Craic, Ceoil agus COVID-19: the impact of 'Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann' on presentations to the local emergency department.

Aims: Fleadh Cheoil Na hÉireann, the world's largest Irish music festival, was held in Mullingar in August 2023, gathering a crowd of nearly 600,000 people. Our aim was to assess the impact on presentations to the local emergency department (ED).

Methods: We performed a retrospective case analysis on all presentations to the ED at Regional Hospital Mullingar (RHM) from 23/7/2023 to 02/09/2023. We also collected data on COVID-19 swab results processed in our laboratory.

Results: There was a 10% increase in ED attendances during the 2 weeks of the Fleadh. There was a statistically significant increase in COVID-19 presentations when compared to national positivity rates.

Discussion/conclusion: Our study shows that the Fleadh led to an increase in all-cause ED visits as well as an increase in COVID-19 cases. Our study plays an important role in informing health service preparation for future host towns of the Fleadh.