This weekend sees the first of a series of concerts taking place at Hotel Minella in Clonmel as part of efforts to get the entertainment industry back on its feet.
As part of the Live Performance Support Scheme the hotel is to stage 14 outdoor events.
The first three take place this weekend with Robert Mizzell on Friday night, Mike Denver on Saturday with Jimmy & Claudia Buckley wrapping up things on Sunday.
John Nallen from Hotel Minella says it’s a welcome initiative with a huge amount of interest already.
“We have country music, we’ve Paddy Casey, We’ve Neil Delamare the comedian, we have Donal Clancy, Abbaesque, Louise Morrissey, renowned opera singer Celine Byrne and Sharon Shannon.”
“The numbers are small and it has to be socially distanced but it’s a great initiative and it’s bringing people to the area – we’ve a lot of beds sold for the weekend for people coming from all over the country to come to see Clonmel as a result of it.”
John Nallen also says the Suir Blueway is proving a huge attraction for visitors to South Tipperary.
He says the increase in people choosing to holiday in Ireland rather than abroad because of the pandemic is very noticeable.
He says visitors are showing a particular interest in cycling and canoeing.
“The Blueway is huge – I counted the other morning 50 bicycles here at the hotel with people that were going on the Blueway. And they’re not lads that do the 100 kilometre on a Sunday – these are people that are ‘I wonder will I make it?’ and they’re happy as Larry.”
“These are people who would have been to Faro or Malaga or someplace every other year but they’re staycationing. They’re going to the mountains, they’re going to Patrick’s Well, they’re going to Coumshingaun.”
“I’ve a family here at the moment and they’re canoeing – they say its one of the best canoeing facilities in Europe.”
