"The Gathering"

Dob74

FTA69 wrote: »

Just picked up the Irish Post here and saw it advertised.

"Whether you're Donegal born and bred or aunt had a great uncle Colm who was from Cork; you're Irish. And Guess what? You're invited."

This coupled with a picture of a ginger young one and a multicultural montage.

Cringe.

Will you be keeping count of amount of ads for the Gathering in the notre dame Alabama game.
Amazingly there has been little or no coverage of the fact they are playing for the national championship.
Shows what Irish media/business think of there IrishAmerican brothers.

Judgement Day

Just found this http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2012/01/31/00172.asp while searching for visitor numbers to the Corlea Trackway at Keenagh in County Longford - another of Charlie Haughey's legacies. In 2011 it couldn't even pull in 5,000 visitors. When you extract all the children on school tours who will be included in these figures it is quite obvious that Irish tourism is in a dire truly dire state -outside of the Greater Dublin Area. This is what the clowns behind "The Gathering" have delivered....

Farmer Pudsey

Did I hear right somewhere on the radio that 7 million was spend on The Gathering and it will generate 70K extra visitors so it is costing 100 euro's a tourist.

I wonder is Micheal O'Leary had been given the money how many he have flown for it.:cool:

I love the way many Irish will be going abroad for weekends away and their main holidays but they want us to blow all our money in Ireland

Judgement Day

Judgement Day wrote: »

The thing is a complete farce as can be seen by the sheer amount of existing annual events roped in under the Gathering umbrella to make it look like a success. Remember if you and one other person meet for a pint it's a gathering - according to their own propaganda. :rolleyes:

http://www.thegatheringireland.com/

your family get together too
http://www.thegatheringireland.com/Attend-A-Gathering/Individual-Gathering/Gathering%20of%20the%20Mee%20Families%20of%20Knickanes/19%20July%202013/360#.UPH2e3eOMg9

Private - Invite Only

lol

More of the same

http://www.thegatheringireland.com/Attend-A-Gathering/Individual-Gathering/Devine%20gathering%20/13%20January%202013/2678#.UPH3rHeOMg8

A gathering of the Devine family, original address Laragh, Stradone Co.Cavan. We are having a gathering of the Devine clan and have included invites to relatives in Wales ie. Carmel and her family


Private - Invite Only

Is this stuff for real?

So we have family get togethers being counted as events on the gathering website lol
then we have all the festivals we normally have throughout the year being labelled Gathering events too. Things like the cat laughs in Kilkenny etc things you need tickets for obviously. So why invite people to come from the four corners of the globe when they aren`t invited to anything specific anyway....

If people with families are setting up lives abroad the first few years are tight. Trips home are expensive, especially with children.

The mid to late 20s cohort - more will be single and childless. The target audience most likely to go back for something like this. Those in Australia, the US and other far flung non European destinations will go home when they can get work off. As they are able to use the internet and realise that the Gathering is simply something to be attached to already existing festivals they certainly will not be considerable money on long haul fares other than if they were coming home to visit anyway.

If there was some solid, huge event over the summer - a real gathering - you would get people from the latter cohort home for it if they were based in Europe.

The more you look into it the more family get togethers you see.

http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/11/16/donegal-groups-invited-to-apply-for-funding-for-the-gathering-projects/

Fund amounts will range from €500 to €2,500 with the objective of supporting Gathering events / projects that have the capacity to attract overseas visitors.

The fund is in response to the rapidly growing number of gatherings being planned across the country for 2013.

http://www.thegatheringireland.com/Attend-A-Gathering/Individual-Gathering/McGarrity%20Family%20Reunion%202013/21%20July%202013/1109#.UPKsfXeOMg8

McGarrity Family Reunion 2013
Private - Invite Only

One of a series of gatherings of the McGarrity family (mostly Shantavny branch), last one in 2010 in Switzerland documented in Facebook.

Events will be arranged during a week before and after the dinner on 20th July, should include tours to Tyrone, particularly Ballygawley, and a historical tour of Fermanagh, and of course outdoor excursions and pub evenings.

McGarrity members of all branches are welcome to attend, limit 80, but they must register in advance.

Essentially public money for private parties. Even if one person comes over from abroad does this mean the other 79 family members get free tours and function rooms at the tax payers expense??

