THIS Sarsfield’s Day Festival Weekend the ‘Support Your Local…’ campaign is out in force to highlight the massive contribution that small businesses that make up the drinks industry in Limerick – including pubs, restaurants, hotels, independent off-licences and drink suppliers – have to the local economy and tourist offering:
Employing 3558 people in Limerick
Buying €8.1 million worth of agricultural inputs from Limerick
Offering a unique hospitality experience, renowned internationally, in the 408 pubs and hotels of Limerick
An alcohol related wage bill of €83 million in Limerick
Speaking ahead of the Sarsfield’s Day Festival Weekend Cllr Jerry O’Dea, Jerry O Dea’s Bar, Mulgrave Street, Limerick City said:
“Irish pubs like mine offer a unique hospitality experience that is renowned the world over. It’s great to see a whole host of Irish and international tourists flock to Limerick during the Sarsfield’s Day Festival Weekend. When tourists come to Limerick this weekend and indeed throughout the year, they want to go to an Irish pub and enjoy a pint in the welcome surrounds of locals. The pub is the hub of the local town, it is the heart of the local community and we need to preserve that.”
Bart Storan, Campaign Manager for ‘Support Your Local…’ said:
“The Sarfield’s Day Festival Weekend is hugely important for both domestic and international tourism in Limerick and serves to remind us of the huge importance that small Limerick businesses such as restaurants, pubs and hotels play to the local economy.
“Excise duty, however, is putting these small Limerick businesses at risk. Ireland is the most expensive country in Europe to buy alcohol, which has been identified by tourists in Failte Ireland research to be one of their chief concerns about coming back to the country – second only to the weather.
“In order to support Limerick’s tourism offering and boost the local economy in these tough times the Government must support an industry that is a proud part of our history – but which is also an exciting part of our future. The ‘Support Your Local…’ campaign is urging the Government to reverse excise on alcohol which has cost jobs, has made our tourism offering less competitive and has punished the hard pressed Irish consumer.”
Meantime, for a full list of events and details associated with the Sarsfield’s Day festival this weekend, log on www.sarsfieldsday.com
