Feile Club makes a splash with local business
01 June 2015
From left to right, Colin Neill (CEO Hospitality Ulster), Kevin Gamble (Féile Director) Paul Maskey MP, Harry Connolly (Féile Executive Director) and Cathal O’Neill (Diageo).
An exciting new arts initiative has just been unveiled that will bring Ireland’s biggest community festival together with the cream of local business.
Organisers believe that Féile Club, which was launched at a glittering event hosted by Hospitality Ulster last night, will forge meaningful partnerships that will help to inject further vitality into the burgeoning hospitality industry that exists around the west of the city and Féile an Phobail - now in its 27th year.
Speaking at the event, Féile director Kevin Gamble said: "Féile an Phobail has always supported local businesses across the city from our inception.
“As Féile continues to grow year on year, so do the opportunities for local businesses to get involved with Féile to partner, support and contribute to the sustainability of Ireland’s largest community arts festival.
“We believe that we bring world class international acts to the west of the city in a unique way that the local community can access directly.
"Building on our strength as a festival for all the people, we are pleased to unveil the details of the Féile Club today and how we can provide a platform and an opportunity for that all important group of our community - the local private sector - to get involved and help support the ground breaking work of Féile an Phobail. It's great to see so many local business leaders here so passionate about getting behind Féile as a real regenerative force for not just west Belfast but the city as a whole."
This year's Féile, which runs from 30 July to 9 August has already announced UB40 as a major headlining act, with more big names to follow.
Commenting at the launch of Féile Club, Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster said:
“Féile an Phobail is a wonderful event and Hospitality Ulster is excited to be able to support the launch of the new Féile Club which will provide a vehicle for business to get involved and help support Ireland’s largest community arts festival which takes place in Belfast every year.
“Féile has always been dependent on the support of local businesses and it is because of that support throughout the years that it has been able to flourish and become bigger and better every year.
“Hospitality Ulster also recognises the great benefits that Féile brings to the local hospitality sector, as our pubs, restaurants and hotels play host to visitors and festival goers from both home and further afield and for that reason we are keen to show the support of the wider hospitality industry here by supporting the launch of the Féile Club this year.”