Fine Gael Kildare South TD and Minister Martin Heydon has welcomed funding from the Arts Council of up to €450,000 to create Creative Places Athy.

“I warmly welcome the inclusion of Athy today in the Arts Council Creative Places programme, a €3m programme to develop and sustain new creative opportunities in towns around the Country.  Athy has been selected as a town to create a new Creative Space along with Bagenalstown, Edenderry, and Darndale in North Dublin.

“These are towns that have not previously benefitted from substantial Arts investment and this funding which is over a 3 year programme will help to build local arts programmes to benefit people of all ages in the town.

“I would like to compliment all those involved in putting the bid together and I look forward to seeing the Arts flourish in Athy in the coming years for the benefit of local artists and residents alike.”