Dundalk's Spirit Store scoops best music venue in Leinster at IMRO Awards

The much-loved Dundalk venue the Spirit Store has been awarded the Best Live Music Venue in Leinster at the IMRO Ireland Venue of the Year Awards.  

IMRO hosted the highly anticipated Live Music Venue of the Year Awards, at the Sugar Club, Dublin on Tuesday.

The short list of nominees were selected by over 19,000 IMRO members with a public vote.

The National Live Music Venue of the Year 2023 accolade was awarded to Allingham Arms Hotel, Bundoran, Co. Donegal.

And not for the first time the spirit was named the best live music venue in Leinster.

Winners in the regional categories included:

Dublin – The Workman’s Club

Rest of Leinster – The Spirit Store, Dundalk, Co. Louth

Connacht – Monroe’s, Galway

Munster – Dolan’s, Limerick

Ulster – McCafferty’s, Donegal

Also presented with awards on the night for IMRO Music Festival of the Year and IMRO Small Music Festival 2023, were Electric Picnic and Wexford Spiegeltent Festival respectively.

IMRO Chairperson Eleanor McEvoy, said: “Enormous praise is due to each of our award winners.

“These venues have been recognised for their excellence and for their contribution to live music across Ireland after a very difficult few years. Huge congratulations to you all.”

Safe Gigs Ireland were also in attendance on the awards night.

Safe Gigs Ireland is an initiative to make gigs and nightlife safer, for everyone. Their aim is to eliminate discrimination and sexual violence in nightlife by creating a zero-tolerance environment for all forms of violence and unacceptable behaviour.