It would be a shame to lose triAthlone

It would be a shame for Athlone to lose the triAthlone festival after all the hard work that has gone into the organisation of the event in recent years in a bid to bring the European Championships to the town last weekend. While the influx of visitors for the European Championships and the economic spin-off of some €9m for the town will not be replicated every year, perhaps Athlone could aspire to holding the European Championships every few years, but not if triAthlone is no longer held. Granted there have been issues with road closures, which have not only been an inconvenience to those trying to get to work or elsewhere, but the road closures have caused a major concern to businesses on the westside of Athlone, particularly on the Saturday of the event when Connaught Street and the Left Bank area have been closed off for the race. However, it appeared that this year these issues were finally ironed out, with meetings held with traders, the council and the committee and the possibility of selecting a different route for next year's event. But now it appears there may not be an event next year, which would be a great shame as it has truly put Athlone on the map. At a time when we see the Fáilte Ireland campaign promote tourist staples such as Westport, Galway and Donegal, it was fantastic for Athlone to have an event such as the European Triathlon Championships to showcase the town. Not only did the town receive fantastic coverage on RTÉ during the highlights show, but it appears Athlone really put its best foot forward, with special offers available at local businesses over the weekend, live music in many pubs and locals taking to the streets to cheer on the athletes. The warm welcome extended by the public and businesses in Athlone clearly had an impact on the athletes and those attending the event, as evidenced in the many interviews with participants who commented on the large crowds who cheered them on during the event, and also from comments from local business people who are expecting repeat business on foot of the success of the weekend. It appears that we, as a community, have finally embraced the event and seen the potential it offers, but now the plug may be pulled because the event is simply not profitable. The event made a loss this year, despite the huge number of participants and the economic spin-off for Athlone. But as we try to build up our reputation as a tourist destination, both for domestic tourists and those coming from further afield, can we really afford to lose an event of this magnitude? The organising committee of the triathlon, the council, the gardai, the Defence Forces and the various other agencies came together to ensure the European Triathlon Championships was a success. Surely now it's time for both the people of the town and Athlone's business community to get together and get behind triAthlone to ensure the event is not lost to the town. Now is the time to put the wheels in motion if we want to retain this event, put proper planning in place, iron out any issues that may remain regarding the route and the affect it has on businesses, to ensure that if triAthlone stays that it is an inclusive event that can benefit the entire town of Athlone.