A youth urinating against a statue (yards from a portable toilet) near the tunnel stage of the Mathew Street Festival.

Now all the debris has been swept away, the beer cans removed and the vomit steam blasted from the pavements, it's time to begin the countdown to next year's Mathew Street Festival. Or is it?

Times are tight for the council, money-wise, and certain to get tighter. The outlay on the festival is one of the most costly single annual capital spends for the authority, costing the taxpayer £750,000 to stage. But, is it worth it?

From my point of view, no. For many people who live in the city centre - and many publicans, too - the approach of the last weekend in August is met with dread.