A Hub for Creativity, Sustainability and Community Development

At the heart of Kilcormac, the Fiesta Ballroom has evolved into a dynamic centre for creativity, sustainability, and community development. Home to Connecting Creativity, the Fiesta Ballroom brings together the creative and artisan food producers to explore new ways of working that are environmentally responsible, socially connected, and rooted in local identity.

Led by Offaly Local Development Company, the programmes based at the Fiesta Ballroom demonstrate how creativity can support sustainable rural development, cultural preservation, and economic resilience. Through collaboration, mentoring, exhibitions, heritage projects, and skills development, these initiatives create opportunities for people and communities to engage with sustainability in practical and meaningful ways.

Create Green has established the Fiesta Ballroom as a hub for innovation and low-impact creative enterprise, encouraging circular design, local sourcing, and cross-sector collaboration. Alongside this, the Legacy – Craft Masters programme has documented and celebrated the knowledge of traditional craftspeople across Offaly, preserving valuable cultural skills while supporting intergenerational learning and sustainable making practices.

Projects such as Harvesting the History of Offaly Natural Landscapes have connected communities with the county’s peatlands, waterways, and heritage through storytelling, digital media, and creative interpretation, strengthening awareness of place, environment, and identity. Meanwhile, Murmuration, developed through the Craftlink programme, has fostered international cultural exchange, bringing together artists and makers from Ireland and Finland to explore shared connections between folklore, landscape, and sustainability.

Together, these programmes reflect a shared vision: supporting communities to thrive through creativity, heritage, environmental awareness, and collaboration. The Fiesta Ballroom continues to grow as a place where ideas, skills, and people come together to shape a more sustainable and connected future for Offaly and beyond.

Green Business – Create Green Offaly
A specialized training and mentoring programme designed for SMEs in the Creative and Artisan Food sectors. Create Green helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint, cut costs, and build a sustainable brand. Graduates are featured in a professional video as 'Offaly Green Champions.'
Legacy – Traditional Skills Craft Master Videos
As part of OLDC’s commitment to the exceptional talents of Offaly’s traditional craftspeople, a series of short documentaries have been produced to showcase some of the best of Offaly’s traditional crafts, from blacksmithing and weaving to jewellery design, basket weaving, slate carving, and Mountmellick embroidery.
Harvesting Our History
The podcast series that explores the natural landscapes of Offaly, connecting the people, the places, and the peatlands. Presented by Garret Daly.With 42,000 ha of peatland in County Offaly, the history of both Bord na Mona and ESB operations goes beyond their landmass and energy production.
Legacy – Traditional Skills Training Programme
This programme is dedicated to reviving and preserving traditional Irish skills and crafts that are at risk of being lost in time. The Legacy programme aims to bridge the gap between past and present by offering training events throughout Offaly, including skills like basket weaving, blacksmithing, and lacemaking. It provides an opportunity to revitalise these essential skills and bring them into the modern era.