Nobody seems to care how their tax money is spent so what the hell

s20101938

Let me just say that as a member of the Diaspora this campaign is hilarious. It's twee, mediocre, tacky, crass and disgusting. It's everything we love to hate about official Ireland, once again confirming our status as the laughing stock of the world. Brilliant.

thebman

s20101938 wrote: »

Let me just say that as a member of the Diaspora this campaign is hilarious. It's twee, mediocre, tacky, crass and disgusting. It's everything we love to hate about official Ireland, once again confirming our status as the laughing stock of the world. Brilliant.

Sad as all that may be, it apppears to be working if only because nama hotels are offering good rates:
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/gathering-events-in-ireland-among-top-attractions-in-us-holiday-poll-580418.html

OMD

Deleted User wrote: »

The more you look into it the more family get togethers you see.

Essentially public money for private parties. Even if one person comes over from abroad does this mean the other 79 family members get free tours and function rooms at the tax payers expense??

Nobody seems to care how their tax money is spent so what the hell

Is it public money for private gatherings? The gathering is a marketing gimmick. These gimmicks happen every year. The difference this year is that the gimmick has been massively successful in raising awareness. (111posts and counting). Failte Ireland spend about €80 million every year. The Gathering will cost €5 million. That is a pretty cheap marketing campaign as a proportion of the overall spend.

Every tourist that comes to Ireland is worth an average of €500 to the economy. So if the gathering results in 10,000 extra tourists coming it will be a financial success. That is against a background of 7.5 million tourists coming every year. So if The Gathering increases tourism figures by 0.15% it will have generated more income for the country than it cost.

the groutch

OMD wrote: »

I The difference this year is that the gimmick has been massively successful in raising awareness. (111posts and counting).

not a good kind of awareness/publicity when the majority of those 111 post are seeing through the BS

RATM

I thought I heard the aim of the Gathering is to increase tourist numbers by 350,000. But also that that target is a physical impossibility- the govt went to Ryanair and Aer Lingus and asked them to increase capacity to get these extra people into the country. I'm not sure what Aer Lingus said but I think I remember Ryanair trying to use it as a bargaining chip to reduce their landing charge at Irish airports. The DAA told them to feck off so Ryanair (which is far and away Ireland's largest airline) won't be increasing capacity.

So if there isn't the extra planes to bring in the extra tourists then the Gathering initiative is doomed to fail before it has even begun. But the spin doctors will get spinning and it will be deemed a success.

OMD

RATM wrote: »

I thought I heard the aim of the Gathering is to increase tourist numbers by 350,000. But also that that target is a physical impossibility- the govt went to Ryanair and Aer Lingus and asked them to increase capacity to get these extra people into the country. I'm not sure what Aer Lingus said but I think I remember Ryanair trying to use it as a bargaining chip to reduce their landing charge at Irish airports. The DAA told them to feck off so Ryanair (which is far and away Ireland's largest airline) won't be increasing capacity.

So if there isn't the extra planes to bring in the extra tourists then the Gathering initiative is doomed to fail before it has even begun. But the spin doctors will get spinning and it will be deemed a success.

This thread is just so full of people who fail to understand tourism. 350,000 extra people represents a 5% increase in tourism numbers. Aer lingus for example operates at about 70% capacity. The entire extra 350,000 people could easily be carried on existing Aer Lingus flights (alone, never mind Ryanair, other carriers and ferries) without the need for any extra flights.
The aims of the gathering are modest. The cost is modest. It is not funding private gatherings, it is not funding all the festivals just wrapping them into one easy marketing tool. It won't change the country but it was never supposed to. If the gathering is a total success the average person will not even notice the extra tourists.

Judgement Day

OMD wrote: »

This thread is just so full of people who fail to understand tourism. 350,000 extra people represents a 5% increase in tourism numbers. Aer lingus for example operates at about 70% capacity. The entire extra 350,000 people could easily be carried on existing Aer Lingus flights (alone, never mind Ryanair, other carriers and ferries) without the need for any extra flights.
The aims of the gathering are modest. The cost is modest. It is not funding private gatherings, it is not funding all the festivals just wrapping them into one easy marketing tool. It won't change the country but it was never supposed to. If the gathering is a total success the average person will not even notice the extra tourists.

That's true especially if it's just Uncle Joe back for the weekend or just a series of rebrandings of existing events. A big pile of bull**** like all the previous initiatives that are forgotten now. I had to rack my Guinness impaired brain to even remember this recent one. :rolleyes:

More below from http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/10/30/is-leatsa-eh/

ChRoMe

Judgement Day wrote: »

So they basically took all the money, paid themselves huge salaries and then when it ran out, dissolved the company? Thats near fraudulent.

carpejugulum

This is just another nice project for the mandarins, who created well-paying jobs for their pals and can pretend they are doing something meaningful at the same time.

