More than 400 venues given grants to host night-time events

More than 400 venues have been provided funding under a €4 million grant scheme to boost the night-time economy during week nights, Minister for Culture Catherine Martin announced on Sunday.

Funding from the night-time economy support scheme was provided to a range of pubs, theatres, nightclubs, galleries and other venues.

More than 470 venues applied for the new scheme, with 433 grants allocated to support venues putting on gigs or other events at offpeak times.

The grants are to support venues trialling new cultural events between Monday and Thursday in licensed premises such as pubs, restaurants or nightclubs, or any evening of the week in unlicensed premises such as cafes or galleries.

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The scheme provides three-quarters of the cost of running a series of new events or shows, with organisation’s awarded up to a maximum of €10,000.

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Much of the funding has been awarded to venues such as bars or pubs, but more than €430,000 was allocated to unlicensed premises, such as cafes. Some 252 of the venues awarding funding under the scheme were outside cities.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts said the funding would support more than 2,000 live events held across the country.

In Dublin venues awarded funding included The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), Windmill Lane recording studios, the George, the Button Factory, Bestseller Books, and the Lansdowne Hotel, among others.

Some of the Galway venues provided funding included the Róisín Dubh pub, Eyre Square Hotel and Ballinderreen community centre.

The Franciscan Well bar, Sober Lane, Myo cafe and the Skibbereen Eagle pub were some of the venues that received funding in Cork.

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In a statement, Ms Martin said there had been a “great reaction” to the pilot funding scheme. The Minister said it had been “extremely important” there was a balance between alcohol and alcohol-free events funded under the scheme.

“I am currently considering the development of further initiatives, and we will continue ... to examine other opportunities to open up existing venues to more night-time economy activity,” she said.