Design competition to see Connolly’s take Leap into 21st century

A West Cork bar and music venue with three generations of family ownership along the Wild Atlantic Way has been selected as the focus for an international design competition, to reimagine it as a 21st century ‘Irish Cult Music Venue’.

Legendary Connolly’s of Leap has been picked as an international design challenge, with prizes totalling $6,000, and while it is being run by leading US-based architect competition organisers, Bee Breeders, the competition is open to all comers, not just architects.

Organisers Bee Breeders say that at the competition’s core is “acknowledging Ireland’s place in the music industry and promoting it to an international audience, while also exploring how an existing music venue can be transformed to become an iconic destination in its own right. It is hoped that the competition will provide a strong precedent for other rural venues, both in Ireland and abroad.”