Riverdance Sequel To Be Part Of The Gathering

A new show from the producers of Riverdance is one of the star attractions of The Gathering, a year-long tourism initiative that aims to bring over a quarter of a million extra visitors to Ireland next year.

A new international GAA competition will also be held, with finals to be held at Croke Park in August.

There will also be an "International Harvest Festival" which will celebrate Irish food, and 'Love' a new music festival.

"The Gathering is serious business, with serious commitment and serious gains to be made," said Taoiseach Enda Kenny at a launch in Dublin last week.

"Every day I meet people who say to me, 'Taoiseach, we want to do something for Ireland. We want to make a difference in getting Ireland back on its feet.'

"With The Gathering they can," he said.

Along with nationally organized events, local communities and small towns are being encouraged to do something to attract emigrants from their areas home.

Several clans are inviting their name-sakes home to Ireland for a get-together - including O'Deas in Co. Clare, Gallaghers in Donegal and Fitzgeralds of Co. Limerick.

The Gathering is the biggest tourism initiative ever launched in Ireland.

It has a dedicated budget of five million euros in addition to the normal marketing budget of the Tourism Ireland.

If it's a success, it could be worth up to €170m to the economy and boost employment by creating 3,000 jobs.

The producers of Riverdance, John McColgan and Moya Doherty, have designed a brand new show aimed specifically at the diaspora.

Mr McColgan described it as "a very modern, high-tech, high energy show about emigration, and homeland, and people having to leave a home place and triumph in a new world."

Scouting Ireland is to host an international jamboree, and hopes to attract some of the 30 million scouts around the world.

International firms like Facebook, Google, KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers have committed to hosting gatherings of their employees.

Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said the response from people at home and abroad has been fantastic with ideas for events coming in every day through www.thegatheringireland.com.

"These range from family gatherings, school reunions and even a gathering of twins," he said.

Junior Tourism Minister Michael Ring said while there would be no grants to finance gatherings, there will be a marketing budget.

Traditional festivals like the Galway Arts Festival, St Patrick's Day Festival are to be expanded.

"We're looking for your help and support on this," Minister Ring said, "We want positivity, no negativity. We want everyone working on this.

"We have a great country, great community, great people."