An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-09
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Manus Boyle (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I would like to pass on my condolences to the family of the former Senator, Ernie Caffrey, on behalf of myself and my colleagues.
I want to raise concerns about the liquidation of Tickets.ie and the Rory Gallagher International Festival in Ballyshannon. The festival is one of the most important cultural and tourism events in the north west. Every year, it brings thousands of visitors to Donegal and supports local hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and up to 30 small businesses. It is reported that the festival is now owed €283,000 following the collapse of Tickets.ie. This is a major concern for the organisers and for all those local businesses that provided services during the festival. What makes it most difficult is the fact that this was the best festival in the 23-year history of the event and had the biggest crowds in Ballyshannon. Organisers are now facing uncertainty about whether another festival can be put together and bills can be paid. We need to get clarity on the protections that are in place when ticket companies hold money on behalf of festivals and other events. I would ask the Minister what engagement has taken place with the liquidators and affected festivals. What supports are available to organisations impacted by this liquidation? These issues are about more than one festival. They are about protecting our community events, supporting local businesses and maintaining confidence in Ireland's events sector. I hope we can all work for those affected and consider what lessons can be learned. This is a very sad situation when an organising committee has pulled everybody together for a great event. I attended it myself. The crowds that were in Ballyshannon were unreal, but now the festival has been landed into a mess like this where it is €283,000 in debt through no fault of its own. Surely we have to get the Minister involved here.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-09