Festivals pump €3m annually into Carlow economy

CARLOW’S trio of premier cultural events – the Carlow Arts Festival, Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas, and the Pan Celtic International Festival – collectively inject around €3 million into the local economy each year.

Carlow Arts Festival alone generates an estimated €1.2 million for local businesses annually, according to figures from the Local Enterprise Office, with more than 25,000 visitors attending the arts event each June. Meanwhile, the more intimate Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas contributes between €500,000 and €700,000 yearly, drawing between 3,500 and 5,000 attendees to the historic venue.

The Pan Celtic International Festival, which returned to Carlow in 2025 and is confirmed again for 2026 and 2027, brought more than 6,000 attendees to the county this year, generating over €1 million in local spending.

Eileen O’Rourke, CEO of Carlow Tourism, emphasised the strategic importance of these events beyond their immediate economic impact.

“Festivals are hugely important to Carlow’s tourism sector, often providing the impetus for visitors to travel to the county in the first instance and, based on positive experiences, are the reason why many return at other times. They also generate positive word-of-mouth publicity among family and friends,” said Ms O’Rourke.

The economic benefits extend throughout the local business community. Andy Currums, executive director of Carlow Arts Festival, highlighted partnerships with local businesses, including O’Hara’s Brewery, Walsh Whiskey, VisionGreen Consultancy, Carlow Credit Union, Lambert’s Coffee House, Ed Cahill of Tully’s, who runs the festival bar, and Dooley Motors, who are providing an electric vehicle this year to bring artists from the airport to the festival.

“We have our food village every year at the festival: they’re all local traders and they all keep 100% of their profits, aside from a small fee for energy usage,” said Mr Currums.

“We do take our position in the local community and the local economy really seriously,” he added.

The hospitality sector sees particularly strong benefits from these cultural events. Michael Walsh, general manager of the Seven Oaks Hotel, reported that the Pan Celtic Festival results in approximately a 20% boost to its business, making it the hotel’s busiest week of the year.

“We have the Scottish and the Welsh groups. They arrive on the Tuesday and check out on the Sunday; they would occupy all our bedrooms. We also have the festival nights that we host on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” said Mr Walsh.

The timing of the Pan Celtic Festival is especially valuable as it occurs outside the traditional summer peak, helping to extend the tourism season and offering valuable off-peak business for accommodation providers and retailers.

Funding for these cultural events comes from various sources, including the Arts Council, Carlow County Council, Fáilte Ireland, and additional private and public partners, with the festivals supporting employment both directly within festival teams and indirectly across the hospitality and creative sectors.

Beyond the economic benefits, these festivals significantly enhance Co Carlow’s profile nationally and internationally. Carlow Arts Festival, one of Ireland’s longest-running multidisciplinary arts events, has become a big part of Carlow’s identity, while the Borris House festival elevates the county’s standing in global literary circles with high-profile speakers this year to include Fiona Shaw, Rupert Everett, Kristin Scott Thomas and Steven Pinker.

As Ms O’Rourke of Carlow Tourism noted, these festivals are “significant drivers of business for the accommodation and hospitality sector”, which is evident in the success of Carlow Tourism’s own festival programme, including the Carlow Garden Festival, County Carlow Golf Classic and walking festivals.