee mar fhéile de na féilte cultúrtha Gaelacha is fearr ar domhan agus tá an áit foirfe mar ionad le ceantar an Iarthuaiscirt a phoibliú agus a chur chun cinn.

Dúirt Mary Blake, Oifigeach Forbartha Turasóireachta le Comhairle Cathrach Dhoire atá ag comhordú an imeachta, gur deis uathúil í an fhéile seo le Doire agus Dún na nGall a chur ar an ardán os comhair lucht féachána domhanda.

“Is féile ollmhór í seo a bhfuil sé de chuspóir aici gach gné den chultúr Gaelach a chur chun cinn agus meastar go bhfreastlóidh 150,000 duine ar an imeacht a mhairfidh ceithre lá. Tugann an fhéile seo deis faoi leith dúinn ár scéal féin a insint, ár réigiún a chur chun cinn agus cuairteoirí, gnó nua agus infheistíocht a mhealladh chomh maith le naisc agus cairdis nua a bhunú. Tá ár sárthaispeántas á thacú ag Tourism Ireland agus agus ag Biúró Thuaisceart na hÉireann i Washington”.

Lean sí, “Agus muid ag obair go dlúth le Dún na nGall tá muid in ann an réigiún a phoibliú ina iomláine, ár mbuanna áitiúla agus ár n-obair a chur chun cinn, agus cinnte a dhéanamh de go bpoiblítear an réigiún seo mar áit a bhfuil sé maith cuairt a thabhairt uirthi agus gnó a dhéanamh inti”.

Mhínigh Mary Blake gur mean tábhachtach é an t-imeacht seo le hacmhainneacht an réigiúin mar cheann scríbe turasóireachta cultúrtha, spóirt agus chúrsaí reatha a fhógairt sna Stáit Aontaithe agus dúirt sí gur féidir leis an imeacht cumainn fhadtéarmacha a bhunú idir rannpháirtithe as Doire agus Dún na nGall agus an imeacht i Milwaukee.

Cuirfear Seirbhís Ginealais na Comhairle Cathrach chun tosaigh mar ghné lárnach den chuairt. Dúirt ginealaí na Comhairle Cathrach Brian Mitchell gur deis den scoth í Féile Milwaukee le tógáil ar an tsuim i stair mhuintire agus eitnigh atá dul i méid i measc Diaspóra na hÉireann.
“Tá an ginealas mar ghné lárnach den sárthaispeántas a rachaidh go Milwaukee agus maíonn 32.6m duine sna Stáit Aontaithe go bhfuil sinsearacht Éireannach acu agus meastar go bhfuil thart fá 9m duine i Meiriceá Thuaidh a bhfuil a gcuid sinsearachta ag dul siar go hIarthuaisceart na hÉireannn. Ó cuireadh an tseirbhís seo ar bun tá muid báite le hiarratais ó dhaoine agus síleann muid gur féidir linn ár scéal a insit faoin dóigh a ndeachaigh leagáid mhuintir an cheantair seo go mór i bhfeidhm ar na Stáit Aontaithe”.

Dúirt Joan Crawford, ó Fáilte Ireland “Tá cruthúnas ann go bhfuil biseach ar an mhargadh Meiriceach agus tá muid ag obair lenár gcomhghleacaithe ag Tourism Ireland sna Stáit Aontaithe i rith an ama le deiseanna chun Iarthuaisceart na tíre seo a phlé ar bhonn trasteorainn. Mhol siad an t-imeacht seo mar go bhfuil sé ar an cheann de na himeachtaí is mó sna Stáit Aontaithe leis an tír seo a chur chun cinn”.

Mar chuid den fhéile beidh réimse ceoltóirí agus taibheoirí a bhfuil ceangal acu leis an Iarthuaisceart ag glacadh páirte; Altan, Brendan Hendy Band, Different Drums of Ireland, The Henry Girls, Kintra, Moya Brennan agus Tom Sweeney.

Tuilleadh eolais faoin fhéile ag irishfest.com/

Críoch


Derry Donegal


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