Search
06 Sept 2025
Search
06 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
An Taoiseach Simon Harris opening the 51st Kilkenny Arts Festival
Taoiseach Simon Harris was full of praise for the Marble City as he officially opened the 51st Kilkenny Arts Festival at Butler House yesterday (Thursday) evening.
Speaking to the Kilkenny People the Taoiseach said that the Marble City is ‘one of the most beautiful parts of our country’.
“I am honoured and delighted to be here at this beautiful setting for the opening of the 51st Kilkenny Arts Festival. We all know that Kilkenny is a city full of charm, a city that is steeped in medieval history and of course it is therefore right and fitting that it is a setting for a festival that celebrates and gives an international platform each and every year for the last 50 years to the arts.
“Kilkenny Arts Festival has attracted many of the world’s most gifted performers, musicians, writers and artists to showcase their talents to a wide and enthusiastic audience, and what an incredible thing for Kilkenny and our country to be able to say that we now host and boast of an arts festival that has provided a platform to some of the world’s most gifted performers across such a wide range of artistic disciplines.
“So my job tonight is very simple, it is a job of thanks I wanted to be here on behalf of the government on behalf of the people of Ireland to commend and thank everyone who has been involved in this festival in whatever capacity they have played over the past 51 festivals.”
The Taoiseach also highlighted the importance of funding the arts sector.
“Right across the world Ireland and Irish people are known for their creativity and for their artistic streak and it is so important that we continue to invest in the arts, in our culture and that is why I am pleased that we now have now a record funding of €134 million for our Arts Council.”
“At a time of great challenge and difficulty in the world we look to art for hope, for inspiration, for enthusiasm and to inspire the next generation,” he added.
Kilkenny Arts Festival runs until August 18.
kilkennyarts.ie
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