How are the other projects doing?
Like the one stealing 500 000 000 from our pensions every year?
Or this other PR exercise called 'Pathways to Work'?

Cookie_Monster

ChRoMe wrote: »

So they basically took all the money, paid themselves huge salaries and then when it ran out, dissolved the company? Thats near fraudulent.

near? Nothing but fraud is what it is

tenton

s20101938 wrote: »

Let me just say that as a member of the Diaspora this campaign is hilarious. It's twee, mediocre, tacky, crass and disgusting. It's everything we love to hate about official Ireland, once again confirming our status as the laughing stock of the world.

Look on the bright side. It creates a few well paid jobs in Failte ireland and similar quangos, and funds a few family private gatherings, and may get someone to visit in 2013 instead of 2014.
Conclusion : you're right. It is twee, mediocre, tacky, crass and disgusting.

Judgement Day

Heard a Failte Ireland head on the radio yesterday latching on to the Premier of "Lincoln" as part of "The Gathering". This was an event organised in aid of the Wicklow Hospice and was happening anyway - typical of the many events that will be claimed/rebranded etc. to make the Failte Ireland/Tourism Ireland/Government Depts. look good and more fool anyone who lets their event get hijacked.

http://www.rte.ie/ten/2013/0121/lincoln.html

tara73

living in germany at the moment and actually got a flyer about this so called 'gathering' in an irish pub a few days ago.
a friend of mine saw it and gave it to me. I was: oh, what is that, looks interesting.
but after reading it I couldn't really figure out what it was supposed to mean, it was just saying peole who feel connected to ireland should come over and attend 'events' or whatever. was very unspecific.

so they are obviously doing something, i.e. laying out this flyers abroad but the whole 'gathering thing' seems to be very unspecific.
It just tells people to come over to Ireland and not much else. so people know ireland exists and I would say they won't fly over because they saw this flyer.
more or less money wasted here I would say.

mise_me_fein3

Total waste. I went on the website to see what it was all about. They have just hijacked events that were happening annually and said they are part of the gathering.

Am I supposed to feel any different whether I go home this year or next year?
No.....Surely something better could have been thought up.
I know its based on a Scottish thing from a few years back that probably did ok but it just seems pointless.

worded

Everyone who is sceptical about this gathering should all meet up next week to protest about it.

Oh wait .................

tenton

even the name "gathering" is very uninspiring. Sounds more like a handful of people who have nothing better to do that gather around a field or street corner to pass the time of day.

thebman

If they wanted to do something positive or had any interest themselves in the gathering then the agenda should have been to setup small concerts in unemployment black spots around the country that were free in with drinks etc... to show case up and coming bands from around ireland but especially the local areas and act as a stimulus to these areas while advertising abroad to encourage people to come home to these events.

The bands would play for the publicity and could sell CD's etc... at the gig and the cost of food and drinks would cover the running of the event or the majority of it and people who couldn't afford to go to concerts etc... could go and bring their own food and drink to save money.

Just seems like all the money has been spent on marketing and this is really a stimulus for the marketing industry of Ireland which will be of little benefit to Irish people but may attract a few more tourists. I'm sure it will make its money back or I hope it will at least but it could have been so much more.

Farmer Pudsey

thebman wrote: »

If they wanted to do something positive or had any interest themselves in the gathering then the agenda should have been to setup small concerts in unemployment black spots around the country that were free in with drinks etc... to show case up and coming bands from around ireland but especially the local areas and act as a stimulus to these areas while advertising abroad to encourage people to come home to these events.

The bands would play for the publicity and could sell CD's etc... at the gig and the cost of food and drinks would cover the running of the event or the majority of it and people who couldn't afford to go to concerts etc... could go and bring their own food and drink to save money.

Just seems like all the money has been spent on marketing and this is really a stimulus for the marketing industry of Ireland which will be of little benefit to Irish people but may attract a few more tourists. I'm sure it will make its money back or I hope it will at least but it could have been so much more.

I think I saw figures it has a 7 million euro budget and they expect 70K extra tourists at this stage so it is costing 100 euro each.

I wonder how many of these might have come anyway so maybe it is 200 or more per visitor as tourism is climbing due to our costs reducing.

Maybe we should have givin it to Mick and asked him how many he fly in but then again they be no jobs for the boys.

