Susan Kirby, Chief executive of St Patrick’s Festival
How important is the St Patrick’s Day Festival to the economy?
The festival is hugely important economically. It returned a total of €50.5 million to the economy last year, €43.7 million of which was generated from tourists. About 120,000 international visitors travelled to Ireland for the festival, which had a key impact in terms of bed nights and spending on food, drink, entertainment etc. According to research from Bord Fáilte, more than two-thirds of overseas visitors stayed in Ireland for up to a week, while 17 per cent stayed here for up to two weeks.
How many people are employed by the festival?
Four people full-time plus two part-time, and various contractors, depending on the scale of the festival and specific projects – the team grows as we get closer to the festival. We also have in the region of 250 volunteers each year.
What is the cost of putting on the festival?
The festival, which is now in its 17th year, costs in the range of €3 million to produce. It’s not just a parade but a festival lasting between four and six days. Just over a third of our funding comes from the State, through Fáilte Ireland, and the remainder through sponsors, partnerships and benefit-in-kind support. Many of our partners which contribute and benefit from the event, such as Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, are on our board.
What are the effects of the economic downturn?
We’re operating in a very different environment than a few years ago, and sponsorship and funding sources have been put under pressure in the last number of years. Nonetheless, we have had real success in maintaining our key sponsors, and have put in a lot of time and effort responding to their requirements and needs. Alongside this, we have been trying to innovate and do more with less to deliver the same standard of quality.
What are the key challenges?
One of the unique characteristics of the festival is the broad range of stakeholders involved in putting on an event of this scale – everyone from small-business owners to cultural institutions to the Garda Síochána. It really is a team effort. Everybody has a slightly different view on things, so one of our key tasks is to communicate effectively and make sure everyone is on board. If we can show them the bigger picture, and the total return that the festival brings, then they can believe in it and support it.
The other challenge is to maintain the balance of innovation and tradition in the festival itself. Audiences are very sophisticated. This year, we are celebrating the theme of science. Children have been asked to submit science-related questions, and the parade participants build their pageants around that.
How important is the Government in stimulating enterprise?
I think the Government has a very important role to play. For example, I strongly believe that it’s important that Government Ministers travel abroad to promote Ireland. The festival presents an enormous opportunity which practically no other country has. Similarly, approximately 30 to 40 international media groups come to Ireland at the time of the festival, which has huge knock-on commercial benefit in terms of promoting Ireland abroad.
What are you most proud of?
It’s hard to beat the moment when you see it all come together – whether the Skyfest or the parade – and see hundreds of thousands of people enjoying it. Getting feedback is also very important. Generally, feedback is extremely positive and plays a key role in how we devise and shape the festival each year.
What figure do you most admire professionally?
Gabriel Byrne is someone I have huge admiration for. His work for Culture Ireland and Imagine Ireland has been visionary and of enormous benefit to the country.
In conversation with Suzanne Lynch