glór

What glór does

glór is a registered charity and Clare's flagship professional arts venue, operating continuously since 2001 from Causeway Link, Ennis, County Clare. Incorporated as Glór Music DAC (company no. 270393, charity no. 16687), the organisation presents a multi-format programming slate spanning music, theatre, dance, opera, comedy, film, and visual arts across a 505-seat main theatre, a 60-seat black-box Studio, an exhibition Gallery, and an on-site café and bar. Cumulative audience reach exceeds 950,000 attendees across 8,200+ ticketed performances since opening.

Beyond being a presenting venue, glór functions as an artist development hub, delivering the RESONATE residency with Music Network (€6,000 grants), the Traditional Artist Bursary, Artist-to-Artist Mentoring (€160 per session), the annual MÓRglór Award (2014-2023), and the LASTA Young Curators Festival delivered in partnership with the NASC Network of eight regional theatres. Community reach is extended through the Rachel Macmanus and Conor Madden Community Artist Residencies in partnership with Clare Leader Forum, Clare Crusaders Children's Clinic, and Family Carers Ireland.

Revenue is generated through five streams: ticketed event sales (€8-€39.20 plus €1 booking fee via TicketSolve), café and bar operations, the Friends membership programme and donations, gift vouchers, and core public funding from Clare County Council and the Arts Council, with supplementary grants from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Project Ireland 2040, the NCFA, and the EU. Distribution operates through the online TicketSolve platform, a physical box office (Monday-Saturday 10am-3pm), gift voucher e-commerce, and the on-site café. The organisation is governed by a board chaired by Bob Brannock, with Marie O'Byrne serving as Director following a leadership transition in 2023.

Name

glór

Legal name

Glór Music DAC

Website

https://glor.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

glór is a non-profit arts venue in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland operating a 505-seat theatre, studio, gallery, and café presenting music, theatre, dance, opera, and visual arts programming, serving County Clare audiences and supported by Arts Council and Clare County Council public funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Live theatre programming
• Visual arts exhibitions
• Artist development programmes
• Community arts engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Ennis

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Revenue from ticketed performances across theatre and studio spaces. Ticket prices range from approximately €8 to €39.20 plus booking fees, with concessions available.
2. Café and bar: On-site café and bar operating Monday to Saturday, generating food and beverage revenue.
3. Membership and donations: 'Friends' membership programme and donation options for audience support.
4. Gift vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers for performances and events.
5. Public funding: Core funding from Clare County Council and The Arts Council.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

glór operates a multi-format arts venue in Ennis, County Clare, presenting live performances (theatre, music, dance, opera, comedy, film) and visual art exhibitions across a 505-seat Theatre, 60-seat Studio, Gallery, foyer and café spaces. The venue also delivers artist development programmes including bursaries, residencies (RESONATE), mentoring, and the LASTA Young Curators Festival, complemented by an on-site café/bar and conference facilities.

Product overview

glór is Clare's flagship arts centre presenting a diverse range of performance and visual arts in its Theatre (505 seats), Studio (60 seats), Gallery and foyer spaces. The venue operates as a multi-format arts centre offering live performances across music, theatre, dance, opera, comedy, film and visual arts, complemented by conference facilities, café and bar services. glór delivers programming through multiple initiatives including the LASTA Young Curators Festival (a youth-led national arts festival), artist residencies (RESONATE), artist bursaries, and mentoring programmes, making it both a presenting venue and an artist development hub for County Clare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatre (505 seats)
• Studio (60 seats)
• Gallery
• LASTA Young Curators Festival
• RESONATE Artist Residency
• Traditional Artist Bursary
• Artist to Artist Mentoring
• Conference Facilities
• Café & Bar
• Gift Vouchers

Quantifiable outcome

• Since opening in 2001, more than 950,000 people have attended over 8,200 ticketed performances and events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Music NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023National music touring and development organisation partnering with glór on the RESONATE artist residency programme. Each residency provides €6,000 grant plus in-kind venue support. 2023 resident: Zoé Basha.
• Access CinemaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Resource organisation for regional cultural cinema exhibition in Ireland. Provides programming and distribution of award-winning national and international film to glór.
• NASC NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of eight regional theatres working together to present touring projects and share marketing expertise. Network partners: An Grianán Theatre (Letterkenny), Backstage (Longford), Dunamaise (Port Laoise), Glór (Ennis), The Lime Tree (Limerick), The Pavilion (Dun Laoghaire), Siamsa Tíre (Tralee) and Town Hall Theatre (Galway). Collaboratively delivers the Young Curators Programme and LASTA festival.
• City Theatre Dublin (CTD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of 'The Love Hungry Farmer' at glór.
• Laidlaw Opera TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Irish National Opera on 'The Bartered Bride' production.
• Bewley's Cafe Theatre and Once Off ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenters of 'Happiness Then' production.
• Fishamble's New Play ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the development of 'Happiness Then' through New Play Clinic.
• Undercurrent PerformanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty Leitrim-based dance theatre company presenting 'Earthfall' at glór. Integrates diverse performers celebrating different experiences of mobility and cultural backgrounds.
• Sligo County Council Arts Services and Hawk's Well TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond collaboration partners with Mikel Murfi on 'I Hear You and Rejoice'.
• Clare Leader ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisabled Persons Organisation (DPO) run by Disabled People for Disabled People in County Clare. Partner in Rachel Macmanus Community Artist Residency.
• Clare Crusaders Children's ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free therapy and specialist treatment to over 450 young people with special needs in County Clare. Partner in Rachel Macmanus Community Artist Residency.
• Family Carers IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide not-for-profit organisation supporting family carers and young carers. Partner in Rachel Macmanus Community Artist Residency.
• MCD ProductionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Irish promoter presenting Keith Barry: Unhinged at glór.
• Lisa Richards ProductionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIrish comedy promoter presenting Gearóid Farrelly: No Pressure at glór.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Backstage Theatre: Longford-based regional arts venue and NASC Network member presenting professional touring theatre and music, comparable to glór in scale, mission and public-funding structure.
• Pavilion Theatre: Dun Laoghaire-based arts venue and NASC Network member presenting a mixed programme of theatre, music and comedy — comparable in scale and presenting-venue model to glór.
• Dunamaise Arts Centre: Portlaoise-based regional arts centre and NASC Network partner offering theatre, music and visual arts programming on a similar scale to glór in Ireland's midlands.
• Town Hall Theatre Galway: Galway city arts venue and NASC Network partner presenting professional touring theatre, music and dance programming, serving a comparable western-Ireland regional audience to glór.
• An Grianán Theatre: Letterkenny-based regional theatre and NASC Network co-member, presenting a similar mix of touring and locally produced performing arts in the north-west of Ireland.
• Hawk's Well Theatre: Sligo-based multi-purpose theatre presenting professional performing arts programming. Direct co-production partner with glór and a comparable regional presenting venue model.
• Lime Tree Theatre: Limerick-based multi-format arts venue operating as part of the NASC Network alongside glór, presenting theatre, music, comedy and family programming with comparable scale and a similar mid-West Ireland catchment.
• Siamsa Tíre Theatre & Arts Centre: Tralee-based national folk theatre and NASC Network member specialising in Irish traditional performance, conceptually overlapping glór's traditional-arts positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Cork Opera House: Larger Irish regional opera house and theatre venue presenting a broader professional programme including opera, ballet and major touring productions. Larger scale but directly comparable as a publicly-funded Irish presenting venue.
• National Concert Hall: Dublin-based national performing arts venue presenting classical music, opera and broader touring productions. Larger and more established, but operates a similar publicly-funded presenting-venue model to glór.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glorennis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gl-r

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about glór