DAN WALSH REPORTING FROM THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE 67th WEXFORD FESTIVAL OPERA

Ms. Josepha Madigan TD, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced a €1 million capital grant for the National Opera House in Wexford tonight while performing the official launch of the 67th Wexford Festival Opera on Wexford Quay.
Speaking to a capacity crowd waiting for the traditional opening night fireworks display, Minister Madigan said; “I am conscious that we are celebrating this year, the 10th Anniversary of the opening of this magnificent Opera House. And while this auditorium looks as good as the day on which it opened we all aware that every house requires continued investment to keep it in shape. I am delighted tonight to announce that my Department will be investing €1m in necessary updating and refurbishment works over the next three years to protect the State’s significant investment in this building and to ensure that National Opera House continues to operate at the highest quality levels for many years to come.”

Laura Lawlor, Ger Lawlor, Chairman, Wexford Festival Opera, Josepha Madigan, Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Mrs Dempsey, and Mayor of Wexford, Cllr Tony Dempsey, watching the fireworks on Wexford Quay.

Minister Madigan also extended her thanks and appreciation to the Festival artistic director, David Agler, the Festival board and all those involved in ensuring that the Festival remains such a significant event in the annual cultural calendar.
Mayor of Wexford, Cllr Tony Dempsey, spoke of the origins of the Wexford Festival Opera in 1951, praised the many people who contributed to its growing success over the decades and to the present day, and he acknowledged Minister Madigan and her Departments genorisity in providing €1 million in funding.
Commenting on the announcement, Chief Executive of Wexford Festival Opera and the National Opera House, David McLoughlin said, “We are deeply grateful to the Minister and her Department for continuing and extending the Government’s investment in this unique national cultural asset. The multi-annual funding will enable us to invest in the fabric of the highly sophisticated venue and maintain the National Opera House at its world-class standard in keeping with its national status. This investment, in what is a crucial element of the nation’s cultural infrastructure, will directly enhance the experience of the increasing numbers of audiences and artists who participate in multi-disciplinary performances in the venue year-round”.
Wexford Festival Opera makes a crucial economic contribution to both the local and national economies. As one of Ireland’s leading cultural destination events it is a major generator of cultural tourism, due to over one third of its annual audience coming from abroad. The Festival receives annual public grant funding – through The Arts Council – with a contribution of €1.45m for 2018.

JOSEPHA MADIGAN. Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

The Festival has been ranked by readers of the authoritative Frommer’s publication as the third most popular destination in the world for opera lovers and has been nominated for two years in a row as the Best Opera Festival at the International Opera Awards – with the 2017 Wexford Festival Opera winning Best Opera Festival in the World at the 2017 International Opera Awards.
The Festival got off to a perfect start with a dramatic fireworks display watched by thousands from the quayside and will continue with seventeen days of opera, concerts, recitals, exhibitions, the singing and swinging pubs competition and many conversations.