I think the name of the project took a lot thinking remember the film Highlander i think they were hijacking that.

tara73

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Maybe we should have givin it to Mick and asked him how many he fly in but then again they be no jobs for the boys.

this may look like a sloppy statement but it actually hits a very valid point.

as for example germany, ryanair was closing down it's route bremen-dublin and hamburg/luebeck-dublin during the last two years. (in the boomtime you could fly return for 40 €!!!)
that means loads of people from northern germany won't fly over as tourists (many even flew just for a booze weekend) anymore although they would, if the flights were still there. simple as that.
loads of tourists lost because of closing down this routes. there's only air lingus flying from hamburg anymore, which is quite expensive.

I think I'm right mick and the government or 'boys' don't get along very well but one can see that it's not very clever from both sides.
instead of doing more or less stupid marketing campaigns, they should work together to provide the most essential thing to get tourists in, means good flight connections.

Chisler2

Not sure if this thread is dead but I've just noticed it, and have been subjected to a confetti of coloured bits of paper from places like the Irish Embassy Washington (I'm living in USA) on The (?!) Gathering.

I travel back and forth between US and Ireland to visit family and in pursuit of my own business interests.

My (American) husband asked what The (?!) Gathering was. I said it seemed to be a collection of fairs at different times in different parts of the country........and told him about the 'Your Country Your Call' and its demise.

We are curious about many aspects of this venture. My husband reminded me of an occasion recently when we attempted to dine at a highly-acclaimed seafood restaurant on the Western seaboard. The telephone was not answered when we tried to book, so we drove the 10 miles and found a locked entrance...........though there were no signs up that the restaurant was closed. Someone then came from the rear of the premises and we were told with annoyance that they were renovating but we could 'try again in a few days time' if we wished to dine there. Astounding. This was not the year 1910 but 2010, and the restaurant had a website for anything it needed potential customers to know.

I am neither negative nor a detractor. An economic migrant (originally to England) in the early 1970's I have strong ties with family and friends and care deeply - and enjoy - my homeland. I have carried Dineen's Irish-English Dictionary with me through a lifetime of house-moves and speak Irish whenever I can find someone else who does.

OK - Ireland's broke............but It DOES MATTER - it matters VERY MUCH......how that is remedied. They have variable experiences. Some will visit again, others will not. Irish roots are not a basis for charity. Doubts that Irish tourism could 'deliver' to guests from the four corners of the globe led me to abandon my plan to have my wedding reception in Ireland.

Irish tourism needs to get real and get down to (literally!) business. The weather is crap and every Irish wo(man) who can afford it will be getting off the island this year to sunnier climes. The euro is expensive if you are changing from sterling or yen or dollars. As an earlier poster pointed out, there is a world economic recession. Everyone is selective about how they spend their hard-earned. 'The (?!) Gathering' sounds like a horror movie and is as much a disservice to the Irish taxpayer as it is disparaging to the Irish diaspora and our friends.

Pete_Cavan

The Gathering isnt that hard to understand, it is a marketing campaign that gives international exposure to local events in the hope of enticing people to return to their roots to attend said events. The Gathering doesnt "hijack" events, the organisers of the events are using The Gathering to reach a wider audience which they otherwise would not be able to reach. These events are organised by local people and have nothing to do with the government.

Post #122 is a good example, someone picks up a flyer in an Irish pub in Germany, checks out the website, finds an event in an area which they have links to and (hopefully) they decide to attend the event. There are plenty of events all over the country so something for everyone.

I know this post will be unpopular, negativity and cynicism have been the reserve of the Irish Economy forum for a while now.

Judgement Day

No, "The Gathering" is another feeble attempt by those in authority to pretend to be doing something positive. Another gravy train for Failte Ireland/Tourism Ireland executives and other of the 'golden circle' to board and help them justify their existence while picking up a nice little stipend as they go. It's an utter sham, reminiscent of 1984 when to celebrate 150 years of Irish railways CIE came up with the imaginative title of "Traen 150" and did absolutely nothing else - you couldn't make it up. :rolleyes:

The Waltzing Consumer

Chisler2 wrote: »

Not sure if this thread is dead but I've just noticed it, and have been subjected to a confetti of coloured bits of paper from places like the Irish Embassy Washington (I'm living in USA) on The (?!) Gathering.

I travel back and forth between US and Ireland to visit family and in pursuit of my own business interests.

My (American) husband asked what The (?!) Gathering was. I said it seemed to be a collection of fairs at different times in different parts of the country........and told him about the 'Your Country Your Call' and its demise.

