Fáilte Ireland will provide more than €1.8 million to fund 23 "key" events and festivals throughout the country this year as part of the Government's tourism drive.

The flagship St Patrick's Festival is once again the biggest beneficiary and will receive €1 million, the same as last year, while other recipients include the Dublin Horse Show (€125,000), Wexford Festival Opera (€110,000) and Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016 (€100,000).

Gatherings such as Temple Bar TradFest (€50,000), Earagail Arts Festival (€35,000) and Bloomsday (€25,000) will receive smaller amounts, as will Galway Film Fleadh (€20,000) and Waterford Spraoi (€15,000).

This year’s phase-one funding is more thinly spread among a greater number of applicants than last year’s equivalent tranche of €1.945 million, which was divided between 16 events. Fáilte Ireland said the difference should be balanced in a second round of funding, to be announced next month.

Multiannual funding

Large events such as the Galway and Kilkenny arts festivals were not included in the 2016 list after receiving €200,000 and €70,000 respectively last year. A spokeswoman for Fáilte Ireland

said it is in discussions with organisers with a view to establishing a multiannual funding model for the festivals rather than on an annual basis.