Galway arts groups share state funding
A total of 28 artists and arts organisations across Galway city and county are to share a slice of €2,285,491 in funding, after the Arts Council announced the local recipients of its Arts Grant Funding scheme.
Nationally there are 218 recipients sharing a total of €17.1 million to support arts activities across Ireland. The number of successful applications is up from 194 last year.
Galway recipients include Branar (€220,000); Decadent Theatre Company (€180,000); Clifden Community Arts Week (€135,000); Noeline Kavanagh (€160,000); Brú Theatre (€133,000); Cuirt (€132,200); Tulca (€130,000); the Galway Theatre Festival (€104,000) and Music for Galway (€100,000).
Also included are Architecture at the Edge (€95,000); Doire Press (€89,000); Galway Music Residency (€76,000); the Journal of Music (€75,500); Galway Dance (€73,500); Interface (€70,000); Resurgam (€70,000); Stiúideo Cuan (€67,500), and Twisted Lane Productions (€60,000).
And completing the list of Galway recipients are Futa Fata (€59,500); Art By Grace Dyas (€58,000); Luminosa Music (€55,791); 126 Artist-Run Gallery (€35,500); Leabhar Breac (€34,000); Crannog Magazine (€24,000); Outset Gallery (€20,000); Clifden Arts Society (€13,000); Skylight 47 (€10,000), and Galway Cathedral Recitals (€5,000).
Arts Grant Funding is one of a number of competitive funding schemes through which the Arts Council invests in artists, organisations and arts infrastructure.
It supports individual artists and organisations, across various artforms, to carry out multiple activities over a fixed period and focuses on ensuring there is a breadth of high-quality arts activity and programmes throughout the country. This round of funding relates to arts activities planned for 2026.
The announcement comes at a time of unprecedented demand for the Arts Council’s funding schemes, with 7,568 eligible applications received across all schemes last year.
Chair of the Arts Council Maura McGrath said that Arts Grant Funding was a vital strand of the broader investment in the national arts infrastructure.
“It enables ambitious, sustained artistic work that connects communities across Ireland,” she said.
“As demand continues to grow, we're proud to support this year's recipients—but we also know many strong applications could not be funded. We will continue to advocate for the increased resources our vibrant sector urgently needs."
Pictured: Grants...Chair of the Arts Council Maura McGrath.