Applications open for second round of Fáilte Ireland Festival and events fund in Longford

Are you planning a festival or event in Longford this year? Is it one that might attract visitors to the county or from overseas? If so, Longford Tourism as part of Longford County Council is inviting you to apply for the Fáilte Ireland Festivals and Participative Events Fund Round Two, which is now open for applications. 

This round of the fund seeks to support festivals and events held from July 1 2025 up to December 31 2025, which drive both domestic and international tourism helping to increase economic activity within the community. 

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The objective of the scheme is to support community and voluntary groups who are organising a diverse range of projects and events and to enhance destination Longford as a fantastic place to live, work and visit. 

The festival or event must take place in County Longford, take place over a minimum of two consecutive days in duration and aim to attract international visitors. 

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This is Round Two of the fund for 2025 which is advertised twice a year for festivals from January to June and from July to December.

The Regional Festival and Participative Events Programme is aimed at festivals and participative events that fit into one of the following categories: 

• General Festivals (for example, literary, historic, traditional culture or family focused)
• Arts, Music and Theatre
• Food and Drink
• Sports and Outdoors
• Business and Education
• Other

The following categories of festival and participative events are ineligible for this funding arrangement:

• Purely commercial events with limited tourism appeal
• Agricultural shows and countryside fairs with limited tourism appeal
• Spectator-based sporting events
• Circuses and carnivals
• Christmas fairs and markets

County Longford has a wealth of festivals and events with an action-packed programme taking place on a monthly basis throughout the county. The month of May has already seen some high-profile events taking place in the county including the Gaelforce Great River Swim Festival which took place in the Lanesborough/Ballyleague area last weekend. Leading Breton folk and traditional musicians ‘Ampouailh’ also played a special free concert in Ballinamuck last weekend as part of their Irish tour. 

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Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Mark Casey said, “County Longford enjoys an action-packed programme of festivals and events which contribute so much to our local and increasingly now national calendar. All of these festivals and events give visitors more reasons to choose Longford as a destination of choice and serve to highlight our beautiful county as a great place to visit, a wonderful and vibrant place to live and a hidden gem for investors to consider.”

Longford County Council Chief Executive Paddy Mahon encouraged applications for the funding round saying, “Festivals and events are at the heart of what makes our county such a vibrant and welcoming place. They not only bring people together and celebrate our unique culture, but they also drive local tourism and support jobs. I strongly encourage applications for this round of funding- your ideas and energy help keep our county thriving.”

The scheme will not fund ongoing running costs of organisations, the servicing of debt repayments, or activities where adequate statutory funding is already available. 

To apply, log on to Longford.ie and check out the News page to fill in the application. 

For more information, contact Longford Tourism on 043 33 435 09 or by email to tourism@longfordcoco.ie 

Only completed submissions received via the approved online application form will be considered and must be submitted by 6pm on Thursday May 29 2025. Incomplete applications and applications received after the closing date will not be considered for grant assistance.