#VOR - The former honorary chair of the organisers behind Galway's hosting of the Volvo Ocean Race finale in 2012 has hit out at reports that creditors were left "hanging" by the company's post-race debts.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, more than €1 million in debts was written off as "not payable" upon the winding-up of the not-for-profit organising company.
In a letter to The Irish Times, Enda O'Coineen of the now-dissolved Let's Do It Global Limited says that while the same paper's report on the debt write-off as listed in the company's closing accounts was "factual and correct", he objects to the "misleading" impression that the organisers went bankrupt, leaving those who whom it owed money in the lurch.
"Instead, at significant personal cost and time input by key stakeholders, everything was resolved and the organising companies were wound down," he says, adding that the "slate" is "now clear for Ireland to host such major events in the future".
O'Coineen, who is now a trustee and director of the Atlantic Youth Trust, also claims that "valuable lessons" have been learned in terms of avoiding events such as the Volvo Ocean Race finale being "siloed" in tourism alone at the expense of their connections across the board to the likes of the food, green and marine sectors.
"In saying this, I do not criticise tourism agencies, which did an excellent job, within their remit," he adds.
The Irish Times has more on O'Coineen's comments HERE.
