A publican’s interaction with a family with an autistic child put a busy week into perspective
Philip Dowdall outside his pub in Wexford town.
An example of Fleadh crowds at the closing ceremony. Pic: Jim Campbell
The dust has settled on Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Wexford. When it was hosted in town for the first time ever in 2024, it was brilliant. This year, it was unforgettable.
It’s estimated that in the region of 800,000 people attended the festival, easily the largest number of all time. In the weeks before, Fáilte Ireland estimated that it would conservatively be worth €60 to €70 million to the local economy. That figure too was smashed.
Philip Dowdall is hopeful that the Fleadh will come back to Wexford, and that he won’t be retired by then. He runs the famous Swan Bar in the Faythe. Back in 2023, it ranked second in a search for Wexford’s top ten pubs. It has one of the best beer gardens in town.
Everyone has their own special moments from the Fleadh. And despite all of the millions of drinks that were served up, and the tens of millions made, it wasn’t that for Philip.
“We did ok in the Swan, we tried to manage our capacity so that everyone had comfort, could listen to the music and in particular we made it a family orientated event” he reflected.
“The highlights were numerous, but one stood out and I hope this will provide a lesson to others out there not to put quantity of people over quality of service.
“A family of four visited us each day over the Fleadh. This family included an autistic child who insisted on wearing his headphones and using an iPad each day. He didn’t engage with anyone outside of his core group and even then, it was limited.
“On the final day, as the family were leaving for the final time, each was thanking us and as the child passed, he gently touched my arm and said thank you.”
For Philip who thinks he may have annoyed a minority by limiting the capacity in his bar, the moment had a profound impact on him. He’s proud the work himself, his wife Nadine and his staff did to make the pub inclusive.
“Yes, profit is important, turnover is important, but at the end of the day knowing that one child felt comfortable enough to reach out was the most gratifying result we could have wished for.”