Culture Ireland
Culture Ireland (Irish: Cultúr Éireann) is the Irish State Agency established to promote and advance Irish Arts internationally. It was set up in 2005 and is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Its budget for 2010 was €4.083m.[1] The specific activities of Culture Ireland include:
- Funding Irish artists or arts organisations to support Irish cultural activities of excellence
- Funding and facilitating Irish participation at strategic international arts events
- Managing of special ('emblematic') cultural and artistic events
- Advising to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (currently, Tom Iles) on international arts and cultural affairs
Membership
The board of Culture Ireland is appointed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and will serve until 2014. The board has twelve members and a chair who serve on a voluntary basis. The current members are:
- Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin (Chair), Professor of Music, University of Limerick
- John O’Shea, Director of the Gathering Traditional Festival
- Mary McCarthy, Deputy Director of Cork 2005
- Mark Mulqueen, Director of Irish Film Institute
- Doireann Ní Bhriain, Arts Consultant & Broadcaster
- Patrick Sutton, Director of the Gaiety School of Acting
- Eve Molony, Businesswoman
- Peter Sirr, Editor of Poetry Ireland Review
- Dearbhla Collins, Voice Coach & Pianist
- Davey Arthur, Musician
- Mary Cloake, Director of the Arts Council of Ireland
- Niall Ó Donnchú, Assistant Secretary Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Philomena Murnaghan, Counsellor Department of Foreign Affairs