Dreams and Responsibilities
Dreams and Responsibilities The State and the Arts in Independent Ireland Brian P Kennedy ISBN 0 906627 32 X © Brian P. Kennedy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Design: Bill Murphy Cover: Lagganstown Panorama 11 (1995 monoprint) by Cork-based artist, Brian Kennedy Cover Design: Boyle Design Group Printed in Ireland by Criterion Press, Dublin Published by The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon Re-printed: 1998 First printed: Dublin 1990 The Arts Council gratefully acknowledges the generous financial support of : The Electricity Supply Board and Coopers and Lybrand towards the publication of this book CONTENTS PLATES vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABBREVIATIONS xi INTRODUCTION xiii CHAPTER 1 The State and the Arts: Some Preliminary Observations 1 CHAPTER 2 False Starts: 1922–32 5 CHAPTER 3 Private Initiatives and Official Pipedreams 29 CHAPTER4 Cautious Beginnings — The Seeds of Progress: 1940–8 45 CHAPTER 5 The Bodkin Report and the Formation of ‘An Chomhairle Ealaíon’: 1948–51 65 CHAPTER 6 Limited Means and Ambitious Ends: 1951–6 95 CHAPTER 7 All Changed, Changed Utterly: 1956–66 119 CHAPTER 8 Patronage Under Fire: 1967–73 149 CHAPTER 9 Expansion and Development: 1973–82 179 CHAPTER 10 Epilogue 209 CONCLUSION 225 NOTES 227 APPENDIX A The Arts Act, 1951 251 APPENDIX B The Arts Act, 1973 257 APPENDIX C Government Grants to the Arts Council: 1951–88 264 APPENDIX D List of Directors/Chairmen, Members and Secretaries/Directors of the Arts Council: 1951– 265 NOTE ON SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 267 INDEX 281 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study was commissioned by the Arts Council whose Chairman, Professor Colm O hEocha, members and staff gave me every assistance in bringing it to completion.
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