The Department for Infrastructure provided £130,000 in additional funding for public transport during the all-Ireland Fleadh, with the money earmarked for late-night bus and rail services.

It is understood that no additional funding was given for increased daytime capacity, on the days when passengers were left behind on platforms at Connolly Station in Dublin, at Hilden, Lisburn, and elsewhere as trains into Belfast filled up.

The figure emerged as attendance counts released by Belfast One, the city’s Business Improvement District, put the crowds at 175,000 on the opening day and 165,000 on day two.

A DfI spokesperson said the department had allocated: “£130,000 for additional late-night bus and rail services to support Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026.

“The additional services operated on Sunday 2 August and will again be in place from Thursday 6 August until Sunday 9 August to complement the wider transport and traffic management plans being put in place for the event.”

SDLP group leader on Belfast City Council, Séamas de Faoite said the attendance could “soar past the one million visitors mark very easily.”

He said responsibility now rested with ministers to back the event in its second year, and pointed to night-time services as the clearest test of that.

“There’s definitely an impetus now on Stormont to roll in behind this for the second year, particularly when it comes to things like public transport,” he said. “I’ve made the case for a long time that more investment is required in public transport anyway, particularly in the night-time services.

“We have to get the infrastructure minister and the other ministers recognising that this is a public service that’s worth investing in and it’s desperately needed. The Fleadh is just one element of proving that.”

Translink faced criticism over its handling of the opening weekend after passengers were turned away from full trains, with lengthy queues also forming for buses in Belfast city centre on Sunday evening as crowds made their way home after the opening ceremony.

The operator has said that it is running enhanced timetables this week, and that it is using all available resources while monitoring demand.

Passengers have been advised to allow extra time for journeys, to expect services to be busy and to plan ahead.