Mr. Feargal Cavanagh:

Most societies have to do it. If they do not, they will not be there the following year. They all work off a very low base. For every society, the fundraising they have to do every year to augment the money they get from ticket sales for their shows, plus the income they get from local sponsorship and sponsorship in their programme or whatever, is a constant challenge. The different routes for funding the show come under pressure all the time as costs continue to rise. My society puts on shows in the Town Hall Theatre in Galway. Our show opens tonight and I will be back there for opening night. The cost to rent the Town Hall Theatre from Galway City Council for our production has gone up by €1,000 since last year, however. All societies are under constant pressure to come up with funding through whatever means possible. If they do not have sufficient funding, they have to source more funding or, as is happening, take a year out to fundraise to get back on a level playing field.