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The success of the Ed Sheeran concerts in Cork, which were worth an estimated \u20ac60m to the local economy, has given the city a taste of what an events center could deliver, business leaders said yesterday.<\/p>\nThe success of the Ed Sheeran concerts in Cork, which were worth an estimated \u20ac60m to the local economy, has given the city a taste of what an events center could deliver, business leaders said yesterday.<\/p>\n
As the Sheeran juggernaut rolls on to Belfast tomorrow, Cork\u2019s lord mayor, Councillor Tony Fitzgerald, led tributes to all involved in the staging and organizing of the concerts, including Aiken Promotions, P\u00e1irc U\u00ed Chaoimh, Bus \u00c9ireann, garda\u00ed, support services, and council staff.<\/p>\n
Michael O\u2019Donovan, chairman of the Cork branch of the VFI, said:<\/p>\n
The atmosphere from lunch until the small hours each day was great and people walked, ate, and drank all around the city but respected the city also. Imagine what we could achieve with this venue plus another.<\/p>\n
T\u00e1naiste Simon Coveney, who attended Saturday\u2019s gig, said the success of the concerts, attended by some 130,000 people, proves Cork needs to have big events on a weekly basis in an indoor arena.<\/p>\n
Despite a funding deal being agreed in principal in January, which would see the State investing \u20ac30m to secure delivery of the venue, and BAM and Live Nation coughing up another \u20ac5m each, there is still no sign of construction starting on the proposed \u20ac73m venue on the former Beamish and Crawford site.<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney said the funding deal is still in place but that several government departments are still finalizing complex legal issues around individual funding streams.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take the criticism that we\u2019ve created the expectation and haven\u2019t got it across the line in the timeline that was predicted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s not being done. It means that there\u2019s a lot of due diligence within government departments to make sure that decisions are being made that they can stand over in the future if they are tested and challenged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat caution is not unusual in government departments and it\u2019s not a bad thing either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Coveney pointed out the Government injected \u20ac30m into the revamp of P\u00e1irc U\u00ed Chaoimh. \u201cGovernment, I think in taking that risk, helped facilitate the success story we\u2019ve seen over the last three nights.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we\u2019re going to do the same for an indoor area which is a more complex financial ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cCynics and critics don\u2019t get things built. They tend to actually pull things down.<\/p>\n
“The people who get things built are those who stick with projects even when they\u2019re difficult and even when it\u2019s complex to get finality which is where we are now.”<\/p>\n