Thousands of people have turned out for the opening day of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann which is being held in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
The event was officially opened by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar earlier today.
The Fleadh, which is organised by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and hosted by the local Fleadh Executive Committee, is returning to the midlands town for a second year.
It is expected to attract half a million visitors to the town over the coming week.
"The place is buzzing and our committee is still working hard to make sure no stone is left unturned," said Joe Connaire, Chairman of the Fleadh organising committee.
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann was founded in Mullingar in 1951 and the town hosted the inaugural Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann that same year.
When the festival began more than 70 years ago, it was against the backdrop of a decline in the popularity of traditional Irish music.
Just a few hundred people attended in the early years, but it is now the world's largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance.
Last year's event in Mullingar was deemed a huge success and organisers are promising that this year’s Fleadh will "be better than last year".
"This is an event for young and old. There’s a special focus on overseas this year and there’s plenty of free entertainment," said Mr Connaire.
"It’s the concerts that bring in the revenue for us to pay for the event, so I’d encourage people to book their tickets and support those events," he added.
Over 1,200 volunteers are involved in organising and running the Fleadh.
What's behind the enduring popularity of the Fleadh?
"We've been working on this since 2016 and then Covid came and we had to rejig, so we had to double the organisation," said Mr Connaire.
"But the team worked hard, and we’ve made this work. Our committee has brought about huge success," he added.
Mullingar Chamber of Commerce estimates that the Fleadh is worth around €50 million to the local economy.
"What we found in hospitality and retail is that we had repeat visitors come back last winter because of what they found here last summer," said Allyson English, President of the Mullingar Chamber of Commerce.
"The whole vibe and buzz around town will continue long beyond this festival and put Mullingar on the map and encourage people to come back time and time again," she said.
"The shop windows look amazing. It’s about showcasing Mullingar. We’ve got visitors coming from far and wide and why wouldn’t you want to be putting your best foot forward," she added.
It is something tourism chiefs are hoping to build on.
There will be people coming to Mullingar from around the country and the world this week.
Visitor numbers are expected to rise between 10% and 15% this year, due to the success of last year.
"Half a million people descending on the town this week, it’s unprecedented, it’s fantastic and it’s a great introduction for people to Mullingar and the midlands, " said Paddy Matthews, Head of Fáilte Ireland's Hidden Heartlands.
"As you know the midlands in Ireland, people pass through it on their way to holidays in the west and this is an opportunity to introduce what we have here to people from all over Ireland and the world," he said.
"Mullingar has put its best foot forward and it is right in the middle of Ireland, with lots of lakelands, peatlands, tremendous walks and cycleways," Mr Matthews said.
"We need to keep the message going, to say it's not just for the Fleadh that people should come here," he added.
"The midlands is something special. There’s a real authenticity here and you’ll see that here this week, there’s a real pride among people here in Mullingar and that really resonates with visitors," he said.
RTÉ and TG4 will once again act as broadcast and streaming partners respectively.
RTÉ Radio 1’s Marty Morrissey, Louise Duffy and Kieran Hanrahan are set to broadcast live from Mullingar, along with RTÉ Raidío na Gaeltachta’s Neansaí Ní Choisdealbha.
