Kerry County Council paid €50,000 towards the running of the Rose of Tralee Festival this year, but paid the money directly to suppliers and service providers.
The council has, for a number of years, allocated €120,000 in its yearly budget to support the festival.
After the Rose of Tralee Festival company withdrew from organising street events in May 2023, the council redirected its yearly allocation towards organising the inaugural Féile Thrá Lí.
This year, Kerry County Council paid €50,000 to cover the cost of venue hire and overnight accommodation for the festival.
Kerry County Council previously paid yearly funding of €120,000 to the company which owns and runs the Rose of Tralee Festival, Kerry Rose Festival Ltd.
In 2023, this money was redirected to run the inaugural streets festival Féile Thrá Lí and the council paid no money to Kerry Rose Festival Ltd.
In May of this year, Kerry County Council told Radio Kerry that its 2024 allocation was again provisionally assigned for Féile Thrá Lí.
Records released to Radio Kerry under the FOI Act now show the council paid €50,000 towards the running of the festival, but paid suppliers and service providers directly rather than paying the Rose of Tralee company.
Kerry County Council says it made a contribution by way of payment of part of the costs associated with the festival events, and in return the council was classified and acknowledged as a sponsor.
This included benefits including Kerry be part of the Rose Tour itinerary, inclusion of the Roses in the Féile Thrá Lí parades, and the Roses’ attendance at all civic and public events during the festival.
The council paid €20,000 to the Meadowlands Hotel for overnight accommodation required by the festival, including for the Roses.
It also paid €30,000 to the Munster Technological University to hire the Kerry Sports Academy for two nights for the live televised events, in two separate invoices of €10,000 and €20,000 as requested by the MTU.
Kerry County Council has told Radio Kerry no discussions have taken place about the 2025 festival, but the council’s recent budget meeting included a continued commitment to support large-scale festivals including Féile Thrá Lí.
The private company which owns and runs the festival, Kerry Rose Festival Ltd, made a loss of €72,000 last year, and is carrying forward overall losses of over €320,000.
The company and two of its directors and shareholders, are the subject of High Court proceedings by a third shareholder, due to be heard next in January.
