MONEY for this year’s Foyle Cup youth football tournament has been slashed by 50 per cent by Tourism Northern Ireland.
While Tourism NI splashed out a large five figure sum to Liam Neeson for promotional TV adverts, the North West competition has now been hit with a massive cash blow.
The tournament is aimed at teenagers and has grown in popularity over the years, helping to foster good relations.
The organisers estimate that outsiders flocking to the competition bring in around £2 million to the local economy.
The grant the competition receives from Tourism NI has been cut from £20,000 to £10,000.
The organisers said the cut means the tournament will not be able to attract the same calibre of teams from abroad as in previous years.
A Tourism NI spokesperson said the majority of applicants seeking grants this year received less than they applied for.
But Tourism NI refuses to disclose how much it paid actor Neeson even though it is funded from the public purse.
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