Lower attendance figures and bad weather fail to dampen the enthusiasm for one of the largest tourism events in the country.
While numbers at the 34th international festival appear to be down on previous years, the atmosphere remains upbeat. According to research carried out by the banks in 1991, the festival is deemed to be worth between ten and twelve million pounds to the Tralee economy.
The festival budget is only half a million pounds, so it's good value for money.
President of the Festival of Kerry David Condon puts the fall in numbers attending the festival down to a number of factors including bad weather and argues that numbers are actually up although spending is down slightly. Mr Condon says that over the last number of years organisers have attempted to bring back the family atmosphere onto the streets of Tralee. He predicts that the 1993 festival will be bigger and better than ever.
I have no doubt that the festival will go from strength to strength.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 25 August 1992. The reporter is Kevin MacDonald.
