Waterford gets €450,000 boost for Tall Ships hosting

The event will be in Waterford from 30 June to 3 July 2011.

Between them, the partners will provide funding and related supports worth more than €450,000. Waterford City Council and Port of Waterford are already in place as lead delivery agencies having jointly mounted the successful bid to secure the event’s return following Waterford’s hosting in 2005.

Fáilte Ireland is also putting in significant resources to support of the event, which will cost €3m to deliver. A formal announcement will be made shortly on its input. Tourism Ireland, meanwhile, will extensively promote the event overseas between now and the end of June next.  

“The support of the host port partners, education partner and media partner represent a welcome vote of confidence in Waterford’s hosting of The Tall Ships Races 2011 and is all the more appreciated in an economic climate where marketing and sponsorship spending has been hit across the board,” said Cllr Mary Roche, Mayor of Waterford. “The backing provided will augment the existing core funding in place from Waterford City Council and Port of Waterford, while a positive announcement is expected shortly from Fáilte Ireland.”

 “We are delighted to receive such great backing from the partners who each have strong existing ties to the southeast region,” said Des Whelan, chairman, The Tall Ships Races 2011 (Waterford). “Their financial and marketing support is timely as we are now within 10 months of the Tall Ships arriving back in Waterford.

“The massive visitor numbers and economic impact achieved by The Tall Ships Races 2010 host ports in Belgium, Denmark, Norway and England has also served to remind us of the tremendous appeal of The Tall Ships Races.”

Pictured: The newly announced Tall Ships Races host port partners Conor Doyle, Waterford Institute of Technology; Elaine Carey, 3 Mobile; Marcus Goodwin, Bulmers; David McCoy,  Waterford Crystal; and Nuala Carey, RTE