Arts Council and local authorities mark 40 years of partnership
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Ireland’s 31 local authorities marked 40 years of partnership at a special event, Art in Every Place, held recently in Limerick City Gallery of Art. The reception was attended by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan TD. Roscommon County Council was represented by its senior executive officer Fiona Ní Chuinn, accompanied by arts officer, Rhona McGrath. Pic: Don Moloney
The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Ireland’s 31 local authorities marked 40 years of partnership at a special event, Art in Every Place, held recently in Limerick City Gallery of Art.
The reception was attended by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan TD, alongside representatives of the Arts Council, the County and City Management Association (CCMA), other local authority representatives, and arts officers from across Ireland.
Roscommon County Council was represented by its senior executive officer Fiona Ní Chuinn, accompanied by arts officer, Rhona McGrath. The event celebrated four decades of co-investment in artists, communities and cultural infrastructure in every local authority.
The partnership between the Arts Council and local government began in 1985 with the appointment of the first county arts officer in Clare County Council and the establishment of the State's first local authority arts office in 1986.
Today, all 31 local authorities in Ireland have an arts office, embedding arts expertise in local government and supporting artists and communities. Between 2005 and 2025, €2.6 billion was jointly invested in the arts through this partnership, strengthening cultural infrastructure and widening access to the arts in every county.
Through joint investment, local authorities and the Arts Council have supported venues, festivals, youth arts, public art programmes and artist supports across the local government sector.
Speaking at the event, Minister O’Donovan said he was “proud to mark the 40th anniversary of the partnership between the Arts Council and the local government sector. Today is an opportunity to celebrate that achievement, to acknowledge the dedication of everyone involved, and to look ahead to what this partnership can continue to deliver for communities across Ireland.”
Maura McGrath, chairperson of the Arts Council said the council’s partnership with local government “has played a central role in bringing the arts into everyday life in every corner of Ireland. This anniversary looks ahead to the next chapter of art in every place, for everyone.”
The Limerick event reflected on key milestones including the Arts Act 2003, which placed arts planning on a statutory footing for local authorities. It also highlighted the impact of joint investment in infrastructure, public art, festivals and artist supports across the country.
Through its core themes – supporting artists, children and young people, communities, public art, festivals, arts infrastructure, and arts officers – the partnership reaches into every aspect of local cultural life.
