No Nathan as Moynalty Country Music Festival falls victim to health guidelines and restrictions

Organisers of the Moynalty Country Music Festival due to be held this Sunday have expressed their disappointment at having to pull the plug on the the event after " exhausting every avenue to guarantee the safe running of the event next" and getting clarity on numbers attending outdoor events.

The event - which was designed to run in place of the Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival - was to feature Nathan Carter, Robert Mizzell, Mike Denver, Paul Leavy and Matt Leavy.

In a statement, organisers said: "It is with great regret that we must announce the postponement of the Moynalty Country Music Festival until 26th of June 2022. We have exhausted every avenue to guarantee the safe running of the event next week; however due to the continued uncertainty on Covid-19 restrictions, and the continued spread of the Delta Variant, we feel it is in the best interests to delay the event.

"The line up of Nathan Carter, Mike Denver, Robert Mizell, Matt Leavy and Paul Leavy will remain for the rescheduled event, with some more acts to be potentially added.

"Tickets that have already been issued will remain valid for the future date. If you wish to seek a refund, please return your ticket to the office via post no later than August 18th. Either your receipt number or name of person who purchased the tickets will also have to be included which will aid us with getting the refunds back to you. Tickets should be returned to:

Moynalty Steam Threshing, Moynalty, Kells, Co. Meath, A82C6K7

"These are trying times, and your support for the event is greatly appreciated. We are very grateful to all of you who hold onto your ticket for 2022 and allow us to continue to build the best event possible!

"We share people’s frustrations in the postponement, and apologise for the inconvenience caused. The health of and safety of our attendees was and is our paramount concern, and we look forward to the day that we can be together again.

A spokesperson for the organising committee added: "The uncertainty for the likes of us and any committee to try and organise anything leaves it near to impossible to do so, just a bit mind boggling when then they can allow thousands into Croke Park at the same time."

Earlier today (5th August) the Electric Picnic organisers finally had to concede defeat in their efforts to host the major music festival at Stradbally Hall Estate at the end of September.

"This is a huge blow and set back to our entire sector, which was mandated to close on the 12 March 2020 and such a decision now means the further loss of employment for over 3,000 people, who had clung to the hope that Electric Picnic would bring an end to their period of hardship," the organisers said.

"We now call upon all members of Government to interrupt their summer recess and immediately issue reopening guidelines, as we have been calling for, with a reopening date for the sector of the 16 August on a phased basis, building to the implementation of no restrictions from 1 September onwards."

Officials from the Department of Tourism are meeting Fáilte Ireland to review tourism and hospitality sector guidelines, following advice from the Attorney General yesterday.

It comes after questions were raised when it emerged that former Minister for Children Katherine Zappone had organised an outdoor gathering of 50 friends and former colleagues at a Dublin hotel, several days prior to her appointment as UN Special Envoy on Freedom of Opinion and Expression.