The 2017 IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year awards have taken place.
At a packed IMRO HQ in Dublin tonight, the creme of Ireland’s music venues were being recognised alongside music festivals and venue crews.
Le Boom, Chasing Abbey and Wild Youth provided the score for the night as Kilkenny’s Set Theatre alongside Kilkenny Tradfest hit Dublin as award hopefuls.
Set was a previous recipient of the overall venue of the year award while Kilkenny Tradfest was named the IMRO Small Music Festival of the Year for 2016.
Live Music Venue winners: Another victory for Set Theatre
This year, Set are coming home as Best Live Music Venue for Rest Of Leinster (outside Dublin). Davy Holland was on hand to collect the award for the John Street venue. The win leaves the award in Kilkenny with the Watergate Theatre having collected it in 2016.
Rest of Leinster @IMROireland Venue Award goes to… @SetKilkenny 🤘🏼🏆 pic.twitter.com/KzCK7EPbRe
— Hot Press (@hotpress) February 20, 2018
Dublin’s Vicar Street kicked things off, scooping the overall Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year award.
The Munster IMRO award recognised Connolly’s of Leap (west Cork); the Ulster award going to Leo’s Tavern (Donegal); the Connaught Award was collected by the Róisín Dubh (Galway); with Whelan’s collecting the Dublin award. Mike The Pies, Listowel, was named the overall national winner for Live Music Venue of the Year.
Kavanagh’s (Portlaoise) and the INEC Killarney also received special commendations from Hot Press on Tuesday night.
Set were also in the running for the Best Technical Crew gong, that accolade going to Vicar Street.
Kilkenny Tradfest had been in the running to make it a double for the Best Small Music Festival of the Year. This time out, the award went to Another Love Story, taking place this year 17-19 August in Co. Meath.
Electric Picnic was named Music Festival of the Year.
Recognition for Rollercoaster & Willie Meighan
If ever there was a man who gave his everything to live music in Kilkenny, it was Willie Meighan of the Rollercoaster Records parish. His passing late in 2017 leaves a void in the creative landscape of the city, and indeed the country. It’s fitting so that Willie’s relentless contribution to live music was also recognised on Tuesday night.
Outstanding Contribution to Live Music Award from @IMROireland to @Rollerkilkenny & Willie Meighen. Completely & utterly deserved #IMROAwards pic.twitter.com/6Ja2faQYqe
— Hot Press (@hotpress) February 20, 2018
Pictured in the tweet are Eleanor McEvoy (IMRO), Willie’s wife Aisling and Rollercoaster Records’ Davy Holland collecting the award. Completely and utterly deserved indeed.
Trad For Willie also takes place this year as part of Kilkenny Tradfest, kicking off festival proceeds on Thursday 15 March at Ryan’s.
