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Big seminar boost for Buncrana
01.05.09
by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent
BUNCRANA and the Inishowen Peninsula are set for a
massive economic boost next year following
confirmation that the town is to host the annual
conference of the Association of Municipal
Authorities of Ireland (AMAI).
The conference will see more than 400 delegates
descend on Buncrana next September and according to
three local councillors, who secured the prestigious
event, will be provide a major economic stimulus for
the town.
The event was secured following a presentation at
last week’s conference in Ballina by a three-man
team from Buncrana council of councillors Paul
Bradley, Nicholas Crossan and Joe Doherty.
“The hotels and bed and breakfasts will be packed
for three or four days and we will be using the
conference as an ideal opportunity to showcase the
beauty of Inishowen to the visiting delegates,”
councillor Nicholas Crossan confirmed yesterday.
And councillor Joe Doherty who is Executive Honorary
Vice-President of the AMAI described the conference
as “one of the biggest and best in Ireland,” and
suggested that securing it for Buncrana would
provide a “huge boost for the town.” |
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Meanwhile councillor
Bradley said the Buncrana delegates were absolutely
delighted that the delegates had given such a vote
of confidence to Buncrana.
“Usually the conference has gone to bigger towns
like Letterkenny or Tralee and we were competing
against Letterkenny for the conference but the
delegates were won over by our presentation and in
the end we were delighted that we had won the vote,”
councillor Bradley said.
“Letterkenny has had experience of hosting some
major conferences, but in recent times Buncrana has
hosted big conferences like the ICA conference that
my wife Marjorie was involved in and that was a
point I raised with the members at the weekend,”
councillor Doherty said.
Buncrana has hosted the conference twice before,
once in 1957 and once in 1976, but the event has
grown considerably since then.
The AMAI has members from 114 councils across the
country and delegates attending the conference next
September will be expected to arrive in Buncrana on
a Wednesday and stay until Sunday.
“This will help the local economy greatly and we
will do everything we can now to ensure that the
entire Inishowen peninsula is sold to the visitors
who, hopefully will then be encouraged to return
time and again,” councillor Crossan said.
Councillor Bradley agreed that the conference would
provide a great chance to showcase Buncrana.
“This is the most northerly Town Council in the
country and many of the delegates will never have
been this far north before. It’s a great chance to
use this conference as a showpiece for the area,” he
said. |
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