ONE OF Dublin’s newest tourist attractions has taken the unusual move of barring the Minister for Tourism from its premises.
Mary Hanafin had been due to visit the National Wax Museum Plus yesterday morning to announce details of the Festival of the Fires, which is due to take place over the May bank holiday weekend in Westmeath and around the country.
Museum director Paddy Dunning said he was contacted by the Minister’s office on Tuesday evening to say that she would not be able to attend the launch.
“We were very disappointed and let down because it was organised to suit her,” he said. “She didn’t even send someone else in her place.”
Mr Dunning said this was the final straw for the National Wax Museum Plus as it had invited former minister for tourism Martin Cullen to visit the museum on two occasions and he did not come.
“This is just typical of this Government, who are happy to see a huge amount of time, effort and money go to waste,” Mr Dunning said.
“This is yet another snub from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and I am now going to bar the Minister from Festival of the Fires and from the National Wax Museum.”
Mr Dunning said he would lift the bar on Ms Hanafin if she apologised for failing to attend the event.
A spokeswoman for Ms Hanafin said she regretted that she was unable to attend the event but it was not possible due to pressures on her diary.
The spokeswoman said she could not comment on Mr Dunning’s decision to bar Ms Hanafin from his museum.
Mr Dunning stood in for the Minister yesterday morning and launched the Festival of the Fires himself, as he held up a placard that said “Minister Barred”.
The Festival of the Fires is to take place on the Hill of Uisneach,which is between Mullingar and Athlone, and in more than 20 other counties over the May bank holiday weekend.
The festival will involve the lighting of a national fire, ignited first on the summit of Uisneach and then carried to hilltops around the country.
The main musical attractions on the Hill of Uisneach will include traditional act Kíla, Sharon Shannon, Mundy, Jerry Fish and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. A variety of other events has also been planned.
See www.festivalofthefires.ie for more details.
