It’s come around again and for me it’s my tenth year of the Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival and to be honest I don’t think I will ever tire of it.
And for those that travel to Kilkenny year on year for this event, they are welcome with open arms because it is the crowd that makes the festival so warm and friendly. Of course it is the comedians who make it so funny and ultimately that is why we are all here.
The festival came under scrutiny this year from local journalist Enda McEvoy who claimed that the festival had lost its ‘je ne cest que’. I’m not sure I agree with Enda on this one.
The Cat Laughs is a model that has worked now for 16 years. It has continuously drawn national, international and local crowds to our little city and it has generated much-needed revenue, jobs and good will.
The organisers are very proud of their product and the comedians simply adore their annual trip to Kilkenny (for some ) or their debut visit (for others ).
The Cat Laughs offers something different to comedians in Kilkenny as ordinarily comedy festivals are quite competitive and comedians are up against each other, while here in Kilkenny they get to play together and perform together in one small area. As they say themselves, Kilkenny is like a holiday camp for comedians!
On a more serious note, you cannot sniff at the €8million revenue that is being generated in the city as a result of the festival. This money is keeping the local economy afloat and every cent of it is needed during these recessionary times. Hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses are all thriving this weekend as a result of this festival. The Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots and Kilkenny Arts Festival are also hugely important to our local economy and Kilkenny has become known as a summer festival city, enticing both domestic and international tourists as a result. Domestic tourism is as important if not more important than overseas tourism as it is year round. Kilkenny’s tourism industry is our bread and butter - it affects every single person who lives here either directly or indirectly. We cannot underestimate its importance. Therefore we should be nurturing what we have. Our arts, heritage and cultural projects need to be treated like coveted treasures and we need to put resources into making them sustainable into the future.
Kilkenny is a fabulous place to live and we are all lucky to live here, but it is also a very special place to visit and people love to come here. It is in all of our best interests to maintain people’s interest in our city and ensure that it remains fun, clean, interesting, cultural and friendly. All of us have a role to play in this.
So for those of you that think the weekend festival is ‘more of the same’ - think about the bigger picture. We are lucky to have it.
Have a great bank holiday of laughter and welcome to all the comedians who grace us with their presence year on year - it is a pleasure.
