This article is from page 11 of the 2006-01-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
THE Arts Council this week eased the financial burden on Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council by subsidising the activities of Glór Irish Music Centre, to the tune of €100,000.
The Arts Council also increased funding to the Willie Clancy Summer School by 60 per cent to €80,000, while Clare County Council’s Arts Programme received one of the highest allocations in the country to a local authority at €100,000.
The allocation for Glór for 2006 will be seen as a recognition of the centre’s growing reputation and is more than three times the allocation Glór received last year. In 2004, Glór received €30,000, while in 2003, it received only €6,000.
Accounts for last year are not yet finalised. However, Glór recorded a profit for the first time in 2004 after subsidy, following sustained losses over the previous first two years.
Last Summer, Glór axed its summer traditional Irish music programme aimed at tourists, due to the programme losing money over the previous three years.
Currently, Glór receives an annual subsidy of €317,000 from Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council. The Arts Council funding follows a successful campaign by Glór in 2002 for Government to fund the independent traditional music sector.
The Willie Clancy Summer School were allies of Glór in that debate and the Arts Council has provided the School with €80,000.
Director of the Willie Clancy Summer School, Muiris O’Rochain, told The Clare People , “We’re absolutely delighted with the allocation. It is a recognition of the work we have been doing.”
Mr O’Rochain said that last year, the Summer School received €50,000 and in 2004 €25,000.
He said, “The allocation will be very valuable to us as this year we won’t have the use of the Mill Theatre and will have to provide a marquee. This could cost us an additional €30,000 to €40,000 in expenses.”