Fleadh Cheoil 2024 - Discussion thread

Lack of accommodation, Rise of Anti-social behaviour in public, Local business closing due to traffic restrictions, lack of venues going to entertaining

Wexford needs nightlife after 6 on a weekday it is just empty, with nowhere open, and nothing to do I often see tourists strolling out of hotels around wondering why we came here. Fleadh is the perfect thing to kick-start something.

If there was a demand, businesses would be open. You can't expect a business to stay open and pay staff if nobody is going to walk through the door. People don't have the disposable income to socialise more than once a week (at most) given the prices charged. Personally, I prefer to save my money for a couple of holidays abroad each year, where I get better value.

As for the Fleadh, I'll be stocking up on supplies and bunkering down

Holy mother … when I suggested a thread I was expecting the full on negativity on here.

I was hoping for more on the informative and town suggestions as I’ve never been to Wexford town.

So the positives:

From previous experience it tends to be very family orientated festival. Lots of kids and family’s roaming about and enjoying the outside music if the weather is good

I've generally never seen much anti social behaviour. Fri, Saturday and lesser extent can get a bit messy late on but that’s as far as it goes.

Mullingar last year had a high level of guards around the place, very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

The music is super and generally of a very high standard. If your not a trad lover the town atmosphere is still excellent with big smiles and good banter in the pubs.

If you hate trad music, yeah stay away. It will be skiddley idelley everywhere.

As for Wexford town, apart from lack of accommodation, I’m hearing lots of positives. Nice town, friendly locals with an interesting accent, narrow medieval street and good pubs. Be good to hear some locals thoughts.

Tip no 1, cheers McLoughlin

Musicians will go to any pub. They just want to play.

If there there's loud music on in abr like rock, dance, alternative … its a hint the owner doesnt want trad.

Fine with that too. Traditional Irish music isn't for everyone.

If I was an pub owner that doesn't like trad and heard 500,000 to 800,000 trad lovers are expected. I would suddenly book a hape of trad acts.

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Anybody hear that a certain pub is charging 10r for a pint of coors,heard this in my local last night but still don't know if True or not if true they won't be getting any of my money

Give us a lash of The Mason's Apron there on an E flat whistle …and follow it up with The Salamanca.🙂

enter there

Like Mullingar last year, just walk and look MB. Sometimes things are slow to get gong during the day.

Pubs always better than hotels

It’s jammers yesterday today and will be tomorrow and Sunday/Monday

In the main yes, but there’s a couple of things going on Monday am too, final farewell singing at Mary’s Bar on Monday 12th @ 14.00

There’s music going on all day right through to beyond midnight Sunday so it’s a full day

Thank christ this is finished. A right PITA for those with a blue badge and severely limited mobility issues.

I wont lie, I was very negative at the start, but it was more a worry that the town wouldn't handle such a crowd but they did and they did it fantastically. I was glad to hear the feedback from Fleadh goers that it was one of the best they were ever at. Wexford has such potential but its often wasted. That Quay front should be used far more. The bar I worked in had a number of food stalls and they were massively impressed and would like to return. The Fleadh might have been the start of some growth.

Food festivals are a big draw for me and I've attended them all over the country, but not Wexford (apart from the Maritime Festival). Its a shambles to be honest, that quay front should be booming. I worked alongside Little Catch (who bring their own crowd, they could be on the ballast bank and people would swim over), Socafro, The Oven and Bella Napoli. They were all delighted and just loved the vibe in Wexford in general, not just the Fleadh.

But even aside from food, why not music? Yes, theres the Spiegeltent (which in my opinion has become a bit tired) but there could be so much more. Food festivals, beer festivals, music events, markets etc. Its a beautiful quay front, they should use it.

Yep, when it originally started I attended a bit. I can't believe some of the same acts get recycled every year. It would be lovely to see a stage set up every two to three months and draw in some small local acts and some larger acts from across the country, with pop up bars etc.

Just as an aside, I'm hearing rumours that the Fleadh may come here for the third year, not just next year. That would be an amazing boost to Wexford.

They usually give if for three years I’ve been told

It's two years and there are currently discussions for 2026.