Winner: Ballykeefe Amphitheatre, Co. Kilkenny

Summary

Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre was founded in 1986 by a group of local people in order to develop and promote community development. The Amphitheatre is a creative “Green Venue” with a nature reserve which contains a varied content of wild life and woodland greenery. The venue has a wonderful walled backdrop of limestone in a natural setting that includes a quarry and woodland that is steeped in local history. It is managed and administered by the KBK (Kilnamanagh, Ballycallan & Killaloe) community group whose focus is on providing a local creative place for local and national acts to perform. The Amphitheatre is maintained tirelessly by volunteers who are members of the KBK. The Amphitheatre and environs are used for numerous activities including rock climbing and there are a variety of walking routes and an interesting Seomra Glas (an innovative class room that is used to study wildlife in the woods).

Group Contact: Matt O’Sullivan [email protected]

Citation

“…….maintained by dedicated volunteers this is a superb, unique and environmentally sympathetic venue that is a platform for many activities particularly in the performing arts……”