Tag Archives: City of Culture

RDL2 Deenihan
[A Royal de Luxe performance in Berlin in 2009, top, and Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, above]

Last weekend Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht Minister Jimmy Deenhian referred to a project that former artistic director Karl Wallace wanted to bring to Limerick as a ‘puppet show’.

He said: “I did see that there was one event that was costing something like €1.6 or €1.8 mentioned, that, I think the manager or the board refused to sanction. I think it was some puppet show, some major international event that they refused to sanction.”

Minister Deenihan was talking about the Royal de Luxe.

This morning, Mr Wallace told Limerick Leader:

“The newspaper articles about Royal de Luxe are worrying. Has no-one the time to properly investigate instead of throwing out soundbites that are unfounded and at best ill-informed? Royal de Luxe are without question the world’s best pagentry company. The fee for their performance in Limerick was estimated at €315,000 with the remainder, such as health and safety officers, technicians, site managers, local performers etc all costing the remainder, approx €1.2m. This €1.2m was to be spent mostly on local employment and as a result, of benefit to the local economy and the people of Limerick.”

He added:

“We wanted to ensure that the €6m went first and foremost to local projects. The remaining €2.6m was earmarked for international events coming into the city (not including RDL). Royal de Luxe remained in a second phase of projects waiting for private funding – at the last count these projects amount to approx €3.2m and include more money for local projects too. This money is yet to be raised and therefore Royal de Luxe is a project currently on hold.”

Karl Wallace rejects ‘puppet show’ description of major event (Limerick Leader)

Pic: Boston.com

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

WAllaceMaeveMcGrathJo

(From top: Limerick City of Culture’s artistic director Karl Wallace, commissioning and legacy programmer Maeve McGrath and international programmer Jo Mangan. All resigned yesterday, on the first day of the year-long event.)

The Irish Independent reports:

“Speaking exclusively to the Irish Independent, [Wallace] has complained of staffing requests being rejected, of his team being “sidelined” in decision-making and of being left out of the preparations for the New Year’s Eve event which kicked off the festival.”

“He also claimed that there has been a breakdown in communication between his team and City of Culture chief executive Patricia Ryan.””Her appointment was criticised by former Mayor of Limerick John Gilligan when he raised questions about the contract not being advertised and no interviews being held.”

“Ms Ryan previously worked for Limerick City of Culture board chairman Pat Cox when he was a member of the European Parliament.“

So, who else is on the board of the Limerick City of Culture?

Pat Cox, Former MEP and Chairman of the Board
Paul O’Connell, Munster Rugby, Ireland and British and Irish Lions Captain
Bill Whelan, Composer, Producer and Arranger
Orlaith McBride, Director of the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaion
Conn Murray, Manager / CEO Limerick City and County Council
Tim O’Connor, Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Gathering Ireland 2013 and former Secretary General to the President of Ireland
Brian McEnery, Partner on the Corporate Finance & Recovery Team of BDO Ireland
Dave O’Hora, Account Director with Southern Marketing Media and Design
Niall O’Donnchu, Assistant Secretary with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Neil Pakey, CEO at Shannon Airport Authority

Rightio.

Chaos for ‘City of Culture’ festival as three quit (Irish Independent)

Limerick city of culture

Pics: Limerick City of Culture, mic.ul.ie