Encountering Irish traditional music through virtual space: the experience of FleadhFest 2021

Purpose - The main research questions critically examine online videos that draw attention to a local community of musical practice, noticing how these can potentially be included within the tourism promotion strategies. This paper develops a case study of four videos realised by the Louth County Board of the organisation Comhaltas Ceoltoiri eireann (CCe) in Co. Louth, Ireland, as a part of the FleadhFest 2021 initiative. It highlights the role that virtual spaces have in enhancing a sense of belonging to a music/festival community as well as the possibility that visual and audio supports have in promoting and celebrating a destination and its cultural features. Design/methodology/approach - The analysis involves a netnographic examination of these videos (Janta, 2017), informed by the concept of "tourist gaze" (Urry, 1990; 2002) and influenced by film-induced tourism studies (Beeton, 2005). Findings - Results show how festival and event organisers responded to COVID-19 social restrictions by creating a virtual space for celebrating music heritage and local musicscape, placing an emphasis on local musical scene. Research limitations/implications - The research aims to inform future developments in how the organisation operates within and engages with virtual space, its members and a wider audience. Originality/value - This is the first study to consider the virtual activities of CCe from an ethnomusicological as well as tourism, perspective.