Letters to the editor – Calling for a new culture department

The Irish Times – Wednesday, February 24, 2010 



A chara, – I refer to your Editorial (February 22nd) and the McCarthy report recommendation for a critical examination of the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. I propose the Government look at models of best practice internationally and establish a new department of cultural and creative industries to harness the potential of the collective cultural and creative resources across the island, and create a new policy framework relevant to the needs of the 21st century. 


The cultural and creative industries are increasingly important components of modern post-industrial knowledge-based economies. While the Irish Government’s smart economy recognises the important role culture and the creative industries can play in our national recovery, it could be argued that the sector is still poorly understood and fragmented and lacking in the raw data that that is required for effective policymaking. 

Across the world, cultural mapping has become the favoured approach at national level for governments to study and understand their cultural and creative industry sectors before making policy decisions. Unesco has been providing governments with the tools necessary to study this sector and to encourage countries to prioritise this field of research. 


One of the benefits of establishing a department of cultural and creative industries would be to start this exercise, making a comprehensive effort to identify all relevant cultural economic activities, organisations and employment. At the end of the exercise, we would be able to identify suitable public policies to ensure maximum benefit to the taxpayer. – Is mise,

Find out more: 


Download – TBCT Submission to Dublin City Council City Development Plan 

Download – TBCT Submission to Innovation Task Force 


Download – TBCT Submission to Lord Mayor Commission of Employment (Dublin) 

Download – TBCT Submission to the Joint Committee on European Affairs in response to the green paper on a European Citizens Initiative 



TBCT Conferences 


Download – Temple Bar 15 Catalogue (2006) 


Download – Culture & the City Conference Programme (2008) 


Culture & the City Conference Podcasts (2008) 


Check out Culture & the City 3! (2010)

Get Active! – A cultural programme for the Active Retired

We are inviting the active retired and over-55s to become a member of a new cultural club.  Membership is free and offers cultural activity across all art-forms every month in Temple Bar. 

Starting in April, Get Active members will have the opportunity to sign-up for workshops in drama, drawing, jewellery-making, painting or etching.  Also on offer is a monthly book-club, film-screening, art exhibition and a historical guided tour around the Old City by Pat Liddy. 

This programme may offer a little guidance in a craft you already have – or perhaps the opportunity to try something new.  It is FREE to join and offers discounts to card-holders in a number of cafes / restaurants in Temple Bar.  We look forward to hearing from you.

To enroll now for FREE membership please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at TBCT on (01) 677 2255 or echaomhanach@templebar.ie

Temple Bar’s Culture Club for Kids!

We are continuing our family focus in our core programme of events starting with In Handel’s Day (April), Summer Sensational (July) through to Culture Night (Sept.) and our Chocolatey Christmas celebrations in December. 

For the summer days when school is closed, we are opening up a Culture Club for Kids!  Culture Club will feature a range of cultural activity in Temple Bar during July and August.  Arts, crafts, fun and culture will be on offer for 9-12yr olds. Culture Club is FREE to join and now enrolling!

To enroll now for FREE membership please contact Eimear Chaomhánach at TBCT on (01) 677 2255 or echaomhanach@templebar.ie

What’s on When in 2010 – we’ve launched our Events Diary!

We officially announced details today of our Cultural Events Programme for 2010, a diary packed with cultural treats and exciting events.  The programme offers great value fun, discovery and entertainment with the aim of bringing culture closer to everyone young and old, families and friends.

From the return of favourites such as In Handel’s Day, a joyous celebration of music, history and all things Handel to all things deliciously chocolatey in December at A Chocolate Christmas in Temple Bar; to staying up late for a free night of entertainment, culture and adventure as the city’s museums, galleries, churches, historic houses, cultural centres and artist’s studios open their doors for Culture Night.

New additions on the programme include The Summer Sensational, a unique and unmissable programme of exciting events promising summer magic and sensory overload, as well as a dedicated audience programme including Get Active, a cultural initiative for the active retired or Temple Bar’s Culture Club for Kids to ensure the fun won’t stop. 

As well as fun filled events, Temple Bar is also home to three outdoor markets which offer everything from hand designed clothes and visual art; mouth watering artisan food to vinyl’s and books.  Every Saturday and Sunday the Temple Bar Book Market, the only book market in Dublin located on the busiest junction of Temple Bar at Temple Bar Square hailed as a haven for book worms and music lovers alike, offers a selection of old and new titles, novels and antique vinyls. A favourite among foodies, the Temple Bar Food Market offers locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables and delicious artisan foods each Saturday in Meeting House Square.

