Archive for August, 2010
Gateway Ireland awarded €23,000 as DFA announces funding to Irish organisations
Monday, August 16th, 2010Gateway Ireland, the internet diaspora outreach project announced at last September’s Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh, has been awarded €23,000 by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The award was part of a number of grants announced today to seven Irish-based organisations, totalling €728,000, to promote the welfare of Irish emigrants and greater engagement between Ireland and the global Irish community.
Gateway Ireland held an introductory seminar on May 26th in Dublin Castle, where it was announced that the website would be aimed at reaching out to the Irish diaspora as it promoted Ireland as a destination for business, tourism, culture and education. The idea of the website was proposed by John McColgan, who has been spearheading the project. McColgan has said that several multinational companies have expressed interest in funding the project.
The Department of Foreign Affair reported the rest of today’s funding allotments went to the following Irish-based organisations:
- Safe Home, which assists elderly Irish emigrants to return to live in Ireland, was granted €255,000.
- The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas’ Maynooth office received €96,919 for its advocacy and visitation work on Irish citizens imprisoned outside of Britain and Ireland.
- The Football Association of Ireland received €42,000, which is half the cost of the FAI’s UK-based welfare officer; the welfare officer provides supports to young footballers and their parents, ensuring that the players’ welfare and education needs are addressed.
- Glór na nGael Global Gaeilge competition has received €39,000 for its global work with Irish speakers.
- The South East Galway Diaspora Project received €56,700. While the DFA says that the initiative was born out of discussions at the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh last September, it offers no further details and I can find nothing online on this project.
It had been announced in the last budget that funding to organisations working with emigrants was being cut by 14% in 2010, even as emigration rose significantly.
Photographer seeks “to immortalise what is being lost to our country”
Saturday, August 14th, 2010A photographer in Dublin is creating a set of portraits of people who are set to emigrate.
The photographer is David Monahan, and the project is called “Leaving Dublin”. The photographs are stunning: each of them depicts a nighttime scene taken in Dublin of a solitary figure or a family days away from departure. Some of those pictured are Irish-born; others are people who came during the boom years, some who thought they’d be living in Ireland permanently. These images of these strangers photographed against the Dublin backdrops of their choice are deeply compelling and moving.
Monahan says of his project:
“this is an art project with no intention other than to immortalise what is being lost to our country”.
He adds that he is “looking for people who would like to participate in making a statement about their imminent departure.”
Emigration has traditionally been under-represented in visual arts in Ireland. This is a beautiful project, and an important one.