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. 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
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
