The Koroit Irish Festival founders said the event, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend, had well and truly exceeded their expectations.
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In what was designed to “bring a few people” into town, now attracts thousands of patrons for the three-day event.
The festival’s original president Maurice Molan, vice-president Des Noonan and treasurer Des Walsh said the festival had “taken off” since its humble beginnings.
The first event was in High Street. Two years later it was moved to Commerical Road, where the festival remains.
The men said the first few years were trial and error as they determined what the public wanted.
“We didn’t know how many people were going to turn up and there were thousands,” Mr Walsh said. “We stood on the stage and looked down and there were people everywhere. It was amazing.”
Mr Molan was the Koroit councillor at the time.
“I had a fair bit to do with the folk festival and the Mortlake Busker’s Festival and I thought, ‘Why can’t Koroit do something to put us on the map a bit?’,” he said.
“There were three aims. One was to promote Koroit as a place for people to visit and live.
“The second was to generate some outside capital into the town and the business houses.
“The third was to have some fun.”
They also wanted to attract acts out of Melbourne who “wouldn’t usually come to this part of the world”.
Twenty years ago, the town’s hotels didn’t sell Guinness, so members went to Geelong to collect barrels of beer and tents, so they could sell the stout.
Held on the weekend prior to Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival, the festival aimed to capitalise on the number of people visiting the south-west for the races.
“We set the date and we stuck with it. I think some of these festivals change dates and change venues a bit,” Mr Noonan said.
They thanked the Port Fairy folk and Mortlake busker’s festival committees for their support, especially during the early years.
The trio congratulated the new Irish festival committee and said it was always their intention to pass the baton on, to ensure the event remained fresh and exciting.
They agreed the town’s profile and population had risen as a result.
“I was speaking to someone last week who had never been to Koroit. They were from Warrnambool and had driven though but had never stopped. Mr Molan said.
“They stopped for the Irish festival and now they live here,” he said.
