GALWAY PLAYWRIGHT SNUBS TRIBUTE TO RUC MAN

Date Published: 17-Apr-2011

GALWAY-BASED playwright Margaretta D'Arcy refused to stand for a minute's silence for murdered Northern Ireland police officer Ronan Kerr, at a meeting of the State-sponsored artist's body, Aosdana.

That's according to a report in the "Sunday Independent" which states that all present at the meeting stood in a joint tribute to the PSNI man, except the Galway playwright.

The report states that, when contected in Galway, the playwright confirmed that her action was a deliberate one, and she described the decision of the meeting to have the minute's silence as "opportunist".

She said she did not know anything about Ronan Kerr and while it was sad that a young man got blown up, politics is not part of Aosdanda's work.

The report also states that Margaretta D'Arcy has been well known as a political activist who has held strong republican views.

It added that she was jailed twice in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, during which she joined the republican women's no-wash protest in Armagh.

Margaretta D'Arcy is one of 249 members of Aosdana set up by the Arts Council in 1981 under Charlie Haughey's government and all members are eligible to receive over 17,000 Euro in a payment known as a Cnuas each year.

According to the report, the Aosdana website shows that, like most of its members, Ms D'Arcy was in receipt of the annual payment of 17,180 Euro in 2010.