Already experiencing a shortfall of £2 million in funding, the proposed £6.5 million Irish Music Centre in Ennis now looks set to miss out on lucrative tourist revenues this summer.
The centre's opening date, scheduled for June, is likely to take place in September-October.
Centre director Ms Katie Verling said she was relieved, but denied the delay in opening was a setback to the centre. She said the delay gave it time to be accepted locally, be talked about locally and be recognised as a real resource for the people of Clare.
If the opening was in June, she said, it might be perceived the centre would only be for tourists and be seen as plundering a local resource without putting anything back.
To bridge the shortfall in funding, an application for £2 million has been made to the Department of Arts and Heritage's ACCESS programme.
The application, one of 180 seeking £36 million in total, is currently being considered. Already the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Ms Sile de Valera has allocated £2.5 million to the project.
Ms Verling said the centre would be the national showcase for Irish music, and that a comprehensive winter programme would be put in place so touring groups and community-based groups would have access to the facilities.
Since her appointment last year, Ms Verling has spent much of her time reassuring the initially sceptical traditional Irish music fraternity the centre will be true to the tradition. Broadcaster and author P.J. Curtis was initially critical of the proposed centre. However, following conversations with Ms Verling, Mr Curtis said he was now hopeful.
He said: "The centre needs to win the confidence of musicians by showing that music will be the principal thing. If anybody can pull that off, I think Katie can, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating."
