West Cork town reveals plans for multi-million euro festival venue

Bantry appoints design team for 'dedicated home' for its three international music and literary festivals

West Cork Music has plans for a permanent home for its three international festivals — the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Literary Festival and Masters of Tradition. Image: McCullough Mulvin Architects

The West Cork town of Bantry, which runs a trio of annual music and literary festivals, has revealed plans for multi-million euro permanent music, concert, and education venue.

Non-profit arts organisation, West Cork Music, founded in 1995, has just confirmed the appointment of a design team, led by award-winning Irish architects McCullough Mulvin, for a permanent home for its three international festivals — the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, West Cork Literary Festival and Masters of Tradition.

Tentatively titled the Bantry Music Centre, the design team was selected from a panel of six, for a site near the town’s modernist public library, aiming for “a dynamic new cultural quarter”. 

McCullough Mulvin has already done Kilkenny’s Butler Gallery and the Medieval Mile museum, Sligo’s Model Arts, and Niland Gallery, among others. 

As Bantry’s linked summer music and literary festivals get into gear this week, with the 23rd Chamber Music Festival, a number of local venues are used, including hotels and Bantry House, but the aim is to supplement them with a dedicated, permanent home. The cost is as yet-unconfirmed.

Lead architect Valerie Mulvin, director of McCullough Mulvin Architects, said: 'We’re looking forward to delivering a project that is essentially of West Cork, respecting the grain of the town and generating a significant new public place while making a strong contribution to Ireland’s cultural infrastructure.' 

The next step is a more focused feasibility study on the venue linked to fundraising and benefactors, as well as discussions with Cork County Council and Cork ETB around a music education component.

“For a long time, we have realised that musicians and other artists need a physical space where they can develop their ideas, spaces where tuition, workshops, masterclasses and performances can take place all year round. 

More than that, the festivals need a dedicated home to guarantee their future,” said Francis Humphrys, chief executive of West Cork Music. 

“For so many years, we wondered if this would remain nothing but a dream. But the time has arrived and our moment is now here.” 

Lead architect Valerie Mulvin, director of McCullough Mulvin Architects, said: "We’re looking forward to delivering a project that is essentially of West Cork, respecting the grain of the town and generating a significant new public place while making a strong contribution to Ireland’s cultural infrastructure.” 

Public consultations and information sessions are now set to follow.