Beautiful and safe Waterford "on the cusp of a wave" says festival director
Both Harvest Festival Co-Directors Mark Dunne and Martin Nolan with Trevor Darmody at the launch of the festival.
At the launch of this year's Harvest Festival programme, which celebrates its 15th year, festival Co-Director, Mark Dunne, gave an account to the Waterford News & Star on his excitement as he returns home while putting his expertise in event management to good use.
"I'm coming from working on productions all over the country and different towns and everything from the Fleadh Cheoil to MCD concerts across Dublin," Mr Dunne began.
"We see the positive economic effect that all these events have on the different areas that we're going into, so to actually be able to come home and take over the custodianship of the festival this year, it has me excited. Events is usually just a job for me, but this has me excited," he added.
As part of his opening speech, Mr Dunne told those present that one thing he aims to do as part of the festival is to increase footfall, particularly at nighttime in Waterford City. The News & Star then asked Mr Dunne why it is he thinks the city has gone so quiet at night and if he thinks it's a safe city.
"Waterford is a safe city," he said.
"Coming from my own career, I spent many, many years in the security industry working in Waterford and working on doors across pubs and I developed into project management and event management but Waterford is a beautiful place. It is really a beautiful place," Mr Dunne added.
Mr Dunne explained how at the start of his career when he told people he hailed from the Déise, there would be very little said, and whatever was said would be expressed with no enthusiasm. However, his opinion is that people's thoughts on Waterford have changed.
"Now you mention Waterford, and people talk with excitement, you know, admiration," said Mr Dunne.
"We already have this beautiful city, and this is exactly what Harvest Festival is for. It's to get people to turn and get back into their city and get in and around their own environment, to just enjoy what we already have.
"Let's be honest, we have a lot more than a hell of a lot of places in the country. It's the oldest city in the country. Everywhere we turn there's history and there's new projects being developed," he said.
Building on the excitement of his involvement in Harvest Festival and in addition to other major festivals and events that Waterford has to offer, Mr Dunne believes Waterford will soon be the place to be, regardless of whether the city gets the political backing and funding it needs.
"We can talk about Waterford being ignored, and it is a common denominator in a lot of conversations that go on, but Waterford is for Waterford, and Waterford people have this resilience about them," he said
Mr Dunne continued, "And you know, no matter how many times we're knocked down, we dust ourselves off and we keep going. And I really, genuinely believe Waterford is on the cusp of a wave here. We're on that tipping point. There's massive investment across the city.
"I drove in here today, driving up the Mall, and I seen all different nationalities milling around the place and everyone was smiling and happy and safe, and that's the main thing," he concluded.
