Five venues in Kilkenny have been awarded funding under the government’s Grassroots Venues scheme according to local Councillor Andrew McGuinness.
Three venues in Kilkenny city are to receive a total of €20,000 each. Set Theatre, Billy Byrnes and Cleere’s Theatre will benefit from the allocations.
In Thomastown the Salmon Pool will receive €5,000 and in Graiguenamanagh Abbey Lane will be allocated €6, bringing the total allocation for Kilkenny to €71,000.
Welcoming the news Councillor Andrew McGuinness said, “this is fantastic news for live music venues in Kilkenny and it is testament to the fact that these venues have gone above and beyond to not only provide us with great live music and comedy, but with professional stage, sound and lighting that just brings performances to the next level. It’s great to see them rewarded like this.”
“Weekends like The Roots festival show us just how special these venues are, when you see them full to capacity with people taken to another place by the music and atmosphere. We are so lucky in Kilkenny to have great venues like Set, Cleeres and Billy Byrnes and of course outside the city like the Salmon Pool and Abbey Lane,” he said.
“On a personal level I want to thank these venues for doing what they do and doing it so well. I spend so much of my spare time standing in crowded rooms looking at live music in these places and have grown up in venues like Cleere’s. So, to see funding awarded and hard work paying off makes me very happy because I know they all have the next great gig just around the corner,” concluded Cllr. Andrew McGuinness.