We are curious about many aspects of this venture. My husband reminded me of an occasion recently when we attempted to dine at a highly-acclaimed seafood restaurant on the Western seaboard. The telephone was not answered when we tried to book, so we drove the 10 miles and found a locked entrance...........though there were no signs up that the restaurant was closed. Someone then came from the rear of the premises and we were told with annoyance that they were renovating but we could 'try again in a few days time' if we wished to dine there. Astounding. This was not the year 1910 but 2010, and the restaurant had a website for anything it needed potential customers to know.

I am neither negative nor a detractor. An economic migrant (originally to England) in the early 1970's I have strong ties with family and friends and care deeply - and enjoy - my homeland. I have carried Dineen's Irish-English Dictionary with me through a lifetime of house-moves and speak Irish whenever I can find someone else who does.

OK - Ireland's broke............but It DOES MATTER - it matters VERY MUCH......how that is remedied. They have variable experiences. Some will visit again, others will not. Irish roots are not a basis for charity. Doubts that Irish tourism could 'deliver' to guests from the four corners of the globe led me to abandon my plan to have my wedding reception in Ireland.

Irish tourism needs to get real and get down to (literally!) business. The weather is crap and every Irish wo(man) who can afford it will be getting off the island this year to sunnier climes. The euro is expensive if you are changing from sterling or yen or dollars. As an earlier poster pointed out, there is a world economic recession. Everyone is selective about how they spend their hard-earned. 'The (?!) Gathering' sounds like a horror movie and is as much a disservice to the Irish taxpayer as it is disparaging to the Irish diaspora and our friends.

because the restaurant was being renovated?
You do know we have more then one restaurant in Ireland

Disparaging? Meh, its a tourist campaign, I think every tourist campaign or advertisment is disparaging, that's not really the point.

35,000 Americans came to Dublin to watch American Football as a way to launch this "Gathering". That was a great night :pac:

swedex

The Waltzing Consumer wrote: »

because the restaurant was being renovated?
You do know we have more then one restaurant in Ireland

Disparaging? Meh, its a tourist campaign, I think every tourist campaign or advertisment is disparaging, that's not really the point.

35,000 Americans came to Dublin to watch American Football as a way to launch this "Gathering". That was a great night :pac:

If there was anything to learn from "The Gathering" would be that College Football should become a regular visitor to Ireland. It's huuuge in the US particularly with the middle classes.

Judgement Day

swedex wrote: »

If there was anything to learn from "The Gathering" would be that College Football should become a regular visitor to Ireland. It's huuuge in the US particularly with the middle classes.

"The Gathering" was not needed to prove that, as Notre Dame previously played Navy at Croke Park in 1996.

Cookie_Monster

swedex wrote: »

If there was anything to learn from "The Gathering" would be that College Football should become a regular visitor to Ireland. It's huuuge in the US particularly with the middle classes.

Yeah, lets just americanise the place even more for a few more US dollars thrown our way

AlekSmart

Judgement Day wrote: »

"The Gathering" was not needed to prove that, as Notre Dame previously played Navy at Croke Park in 1996.

But did we not fail to secure any follow-up to NotreDame/Navy ?

I seem to recall we were pipped by London ?

But no matter really as it's the "follow-up" which usually stymies us in most scenarios.

This country is full of good ideas,viable propositions in every field,but once the Dead-Hand of Official Ireland is laid upon them,they tend to sink beneath a leaden weight of reports,reviews and associated consultantism.:(

Sponge Bob

This is a right mess in Galway, the county council got in the way in late 2012 and insisted that 'Gatherings' be notified to them first, and they were. These include some long running festivals that predate 2013.

I understand that none of these gatherings notified to the council have been put on The Gathering website....some 3 months later. :eek:

Too late now if you ask me. Can we have a special Galway gathering in 2014 where they can dust these ideas off. ????

Judgement Day

Sorry, it's time for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aSYk3W6e7s

AlekSmart

Sponge Bob wrote: »

This is a right mess in Galway, the county council got in the way in late 2012 and insisted that 'Gatherings' be notified to them first, and they were. These include some long running festivals that predate 2013.

I understand that none of these gatherings notified to the council have been put on The Gathering website....some 3 months later. :eek:

Too late now if you ask me. Can we have a special Galway gathering in 2014 where they can dust these ideas off. ????

I'm put in mind of Ronald Regans quote about the worst thing an American could ever hear spoken on their doorstep...

"Hi,We're from the Government,and we're here to help !"

:eek: