SUPPLIERS THAT threatened to withdraw services from Galway’s Volvo Ocean Race festival were back on board yesterday after the organisers paid money that was due to the businesses.
Earlier this week a number of key suppliers warned Let’s Do It Galway, the company behind the nine-day festival, that they would pull out if they were not paid sums promised to them and which were overdue.
It is understood that payments were made to suppliers yesterday, and those that were going to pull out the previous evening agreed to continue providing services as a result.
Behind-the-scenes negotiations were said to be in train yesterday as the city prepared for the penultimate day of the festival.
In a related development, several food providers who paid from €7,000 for festival pitches were reported to have withdrawn from the “global village” in Galway’s South Park or “The Swamp”.
Fáilte Ireland yesterday said that it had not received reports of “any issues” in relation to payment of suppliers to the Volvo Ocean Race festival in Galway.
Fáilte Ireland, which paid €4 million to host the race as its largest single tourism commitment this year, said it was very happy with “record attendances” at the nine-day festival.
