A brightly coloured
and cheerful poster depicting a lovely pre-Celtic Tiger easy going
Ireland.
These were the days and not a bungalow in sight!
This
decorative art poster is from this period - it is NOT a recent
copy.
This large strong paper poster
came from the collection of a retired "Bord Failte"
photographer.
In 1955 Bord Fáilte Éireann was created under the
Tourist Traffic Act. (Now Fáilte Ireland - see below)
THE ART
OF THE POSTER (Ireland)
A poster, by definition, must be a separate sheet, must be affixed
to an existing surface, must be publicly displayed and produced in
multiples. It is the frequent tool
of advertisers, propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate
a message. It aims to seduce, to
exhort, to sell, to educate, to convince, to appeal, to grab the attention of
those who might otherwise pass it by.
It has been, and continues to be, an extraordinary artistic and social
document, involved in the everyday, in cultural, political and commercial
issues.
Posters can be typographic, or pictorial or both. Their impact should be emotional rather
than intellectual, and so they have evolved their own visual grammar, evoking
ordinary forms of familiar speech, making this new language a part of everyday
life. They exist at the junction of
fine and applied arts, of culture and commerce, and so they should be functional
and artistic street-smart images. A
good poster conveys the vitality of popular culture, is accessible to the
general population, impacts on the streetscape, and promotes products.
The art of the poster really began at the end of the
19th century. Up until
then, printers had a reliance on the primitive woodcut, but the discovery of
lithography opened the way to refinements of colour, tone and graphic treatment
never before attained in quantity.
The era of the multiple image had begun. These coloured lithographic posters were
the most powerful vehicles for commercial advertising in existence until the
advent of commercial radio, and later television and the illustrated press. The poster was a hybrid medium where
painting, drawing and typography came together in new ways, influencing each
other in the process. They were
unambiguous, simple, and usually had economy of image. Many were serious art objects with
ingredients of everyday life, which explains why collectors often sponged and
peeled them off hoarding's to take home as trophies.
Political posters have a long history in Ireland, many having a
vision and vigour, which has been unequalled since. Our most famous poster is the 1916
Proclamation. Revolutions took
their posters seriously, so also did some of the larger commercial companies in
the early history of the state……….Bord Failte, The Railway Companies, Guinness
etc. These images serve as
documents of social history, expressing not only their own particular themes,
but also the underlying attitudes and values of their time. They are full of nostalgia, and
eminently collectable.
Irish Tourism
(1998)
One of the first tourist guide books about Ireland ,
Arthur Young’s Tour of Ireland, was published in 1780. Many beautiful places
were described but if you decidedto
visit you had to cover large distances on horseback When canals were built
in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Ireland acquired
its first mass transport network. Soon afterwards the roads were improved and it
became possible to travel by horse and carriage. By the middle of the nineteenth
century a network of rail lines criss-crossed the country and in 1936 air travel
commenced between Ireland and England.
The Irish Tourist Association (ITA), which promoted 400 hotels in
its first brochure in 1925, marketed the fledgling Irish Free State as a tourist
destination. In 1939, Bord Cuartaoíchta na hEireann was established by an Act of
the Dáil. This organisation took over from the ITA with statutory powers to
register and grade hotels and was the forerunner of Bord Fáilte. In 1955 Bord
Fáilte Éireann was created under the Tourist Traffic Act, to develop and promote
tourism in the Republic
of Ireland
. With each new development came a new wave of
tourists. Today Ireland
has a thriving tourism industry which
contributes in the region of £3 billion to the economy each year.
The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) defines a tourist as: A person
travelling to and staying at least one night in a country other than his or her
country of usual residence for a period not exceeding 12 months for leisure,
business or other purposes. It is evident from this definition that tourists are
not just people who come to Irelandprimarily to holiday. A
total of 5.5 million overseas tourists visited Irelandin
1998. The largest group was from Britainwhere 3.2 million (58% of all
tourists) packed their suitcases to visit Ireland. Another 1.3 million (23%)
came from Mainland Europe, and North Americaaccounted for 858,000
(15%). A further 124,000 tourists came from Australia and New
Zealand. The typical visitor spends most
of his or her budget on food, drink, and accommodation. The rest of the
money goes on shopping, sightseeing, entertainment and transport. Of the
5.5 million tourists who visited Irelandin 1998, 2.1 million came
mainly for a holiday. Research by Bord Fáilte shows that holiday visitors
are primarily influenced in their choice of Irelandas a holiday destination by
the quality of the scenery and the sighstseeing opportunities available. Other
important reasons for choosing Irelandare a sense of discovering a
new holiday destination, the expectation of a restful and relaxing atmosphere
and the opportunity to experience our unique history and culture. Two thirds of
holiday visitors use a car while in Irelandinorder to see more of the country. The ideal holiday for some
people is somewhere sunny with nice beaches and warm oceans. Ireland has a
different appeal. People come here because they have a strong interest in the
countryside and the scenery. They also believe that the people are friendly and
it is a safe place to visit. Most are not disappointed and in fact the holiday
is usually better than they expected - and this includes the weather! Many
people come to Ireland because theycan fish, cycle, ride horses, play golf or cruise
inland waterways. The fact that Ireland cannot guarantee good weather
is not a deterrent as tourists are not comingprimarily for sunshine. Marketing Ireland as a
tourist destination and persuading overseas tourists to visit
Ireland
is a complex task. Ireland , as a holiday
destination,is in competition with
almost 60 other destinations, each attracting in excess of a million
visitors a year, and all trying to persuade travellers to sample their
attractions. In 1996 a new approach to marketing the island of Ireland was launched. Almost two years of
research and work was invested in the development of a new brand for Irish
tourism. This is called Tourism Brand Ireland (TBI) and is a marketing approach
which has strengthened Ireland ’s position in this highly
competitive sector. TBI involves a partnership arrangement between the
Overseas Tourism Marketing Initiative (OTMI), Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland
Tourist Board. It has demonstrated how
beneficial it is to get both public and private sectors working together.
The aim of TBI is to increase tourism revenue, spread the benefits of tourism
throughout the country and achieve greater growth outside the peak July/August
season.
In the past ten years it is estimated that £3 billion has been
invested in the tourism sector. The European Union made available over £500
million of this sum inthe period 1989 to
1999 inclusive. The EU funds were used to develop new products and to stimulate
marketing and training.
Irish Tourism
(2007)
Fáilte Ireland
was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act, 2003 to
guide and promote tourism as a leading indigenous component of the Irish
economy. The organisation provides strategic and practical support to develop
and sustain Ireland
as a high - quality and competitive tourist
destination.
Measures: 40.00" X
25.00".
Condition:
Very Good Unused - blank on reverse.
Please
note and allow for world wide fixed shipping rate.
Add $9.00 to the total for
insurance, packing and shipping.
If you are on the island of Ireland - half the
rate.
GOOD
LUCK!
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