Dublin showcased at world’s largest celebration of Celtic music and culture in Milwaukee

A joint initiative to promote Dublin as a must-visit tourist destination has seen representatives from the four local authorities put Dublin in the spotlight at one of the largest events of its kind in the world.

Supported by national tourism agencies Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, a team from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council attended Milwaukee Irish Fest 2024. The world's largest celebration of Celtic music and culture draws visitors from across the United States to enjoy the best of Irish music, dance, history, sports, and traditions on the shores of Lake Michigan.

The Dublin tourism team also used the event as a unique opportunity to partner with TradFest, Dublin's largest festival of Irish music and culture, and programmers of 'The Snug' at IrishFest. This allowed them to engage with some 130,000 festival goers with the message "Winter in Dublin". The delegation distributed promotional materials and information to reinforce Dublin's status as a top destination for U.S. visitors.

The team also hosted a dedicated "Winter in Dublin" reception for key media, trade partners, and organisers of other Irish festivals from across the US, offering targeted insights to assist these key industry figures in delivering the message to additional audiences across the country throughout the year. They were particularly honoured to welcome Ireland's Ambassador to the U.S., Geraldine Byrne Nason, to the Dublin stand to discuss the continued potential for growth in the US market.

Reflecting on a successful event, Declan Power, Senior Executive Officer of Tourism Development at Fingal County Council, said: "This was such an incredible opportunity to showcase Dublin's unique charm and rich culture to a highly engaged audience. We were delighted to connect with so many people eager to hear about what the whole of County Dublin has to offer throughout the year.

"It was a particular pleasure to share the details of the wonderful assets we have in abundance in Fingal, including our natural amenities, heritage, leisure, recreation, arts, culture, festivals and events."

Ralph McGarry of South Dublin County Council added: "Attending IrishFest in Milwaukee as part of a combined effort with the other local authorities in Dublin provided South Dublin County Council with an opportunity to highlight to an engaged and interested North American audience how, as part of the wider Dublin region, South Dublin County is the gateway to the mountains, seamlessly connected to the city centre, with a wealth of natural, built, and cultural visitor experiences. Being a part of Dublin's first attendance at IrishFest in many years also allowed us to highlight the expansion of TradFest events to South Dublin for the first time in January 2025 as part of the wider Winter In Dublin programme."

Adding to this sentiment, Dave Lawless from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council noted: "Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council were delighted to be involved in promoting Dublin and its surrounds at Irish Fest 2024. We supported the Dublin representation at the event this year and welcome visitors from the USA to our county in the coming season. Just 20 minutes south of Dublin city our county offers a wealth of coastal, heritage and mountain activities/attractions."

Catherine Walsh of Dublin City Council also highlighted the collaborative nature of the event: "Dublin City Council's City Co-Ordination Office were pleased to be part of the Dublin Team for the Irish Fest in Milwaukee. The collaboration of Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown gave a full vision of Dublin, bringing together all aspects of the City and County as a tourist destination, in particular for the winter season. Dublin City Council gave a presentation to tour operators of the offerings in the city during the winter season including the Winter Lights programme, Dublin by Night Fests, Christmas markets, museums, theatres, general activities and street activations. We were honoured to be hosted in City Hall Milwaukee by the Mayor, Cavalier Johnson, and to collaborate at the event with all the other Local Authorities representing their respective councils in Ireland."

Claudine Murray of TradFest said: "TradFest has always been about celebrating the vibrant heart of Dublin through music and culture, and Milwaukee Irish Fest provided a perfect platform to extend that celebration to a U.S. audience. The connections we made here emphasise the strong cultural bond between Ireland and America, and we're excited to welcome even more visitors to experience the unique spirit of TradFest and Dublin as a whole."

The four Dublin local authorities also expressed their thanks to Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland who made it possible for the Dublin team to take advantage of the event.

For more tourism information from the four local authorities please visit www.fingal.ie/visitorwww.dlrtourism.iewww.sdcc.ie/en/services/sport-and-recreation/tourism/https://www.visitdublin.com/

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