The best in the west

Those lucky enough to perform at Leitrim’s Glens Centre can look forward to more than a pre-gig plate of ham sandwiches and a pint of yellow fizz. In an act of frankly astounding genorisity, the Manorhamilton venue has gone so far as to provide an apartment for visiting artists, replete with such homely delights as fire, fridge and telly.

A formerly-derelict church, the venue was refurbished 12 years ago after local residents raised the money to restore it. There’s seating for 140 people as well as a rehearsal space and a recording studio (patrons have included Lunasa [pictured], Kila and Jinx Lennon).
The bands certainly seem to appreciate the extra effort: Bell X1, Cathy Davey and Conway Savage have all passed through in the last month. Damien Dempsey, meanwhile, is practically an old friend of the venue: he’s played seven shows there in the past five years.
“He has some stamina!” laughs artistic director Anna Legge, referring to Damien’s grinding tour schedule. “I love it when Damien plays here. If you see him in Dublin, it’s almost like a football match, with people screaming and shouting his name and going absolutely mad. Here, though, the crowd are silent for him. We find that he brings in a real mix of age groups as well – grandparents come down with their grandchildren, which I think is wonderful.”
The Glens’ music policy is quite eclectic, taking in traditional Irish music alongside rock, jazz, bluegrass and swing and beyond – Seamus Heaney, Booker Prize winner Ann Enright, Jennifer Johnston, Roddy Doyle and Pat McCabe are among the literary luminaries to have graced the stage.
“We’re more for quality over quantity. We want our audience to trust us, to be able to say ‘It’s on in the Glens, it must be good’, even if it’s an artist they’ve never heard of before,” says Anna. “The artists that have played have helped us introduce the venue to a younger crowd too, who might not have considered it their kind of place otherwise. Bell X1 came, Des Bishop was here… It’s definitely helped break down the barriers.”

For a full run down of events see myspace.com/theglenscentre