Press Release:

   A national diaspora centre for Cork needs to be pushed for especially in light of the recent proposals from Drogheda and Limerick for one, according to Cllr Kieran McCarthy. Almost 90,000 overseas visitors came to Ireland last year to trace their Irish roots, spending as much as €61m in doing so, according to Failte Ireland. More than half of those visiting the country to trace their Irish heritage are from North America. Failte Ireland expects that more overseas visitors will come to the country to trace their Irish roots next year once ‘The Gathering’ kicks off. ‘The Gathering’ is a series of events and festivals where people can trace their heritage. Failte Ireland is examining how and where a National Diaspora Centre could be built in Ireland, after being requested to do so by the Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar.

     Cllr McCarthy noted that Cork needs to be on that list. “I believe that Cork city, should be the location for a new Irish Diaspora Centre, which will serve as the hub in Ireland for returning diaspora members. Over 250,000 people emigrated Cork Harbour after the Great famine with countless others during the twentieth century. It is estimated that the Irish diaspora is comprised of approximately 71 million Irish people across the world. The Irish Global Diaspora Centre is a major national and international undertaking. A centre like this can act as a major and sustainable stimulus for Cork into the future. We need to up our game in our discussions with all stakeholders in order to try and progress this project for Cork. I believe that progressing this project would help to re-invigorate any area of Cork City, while also boosting tourism”.