The Kerry County Council Arts Office received an unprecedented level of interest in its annual funding call for 2025.
The artist bursaries are funded by Kerry County Council and the Arts Council of Ireland to promote arts engagement and accessibility across the county as part of the Kerry Arts Strategy.
The Arts Office says the independent expert panel was highly impressed with the calibre of applications.
As a result, 29 bursaries were awarded to artists who are from or based in Kerry, working in all artforms.
The total funding allocation was just over 26,000 euro (€26,168.90).
Applications were open for seven weeks until 15th January, during which 94 applications were submitted in total.
Out of 56 applications, 18 Creative Work Development Bursaries were awarded.
Four Artist Retreat Bursaries were granted from a total of twelve submissions.
One Eamon Kelly Bursary (for artists in Killarney Municipal District) was awarded from eight entries.
Three Further Arts Education Bursaries were granted from eight applications.
Artists supported through the bursaries work in literature, visual art, theatre, film, music, and opera.
The artists are based in or from the following municipal districts: Tralee (8), Listowel (2), Killarney (4), Kenmare (5), and Castleisland/Corca Dhuibhne (9).
Three out of ten schools that applied were successfully awarded funding under the Artist in Schools Bursary.
This bursary allows schools to engage directly with a specific artist or artform.
The selected schools are Presentation Primary School, Tralee; Scoil Iognáid Rís, Daingean Uí Chúis; and Scoil Naomh Erc, Glenderry, Ballyheigue.
