Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre: Rock-climbing meets rock 'n' roll

Rock-climbing and training for mountain rescue as well as a summer programme of theatrical presentations and concerts at this Kilkenny entertainment venue

Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre. Picture: Dave McClelland

Soon after its foundation in 1981, members of Kilkenny’s Tyndall Mountaineering Club began seeking a local crag on which to sharpen their climbing skills. After some time, they discovered that suitably vertical cliffs existed about 12 kilometres west of Kilkenny City at Ballykeeffe Quarry, Kilmanagh.

Due to the growing difficulty of extracting road-building material, this remote limestone quarry had been abandoned by Kilkenny County Council in the 1950s. Bereft of practical purpose, it quickly became a dump for car wrecks, rotting furniture, and other rubbish, while also acting as a collection point for beet bound for the then-vibrant Carlow Sugar Factory.

The Tyndall members soon discovered, however, that scaling this unforgiving rock face required more than determination — since it was first necessary to scramble over car wrecks, rotting furniture, household rubbish and decomposing beet.

Kilkenny man, Kevin Higgins, was among the pioneering rock climbers at Ballykeeffe: “When we first came to climb in the 1980s, the quarry was a mountain of rubbish, and we kept a low profile since technically we were trespassing. It was great fun, though, even if it was often necessary to first scare away the rats before climbing could begin.”

In a county where the camán is king, rock climbing was a new and unaccustomed kettle of scary fish. Slowly, however, the seed corn planted by the early pioneers took root and the quarry became a popular climbing venue since it is well sheltered and something of a south-facing sun trap. Climbers from other parts of Ireland began coming to Ballykeeffe, attracted by the challenge of the smooth, easily accessed, limestone cliffs.

With the venue now increasingly utilised, members of the surrounding community, who heretofore had largely been uninvolved with Ballykeeffe, began considering its potential. At the urging of landscape architect Desmond Fitzgerald, the local development group, KBK Enterprise, decided to turn Ballykeeffe into an entertainment venue. This, they believed, would take full advantage of the spectacular setting as had been done with the famous open-air Minack Theatre located on a clifftop in Cornwall.

In an unlikely reincarnation, the rubbish, furniture and cars were removed and the once decrepit quarry was transformed, mainly by volunteer effort, into a fully functioning outdoor amphitheatre representing one of Ireland’s most innovative community projects. Rebranded Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre, it now became a multipurpose community resource. Walking in the attached nature reserve, rock-climbing on its steep faces and training for mountain rescue now coexisted harmoniously beside a summer programme of theatrical presentations and concerts.

Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre will see artists including The Riptide Movement, Stocktons Wing and Cry Before Dawn this summer. Picture: Ian McDonnell 

Soon the renowned acoustics of the venue were attracting such well-known artists as Andy Irvine, Anuna, Kila and Cora Lunny. Moya Brennan was one of those to extol the unique atmosphere after her performance: “There can't be anywhere else like Ballykeeffe in Ireland. Playing there was a pleasure — it’s intimate and easy to connect with the audience, but at the same time there's a sense of grandeur and drama beneath the magnificent rock face.”

Another major step forward took place in 2011 when the makeshift performing area was replaced with an innovatively designed, outdoor stage costing €100,000 — the first of its kind in Ireland. Since then, the 850-seat venue has welcomed the Saw Doctors, Bagatelle, Jack L, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ronan Tynan and two immediately sold-out performances by country music star Nathan Carter.

Matt O'Sullivan, chairman of KBK Enterprise, was a driving force behind the venture and says he is proud that a sophisticated operation is delivered each summer by volunteer effort: “Initially, we found some acts were sceptical about playing Ballykeeffe, but now there is no difficulty; those who have played here sell it for us with many acts wishing to return again and again. The summer at Ballykeeffe now creates a great buzz in the local community.”

“Nobody in the community gets paid a cent for providing top professional entertainment on almost every weekend throughout the summer. It is entirely done by local community effort," added Mr O'Sullivan. 

And the fun is set to continue in 2023. Performances by folk singer, Lyra and iconic rock band, The Stunning are already sold out, but tickets are still available for other concerts including The Riptide Movement, Stocktons Wing, Lisa McHugh, Cry Before Dawn and The High Kings.