It was not a year when glamorous international baubles – the Oscars, Bookers and Grammys – went the way of Irish artists. But that shallow measure often fails to reflect the true breadth and quality of artistic achievement over the course of 12 months. That was certainly the case in 2024. The country’s literary reputation is at a deserved high, driven both by established writers like Sally Rooney and Donal Ryan and exciting newcomers like Ferdia Lennon, along with many others who published fine work this year.
The cross-fertilisation between Ireland’s literary culture and its other artforms was particularly significant in a year that was bookended by memorable film versions of works by John McGahern (That They May Face the Rising Sun) and Claire Keegan (Small Things Like These). Cinema also crossed over with music in the form of the raucous, rebellious Kneecap. In a different corner of the pop music universe, Hozier became only the fourth Irish artist ever to reach number one on the Billboard charts in the US.
Onstage, 2024 saw the establishment of Ireland’s first national dance company, Luail, while the country remains a place where audiences can expect to see strong new plays alongside imaginative reinterpretations of canonical works. But, as with the visual arts, the scope for innovation is constrained by the continuing shortage of venues and studio space, while the single factor that mitigates most against working as a creative artist in Ireland remains the cost of housing.
Not all is bleak. Funding available via the Arts Council for making creative work almost doubled in the wake of the pandemic, and now bears comparison for the first time with other European countries. The pilot Basic Income for the Arts scheme is an imaginative intervention that makes it possible for artists to pursue their careers with some assurance of financial stability.
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Both of these initiatives occurred on the watch of outgoing Minister for Culture Catherine Martin, who lost her seat at the election. Despite this, she can rightly claim to have left behind a substantial legacy that will be felt for years to come.