MORE THAN 200 people were at the Radisson Hotel in Letterkenny tonight to hear Clannad singer Moya Brennan promise to work as an ambassdor for the county abroad.
She was singing and playing the harp at the ‘Donegal Gathering’ function which is the brainchild of county mayor Noel McBride.
Thousands of people logged in online from around the world to watch the hour-long broadcast on livetrad.com – part of the Donegal Diaspora Project.
Said Moya: “When I travel around the world and meet people from here you meet people that you recognise and I also meet people who have never been to County Donegal and I am not shy about talking about Donegal when I am on stage.
“There was a guy who came in to Leo’s Tavern from Melbourne a couple of months ago and he had seen me out there. He said that because of the way I had spoken about Donegal that it was his lifelong ambition to see it and so he had travelled to see it. So talking about it definitely does work.”
Moya insisted: “I am thrilled to be an ambassador as a singer. I tell people that one of the main things about the Clannad sound is that you have to go to Donegal to experience it.
“People talk about the haunting Celtic music, but I see it as earthy. There is something earthy about Donegal. It is what we created and what we are.
“We drank in what was around us. I have spoken to people who have been to Donegal and they say they could feel that feeling. I’m proud to be a Donegal lass and I will continue to do that.”
She has also been doing her bit to bring in tourists with her Harp & Voice workshop which attracted people from all over the world last year. It will be on again this year on June 23.
Messages of support sent in online came from all over the world including New York, Boston, Auckland San Francisco, Melbourne and even Berlin.
A special draw was made for hotel and concert ticket prizes for members of Donegal Associations in New South Wales, London and Boston.
Mayor Noel McBride said: “The idea is a tourism initiative that I took on board when I was elected Mayor last year. I want to showcase the events and activities throughout our county.
“Our diaspora is huge. I want to link with our Donegal family from Culdaff to California and from Milford to Montreal.
“To that diaspora – that is scattered throughout the world – Donegal is still their home. I have met a number of Donegal people and I’ve heard the comment ‘are you going home for the holidays’. Well we want people to do that, helping to create jobs in tourism here.”
Councillors from all parties were there to support the event.
Students from Colaiste Ailigh in Letterkenny were among those who performed for the worldwide audience. The broadcast can be viewed for the next 24 hours on www.tradlive.com.
“We’re creating a calendar of events throughout the year – this is what is happening,” said marketing coordinator Sarah Meehan.
“There is so much going on for everyone in Co Donegal this year and we want to tell people what’s happening. We are showcasing existing events and adding to them and building on our links throughout the world.”
Donegaldaily.com will have a video later.
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