The future of a mussel festival which attracts thousands of tourists to the west Cork town of Bantry every May is in doubt because of a lack of funding.
The festival was started 16 years ago to promote the growing mussel industry in Bantry Bay and the tourism industry in the area.
The mussel fair has been struggling in recent years following the loss of major sponsor Murphy's, and was being organised on a voluntary basis.
The organising committee need a cash injection of €20,000 to keep the festival going for another year.
Bantry Tourism Association chairwoman Hazel Vickery, who also runs Vickery's Inn, said the mussel fair would be a financial loss to the town as it kick-started the summer season every May.
West Cork tourism officer Michael Manning said the demise of the festival would be particularly disappointing for the accommodation sector in the town as the event attracted repeat business and filled a gap prior to the tourist season.
He added that festival organisers had put in huge amounts of work in recent years to keep the fair going against the odds.