'Mayo says no': Mayo hotel receives backlash for alleged hosting of Mise Éire festival

Over 1,000 people have signed a petition opposing the controversial Mise Éire festival - which is to take place in Mayo on Saturday, August 23.  

The petition, which was launched yesterday, says the festival has been rescheduled to take place in Ivy Tower hotel (formerly known as the Welcome Inn). 

The petition strongly condemns the event, stating: “Castlebar is widely regarded as a vibrant, welcoming, and diverse town — a place where people come to work, rest, and enjoy life. The undersigned state their view that the Mise Éire festival should not be held in our community.”

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Last night United Against Racism Mayo appealed to Ivy Tower Hotel workers to “shut down” and “boycott” the event. 

The group said: “A strike or boycott will send a strong message that your workplace will not be a platform for hate” and that the hosting of the event will cause “serious damage” to the hotel’s reputation.  

The Mise Éire festival claims to be “for those who cherish Irish culture, heritage and are united in celebrating our shared values”, however the petition says that the event’s “unusual level of secrecy has left them [Castlebar residents] uncertain about the nature of the event and its potential impact on the town”.

The Mise Éire event listing states “Our goal is to create a festival where organisers, staff, attendees, and performers share a common vision”, however what exactly the “common vision” might be is not explicitly elaborated upon, beyond an emphasis on Irish culture. 

The festival line-up features the controversial journalist John Waters - who has worked with far-right figures Gemma O’Doherty and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage. 

Mayo man Stephen Kerr - who unsuccessfully ran in the 2024 general and local elections - is Mise Éire’s chief organiser, according to the event page. 

In the last general election, Kerr received 3,289 votes in total - failing to meet the quota of 11,812 votes. 

Kerr has based his political campaigns on criticising what he calls “our government’s policy of uncontrolled mass immigration”. 

A previous letter calling for the cancellation of the festival was signed by musicians Kneecap, and Fontaines D.C. and Christy Moore - as well as actor Chris O’Dowd. 

In response, Stephen Kerr called the musicians who signed the petition “anti-Irish”. 

The event was initially planned to take place in Drumshanbo’s Mayflower Community Centre in Leitrim, however, the event was later cancelled following backlash. 

The Ivy Tower hotel would not confirm nor deny that the festival is to take place on their premises, although they did say that the venue is currently inundated with queries regarding the festival.