Kieran Hanrahan has been appointed Chair of the Culture Ireland Expert Advisory Committee. He replaces Kevin Rafter who was recently appointed Chair of the Arts Council.

Hanrahan has worked in traditional music for over forty years. A banjo player, he co-founded Stockton’s Wing in the late 1970s and played with the band for thirteen years. He has since worked for RTÉ Radio, presenting Céilí House since 1995. In 2009, he became Artistic Director of Temple Bar TradFest. He is also Director of Scoil Éigse, the summer school that takes place as part of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, and an Assistant Lecturer in Music at the Conservatory of Music and Drama in TU Dublin. Hanrahan was first appointed as a member of the Culture Ireland committee in March 2018. 

Commenting on his appointment, Hanrahan said:

Having worked with Culture Ireland for some years as both a panellist and a member of the Advisory Committee, I have seen first-hand the importance of its contribution to promoting Irish arts and artists on the international stage. Within the Culture Ireland team, there’s a great energy and very positive engagement with artists in their career development. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Expert Advisory Committee in support of our artists.

The members of the eleven-person committee, which are appointed by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, are Niall Gibbons (CEO, Tourism Ireland), Somhairle Mac Conghail (Arts Officer, Monaghan County Council), James Hickey (CEO, Irish Film Board), Josephine Kelliher (founder and Director, Rubicon Gallery), Maureen Kennelly, (Director, Poetry Ireland), Orlaith McBride (Director, The Arts Council), Conor Falvey (Assistant Secretary, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht), Liz Doherty (academic and musician), Eamonn McKee (Trade and Promotion Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Caitriona O’Kennedy (Manager, Marketing, IDA), and Hanrahan (chair).

In April, Culture Ireland awarded €194k for Irish music concerts abroad. The body has just issued a tender for services to deliver its international showcases and See Here programmes. 

For more, visit www.cultureireland.ie.