Funding boost for three Kilkenny gig venues is music to mayor’s ears

By Pune Media On Jun 12, 2025

Three city music venues have been allocated funding under the Grassroots Music Venue Support Scheme, according to Mayor of Kilkenny Andrew McGuinness.

Billy Byrne’s, Set Theatre and Cleere’s Theatre have each been awarded funds of up to €15,000 to assist them showcase the talent of emerging musicians across Ireland.

“This is a very positive announcement and a step in the right direction in terms of not only supporting our local venues that provide a platform for local artists but also the artists themselves,” said Mayor Andrew McGuinness.

“We are blessed in Kilkenny to have so many options in terms of music venues and entertainment and these venues along with their staff and of course the sound and lighting technicians, are the bedrock of our festivals, our incredible music scene and the support network for local artists. They truly deserve funding allocations like this and a lot more,” said Mayor McGuinness.
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“It’s no secret that Im a music lover so its no surprise that Im a regular at all of these venues and so I see firsthand just how hard they work to bring us quality events. Not only that, and this may be unique to Kilkenny, but our city venues work together to make sure every event is a success, particularly our festivals. We have great people running these venues and events and we are lucky to have them,” he said.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan today allocated €500,000 across the country as part of the scheme.

A total of 33 venues have been offered funding of up to €15,000 from the Night-Time Economy Grassroots Music Venues Support Scheme to support the continued programming of early-career musicians. Applications were received from a wide range of late-night venues including pubs, nightclubs and theatres. Venues in many rural towns and villages are being supported, with funding awarded to 16 venues outside of our major cities.

Following the announcement of the Scheme in March 2025, there was a high level of interest in this pilot scheme, with nearly 100 applications submitted before the scheme was closed.
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Minister O’Donovan said: “Our grassroots music venues play a vital role in nurturing emerging musicians and providing them with an opportunity to hone their talent, and it is very important that we recognise their contribution to the music industry, particularly given the challenges these venues face.

I look forward to seeing the diversity of genre and talent that will reach new audiences as a result of this funding over the months ahead. I’d also encourage music lovers from across the country to embrace the resource of their local venue and support artists in the early stages of their careers.”

The Grassroots Music Venues Support Scheme is a Night-Time Economy initiative in support of the work of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce and following a recommendation emerging from Action 5 in the revised Night-Time Economy Action Plan.

This scheme will provide funding for a series of events showcasing grassroots artists performing live/electronic music they have written/created themselves. It is envisaged that these events will also provide employment for crew, light and sound engineering, marketing and PR, as well as increasing footfall to grassroots venues and contributing to a thriving night-time economy.

A total of 96 applications for funding were received.

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