About us

Samhlaíocht was established in 1992 to organise and run the Easter Arts Festival and in 1994 became a sponsor of IARWE which employed 11 part time artists. To consolidate its success, Samhlaíocht was established as a company (limited by guarantee) in 1997 and a Board of Directors Artistic Director was appointed, representing a wide range of of artistic and community interests.

Samhlaíocht is actively involved in community based arts projects that involve working with groups or schools in the organisation of cultural and artistic events. Samhlaíocht also spearheaded Ireland's 1st Short Film Festival in 2000; the Kerry Film Festival is now one of the leading festivals of its kind in Ireland.

The work of Samhlaíocht has been acknowledged on many occasions including a nomination for an AIB Award, featuring on RTE's "Nationwide", and in 2006 receiving a highly commended award from Business2Arts for its ongoing partnership with Ardmore Studios.

In 2007 Samhlaiocht received the prestigious Community Arts and Culture Award in recognition of its invaluable work in enriching Artistic Life in the community. The award acknowledges the key role Samhlaiocht plays in the Arts and Culture in Kerry.

The uniqueness of Samhlaíocht has been its ability since its foundation to bring together the people of Kerry and its artistic community to provide a wide range of events. Samhlaíocht is recognised as a major contributor to the cultural life of Kerry, receiving recognition and support of it's work from The Arts Council of Ireland, Kerry County Council, Tralee Town Council and Failte Ireland.