The Gl≤r Irish World Music Centre has been testing its new acoustically designed space over the past number of weeks in preparation for its inaugural event on December 1st. The newly completed £6.5 million music and arts centre in Ennis will be officially opened later this month.
The celebrated east Clare fiddler Martin Hayes and American guitarist Dennis Cahill, will play a concert in the 480-seater auditorium.
According to the architect, Mr Des McMahon of Gilroy McMahon, the challenge was not just to design a building in which music could be played but to create a space which was itself a "musical instrument", reflecting the social context of traditional music.
"The centre's location in Ennis anchors it particularly to the Irish tradition. That immediately puts the emphasis on the informal rather than the formal," said Mr McMahon, who comes from a family of uileann-pipe makers.
Entering through the back door, was not part of the design plans. At the moment, there is no access road to the centre's front entrance although one is planned between Dunnes Stores and Francis Street.
Mr Tom Tiernan, the town engineer, said the UDC was going through four compulsory purchase orders while funding remained a problem. "As you go into the car-park, you are not effectively looking into what would be regarded by the architects as the front of the building."
One of the problems was that the road was not a priority project under department funding guidelines. "The criteria associated with the type of funding mechanism available at the moment does not match the characteristics of the project," Mr Tiernan said.
On Thursday, the centre will feature its first foreign group of musicians, the 17-piece Kake Dance Ensemble from Ghana, reflecting the international perspective the centre is adopting. On December 2nd, the Sawdoctors play a concert and on the 8th, Altan will feature. The University of Limerick-based Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Irish Chamber Choir will present Handel's Messiah on December 12th and the 13th, Forβs na Gaeilge will present Concert of Champions, celebrating 50 years of Comhaltas Ceolt≤ir∅ ╔ireann in Clare.