Terry Brennan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The aspirations of An Tóstal in 1952 were the same as those of The Gathering, namely, local communities throughout the country promoting their towns and villages. It was followed by the National Tidy Towns Competition. When my home town sought to put itself on the tourism map of Ireland, it did so by getting involved in the National Tidy Towns Competition. Almost 20 years later, through local people, businesses, school children and the local authority working together, it won the competition.

I guarantee the Minister that the 850 communities in the towns and villages throughout the country that are actively promoting their uniqueness, be it their locations by rivers or seas or their status as heritage or medieval towns, will help to ensure that The Gathering will be a success. I acknowledge the voluntary organisations that work throughout the year. The competition is a continuation of what began in 1953 with An Tóstal - Ireland at Home, a pageant encouraging people to return home. I congratulate Drumshanbo. I believed my colleague from that town would be present.

I will be parochial. If the Minister has not already done so, I ask him to visit this country's tourism capital, mo bhaile féin of Carlingford. An áit is deise sa tír.

I will be parochial for a moment or two.