Fáilte Ireland has estimated that regional St Patrick’s Day festivals, around the country and outside of Dublin, generated close to €130m for the Irish economy, alone, last year – in terms of local and inbound tourist spend.
The National Tourism Development Authority made the estimation as this year’s St Patrick’s festivities got into full swing over the long weekend just passed.
In particular, it noted the economic contribution from celebrations in Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Sligo and Killarney.
Fáilte Ireland said: “St Patrick’s Day celebrations help to showcase Ireland as a fantastic tourist destination to people around the world so Fáilte Ireland is also giving a Céad Míle Fáilte – a hundred thousand welcomes – to 39 global print, broadcast and online media with a combined audience reach of 137 million that have travelled to Ireland to write, film, interview or post about Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day.”
