Athlone Chamber president Aengus O’Rourke has called on all businesses to make every effort to support the wide range of national events happening in Athlone in 2009.
“As we face into 2009, Athlone is very lucky with the number of national events planned to take place in the town. All these events bring welcome visitors, national media attention, and business to the town. I would appeal to each and every business to support the upcoming national events in various ways.”
Mr O’Rourke drew attention in particular to the All-Ireland Drama Festival, to take place in May, which is a two-week national event sponsored by RTE. “There is a voluntary committee working to attract audiences and maintain the event in the town and it is important that we all play our part in supporting this festival. Businesses can put up flower baskets, ensure there is no litter outside their premises, advertise in their programme, sponsor an aspect of the festival, and attend the events; shops can dress their windows, and all the restaurants and pubs and hotels can give good deals and good service.”
In both May and August 2009, national Community Games finals take place in Athlone for the first time, for which Mr O’Rourke paid tribute to AIT and Professor Ciaran O'Cathain and his team who worked to secure the event for the town.
“It is important that businesses support this event by advertising in their programme, providing music and entertainment, giving good deals, and maintaining their premises in good order, with a warm welcome for the athletes and their families,” he said.
The annual triAthlone in July is “a colourful and exciting event to have in the town”, said Mr O’Rourke, and there is a voluntary committee working away tirelessly in the background to ensure the success of this event.
“Growing from strength to strength year on year, it is important that we support this festival by putting in that extra effort to welcome the athletes and friends and families. Shops can dress their windows in a sporting theme, businesses can put up window boxes, advertise the social events, attend the festival with their families, enter the event, and use the event to draw in an extra bit of business that weekend. There will be disruptions, there will be road closures, so plan for it now, and take advantage of the atmosphere and visitors in town.”
There are also a number of national conferences scheduled for 2009 in Athlone. “The hotels in our region have been working hard to attract national conferences to the area, which brings people to the town,” said Mr O’Rourke. “The hotels are out there promoting the town to raise awareness of the tourism offering in the lakelands and waterways region of Athlone both nationally and internationally and are supported by Failte Ireland Midlands Region, and Waterways Ireland promoting the region for its lakelands and waterways. We thank them for their continued investment in the town and in marketing the area and will support them in whatever way we can.
“It is planned to extend the Discover Athlone day and a voluntary committee will be set up to run this excellent event. The purpose of the open day is to make people aware what’s on offer on their own doorstep and in turn educate people locally to encourage them to act as ambassadors for the region.
Among the other national events taking place in Athlone in 2009 are the Athlone Literary Festival in September, which attracts much national media attention.
The 84th Annual National Rotary Conference is happening in Athlone in October 2009, bringing over 600 visitors from all over Ireland to the town.
“The Little Theatre, Passionfruit Theatre, and Dean Crowe Theatre are again all run by voluntarily committees working to ensure there is a wide variety of choice of theatre, music, comedy, drama, film etc to suit all tastes, and it is important that we support such endeavours.
“All the sporting organisations - football, rugby, sailing, and golf - also have regional and national events coming up in 2009 that attract visitors to the town which all leads to business in the town,” said Mr O’Rourke.
He added that the council is planning now for the Festival of Europe in 2010, so there is more to look forward to the following year in addition to the already extensive calendar of annual events.
