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Taoiseach Enda Kenny today launched a €2 million IPB Gathering Ireland Fund. The fund, a partnership between IPB Insurance and The Gathering Ireland 2013 is in response to the growing number of gatherings being planned across the country for 2013. The fund will be administered by local authorities across the State to support events and gatherings that have the capacity to attract overseas visitors.

Speaking at the launch the Taoiseach said:

The core objective of The Gathering Ireland 2013 is to deliver an additional 325,000 tourists to Ireland in 2013 and this generous fund by IPB Insurance and the further provision of funds by the Government is a reflection of the importance of the Gathering as a key Government project that will directly contribute to the economic revival of our country.

The target of the fund will be to support 700 or more individual Gathering Ireland events.

Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said:

There has been huge interest in organising Gatherings around the country. To date, between 6,000 and 7,000 people have attended more than 50 meetings in every single county, at which all sorts of Gathering ideas were proposed. Even if you don't qualify for funding, I would still urge everyone to get involved and get organising. Everyone can still organise a Gathering of their own, even if it's something as simple as inviting one or more people to visit Ireland next year.

The Gathering Ireland 2013 is Ireland's biggest ever tourism initiative, providing an opportunity for those with ancestral links or an affinity to Ireland to play a part in and benefit from our economic recovery.

For more information on The Gathering Ireland 2013, visit