Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his role in the gathering 2013 in particular with regard to possible events that focus on our reputation in the arts and that will promote Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Reply from Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Jimmy Deenihan T.D.)

As the Deputy will be aware, the Gathering is an initiative of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, and it has my full support and that of the agencies within my Department’s ambit.

The National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland, is the lead agency for the implementation of The Gathering initiative. The arts, culture, film and heritage sector constitute an essential part of our national tourism offering: indeed, they animate the brand globally. In that context, my Department and the relevant agencies under its aegis are working closely with the lead Department on this important initiative.

Art in all its forms is an intrinsic part of Irish culture and will play an important part in The Gathering.   Our national cultural institutions will be promoting a number of initiatives specifically designed to contribute to the success of The Gathering:

–    The National Museum of Ireland is working closely with Fáilte Ireland to promote the Museum’s four sites as part of The Gathering. The Museum is also promoting its four sites directly as places where Gathering events from small family reunions up to big marqueed events can take place. The Museum of Country Life is a leading member of the Mayo Gathering Steering Committee and has had direct meetings with Mayo’s Co-ordinator to ensure the Museum is to the   forefront of any formal (and informal) Gathering events in the region.

–    The National Gallery of Ireland will be holding a sustained programme of exhibitions, temporary displays, weekly events such as public lectures and tours to enhance the participation and engagement of visitors to Ireland during The Gathering.   In addition, there will be a number of study mornings, lectures, conferences and symposia that will involve guests from overseas.

–    The Irish Museum of Modern Art is taking significant steps to increase the number of foreign visitors of Irish descent visiting the Museum in 2012.   Specific initiatives for The Gathering centre mainly on the promotion of those exhibitions which have the greatest capacity to attract this segment of the market, e.g., the exhibition of the famous Ned Kelly series of paintings by the celebrated Australian artist, Sidney Nolan.

–    The National Library of Ireland will have a number of events and activities that are relevant to The Gathering e.g. Free Family History advice service: a  drop-service free to all visitors to Kildare Street, advising visitors on how to get started on researching their family history.

The Arts Council will also play a key role in funding and developing arts events around the country during 2013 and are in regular contact with Fáilte Ireland with regard to its contribution to The Gathering.   In particular, the Arts Council provides funding to small arts festivals as well as touring and dissemination of works.   This will ensure that more people around the country €“ including, I hope, many of the visitors for the The Gathering €“ can experience excellent performances and exhibitions locally.  

In addition, both the Culture Night and International Celebration of Irish Culture initiatives will also make a significant contribution towards the success of The Gathering. The Culture Night initiative has grown into a significant national cultural event, with more than 300,000 people visiting museums, galleries and other across the country in 2011. The International Celebration of Irish Culture is a new initiative based around the St Patrick’s Day festival, which was well supported this year. Plans are already in hand to develop the concept further in 2013 with a key aim of using the existing St Patrick’s Festival activity to promote Ireland and its culture, both domestically and internationally.  

With regard to the Gaeltacht, The Gathering has been raised by my Department in discussions with CONCOS – the representative body for over 40 Irish Summer Colleges.   Plans are progressing and CONCOS has expressed an interest in participating in this important national event.

Last September, my Department launched two new websites which aim to highlight these lesser-known sites – national monuments and heritage buildings that are open to the public but which tend to be only visited by those very familiar with the particular area in which they are situated.   It is hoped that the new ‘Places to See’ and ‘Monuments to Visit’ websites will assist in encouraging tourists to visit locations that might not otherwise be on their itineraries and also assist those of us welcoming relatives and friends from abroad as part of The Gathering next year to be able to identify locations close by that will interest visitors.   Both websites feature easy-to-use digital maps that provide directions to the sites and details of what the visitor can expect to find on arrival. My Department will also continue to co-operate closely with our colleagues in the Office of Public Works (whose role it is to manage national monuments in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht) to further enhance the tourism value of our built heritage.

My Department is supporting an initiative planned for 2013 by Mayo County Council under the Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015 to create an architectural installation in a westerly location in Co Mayo, which will be informed by past and present diaspora celebrated by The Gathering.

Finally, I am aware that genealogy will have relevance in the context of The Gathering, particularly for members of the Irish diaspora and establishing the details of their Irish family history.   In relation to my Department and the agencies under my auspices, genealogical services are provided by the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives and through my Department’s website www.irishgenealogy.ie. My Department and the relevant institutions are currently exploring what improvements could be made to our genealogical offering against the backdrop of The Gathering.   That work is ongoing.