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kilkennyobserver.ie
The Kilkenny Observer Friday 25 February 2022
Your Money
The Italian job the job for you... and en-suite bathroom. • The first floor includes a living room, kitchen, working space, bathroom and mezzanine bedroom with a king-size bed. • The upper floor includes an additional living space with a queen-size sofa bed.
BY JOHN ELLIS FINANCIAL ADVISOR
HAVE you an adventurous spirit with a passion for hospitality? Would you like to live rent free for a year in the Italian sunshine? Have you the flexibility to live and work remotely? Can you commit to contributing to the life of a small Sicilian village? Want a second chance? If the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes and yes, maybe you are the person Airbnb are looking for! You could be the one afforded an opportunity to relocate for one year with your family, partner, or friend and move into a uniquely restored house in the village of Sambuca on the island of Sicily. You will take up residence beginning June 30 for one year. If you are successful you not only live rent-free but can keep any earnings received from hosting on Airbnb. You will not be the only one to benefit from this competition as, according to Airbnb, the project aims to boost tourism and bring new temporary residents to Sambuca as part of a wider commitment to support rural communi-
ties and cultural heritage in Europe. Travel trends have changed due to the pandemic, giving potential economic benefits for rural communities. According to a Report by Oxford Economics, November 2021, in Q3 2019 just four Italian cities accounted for over 26% of all travel: Rome, Venice, Milan, and Florence. In Q3 2021, however, those same
four cities accounted for under 17% of travel and one of the top visited areas in Italy was Sicily. Airbnb aims to support this demand by working with villages like Sambuca, to help restore them to their former glory. Leonardo Ciaccio, Mayor of Sambuca di Sicilia, said: “The beauty of this campaign is that it gives a second chance not
Live performance support scheme to boost Kilkenny festivals! Iarla Ó Lionaird and Mary Butler Arts Officer Kilkenny County Council.
KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL’S ARTS OFFICE IS SET TO GIVE A MAJOR BOOST TO TWO FESTIVALS THIS MARCH BY PROGRAMMING AMAZING MUSICAL TALENT, DAY AND NIGHT LOCALS and visitors to Kilkenny will be spoiled for choice from March 15th to 20th with a host of live performances nightly in the magnificent Medieval Mile Museum and daily at the Festival Bandstand located in the City’s Canal Square by the banks of the River Nore under the shadow of Kilkenny Castle. Once again, Kilkenny
County Council has taken an innovative approach and is capitalising on the City’s busy festivals to host a superb range of in-person music events and utilising government resources to provide much needed employment for performers and musicians who were hardest hit by Covid. The impact of programming live music during key events
already proved to be a great success during Kilkenny’s Yulefest and Kilkenny Day, lifting local audience’s spirits and easing us all out of lockdown. There’s a buzz on the streets, and excitement in the air as medieval Kilkenny springs to life with the return of Kilkenny TradFest and St Patrick’s Festival, with the programme for both greatly enhanced thanks
just to an abandoned heritage home in the heart of our village — it’s also a second chance to the person who moves into it.” The house you will be staying in is a picturesque three-story traditional home , which was made famous thanks to its ‘One Euro House’ campaign. What is truly special about this house is that it has been given a complete makeover.
Airbnb worked with Studio Didea, an Italian architectural firm, to transform the home. They used materials and colours in harmony with the local landscape. The house is over three floors, with plenty of room to work remotely and Host on Airbnb. • The ground floor comprises a small living room, master bedroom with king-size bed
to The Local Live Performance Support Scheme (LLPSS) - a Government funded scheme, administered through local authorities which aims to support artists and performers. Speaking about the scheme, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Fidelis Doherty commented “The Local Live Performance Support Scheme aims to support live performances, create local employment for artists, performers and musicians and I am delighted to see the allocation to Kilkenny County Council utilised so wisely and in such an engaging way as it enhances the music offering of our March festivals”. Adding to the Kilkenny Tradfest programme, ‘The Medieval Mile Museum Music Series’ will take place over five nights at the City’s most recently completed heritage conservation and re -development project; the landmark Medieval Mile Museum, operated by Kilkenny Civic Trust. (Formally St. Mary’s Church, the museum was shortlisted for the 2019 Mies van der Rohe Architectural Award, as well as being highly commended in the 2018 RIAI awards.) This series will give music lovers a wonderful, unique experience to enjoy magnificent music in a spectacular setting. The five headline performances in the series, all in aid of Amber Women’s Refuge, feature exciting blends of fiddle and guitar music from
husband and wife folk duo Zoë Conway and John Mc Intyre, songs from sean-nós tradition by the uniquely talented Iarla Ó Lionáird and Steve Cooney; Ireland’s most renowned Irish button accordionist Mairtin O’Connor, along with Cathal Hayden and Seamie O Dowd as well as award-winning folk singer Aoife Scott from the renowned Black family, Wexford Harmonica players Pip & John Murphy, trad virtuoso Kevin Burke, formally of the Bothy Band and also The Goodman Trio, featuring acclaimed uileann piper Mick O’Brien, multi-instrumentalist Emer Mayock and the renowned fiddle player Aoife Ní Bhriain. The fabulously talented trio will perform the music of Cannon James Goodman. (A native Dingle man, Goodman compiled more than 2,000 Irish tunes, now held in Trinity College Library). Mary Butler, Arts Officer for Kilkenny County Council said “It is fantastic to have the support of the LLPS funding (Local Live Performance Scheme) from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to deliver this superb music series as part of the 2022 Kilkenny TradFest festival, which returns to the city after a long two year gap. Some of Ireland’s best known traditional performers feature in this programme of concerts are we are delighted to welcome all of these amazing musicians to Kilkenny to celebrate St Patrick’s Festival
If you are successful you choose the bedroom that best suits your needs with the second bedroom to be listed on Airbnb. You may bring your partner, friend, or family (maximum of two adults and two children in total). To enter, must be over 18, available to move to Sambuca for at least three consecutive months starting from June 30 and be able to speak conversational English (Italian a plus!). If selected you will be given the opportunity to take part in a mentorship program: learning Italian and attending Italian cooking classes. But you will need to demonstrate a commitment to hosting one room in the house for a minimum of nine months. To apply, visit airbnb. com/1eurohouse and complete the application form. Before applying, carefully read the Selection Terms available on the website. John@ellisfinancial.ie 086 8362633 with us through the magic of live performance once more.” Commenting on the return of the Festival Bandstand, Mayor of Kilkenny City Mayor Cllr Andrew Mc Guinness said “Hosting local musical talent of all ages and genres on a public stage is something that is very close to my heart and I am thrilled to see that the Bandstand is back for Kilkenny’s St. Patricks Festival. I have been an advocaat of such initiatives for many years and know the importance of giving musicians the opportunity to perform to live audiences particularly given the major challenges of the past two year.” The Bandstand programme of daily live performances will include some of Kilkenny’s most talented Irish traditional and folk musicians. With performance from Burnchurch, Tulua Trad, The Savage Trad Family as well energetic and vibrant ceili dance performances by Striolan Ceilí Band, as well as the emerging local Trad group Tír Na Nóg; Comhaltas Croabh Osraí, plus many more. Events continue into the evening with a range of great music and fire performances Brazilian Drumming band Maracatu Ile Brihante Folk Duo Luan Parle and Clive Barnes and a special concert from Kila screened on our outdoor cinema sized screen and extraordinary fire performances from Rogu. Kilkenny is the place to be 15th to 20th March.