Designer Mart at Cows Lane comes to life every Saturday with a unique outdoor market and offers Dublin’s fashionistas a place to pick up hand-made craft and design including jewellery, fashion, furniture and accessories produced by some of Ireland’s hottest designers. Cow’s Lane is located in the Old City area of Temple Bar, the oldest part of Dublin, itself a unique shopping destination with restaurants, a book store, a designer market and much more; take a stroll and immerse yourself in Dublin’s unique architectural past.

Download the full brochure or sign up to our e-zine for more updates!

In Handel’s Day, Tuesday – Full programme available from March 15th

Join us on Tuesday April 13^th for a celebration of music, history and Handel rooted in the anniversary of the 1742 world premiere of Messiah in Temple Bar!

Connecting the people and places of Handel’s time, this day long programme will take you on a captivating journey, from Handel and the Baroque to Irish traditional music.

A full programme of events including booking and ticket details will be available on our website and throughout Temple Bar and the city from Monday 15^th March 2010.

Designer Mart – Welcome Back!

We are delighted to announce that Designer Mart is returning to the Old City in March.  Saturday 13^th March is our first day back, bringing new artists, new creativity, colour and life to Cow’s Lane, Old City, Temple Bar.  Take a new look at our seasoned traders plus a sneaky preview of new arrivals, Click here.

Opening times: 10am – 5pm every Saturday, Cow’s Lane, Old City, Temple Bar.

If you are interested in finding out more about trading at the Designer Mart at Cow’s Lane, please contact Eimear Chaomhánach on echaomhanach@templebar.ie

Upcoming Events at The Gutter Bookshop

If you feel like doing something a little bit different, why not pop into The Gutter Bookshop on Cow’s Lane in the Old City area of Temple Bar and  take part in their literary events programme. 

If you are interested in booking a space for any of these events or indeed just want to know more please contact The Gutter Bookshop directly on: 01 6799206/ info@gutterbookshop.com.

Thursday 25th February 2010 – 10.30am until 11.30am

‘The Badness of Ballydog’ by Garrett Carr – In collaboration with TBCT’s Audience Programmes
“Something is coming …something big. May knows it, but no one will listen to her. She is an outcast due to her odd ways and freakish ability with animals. Andrew knows it, but he has his position as gang leader to maintain. Ewan knows it, but what can he do? The sea creature is the biggest living thing on the face of the earth. And it won’t stop until it has destroyed Ballydog.” This is the first book of a trilogy from an exciting new Irish children’s writer.  This is a School Event and not open to the Public, however if you would like a signed copy of the book please contact the Gutter Bookshop.

Thursday 25th February 2010 – 6pm until 7.15pm

The Gutter Bookshop Book Club
This is a general book club that meets monthly to discuss a book selected by its members. ‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett is our February title.  This Reading Group is currently full but if you’re interested in attending please contact the Gutter Bookshop.

Tuesday 2nd March – 6pm until 7.30pm

Book Launch for ‘Ghost Writers’ by Johnny Grogan
Dublin 1988. Against the backdrop of a city approaching the end of a long decline, the impoverished poets of the Dublin Poetry Collective are preparing to do battle for a paltry poetry prize commemorating recently deceased poet Martin Meaney.

We are delighted to be launching the first novel by film and documentary writer and director, Johnny Grogan. Please do come and along and meet him, and listen to him talk about how he came to write this book, and the influence his screenwriting had on shaping his novel. This event is free and open to all, just turn up on the night.

Thursday 4th March – All Day

World Book Day 2010
Join us on World Book Day to celebrate the wonderful world of books! We’ll be stocking the special World Book Day books that can be exchanged for your World Book Day Voucher, and there’s bound to be lots of other stuff going on as well!

Thursday 4th March – 6pm until 7.15pm

Paddy Kelly – Writing Your Novel
If you’ve always wanted to write a novel but don’t know where to start, or if you’ve started but have ground to a halt, then join published author and screenwriter Paddy Kelly for a guide on how to begin, and how to construct a narrative that people will want to read. This event is free and open to all, but please contact The Gutter Bookshop as places are strictly limited.

Thursday 11th March – 6pm until 7.15pm

‘The Classics’ Reading Group
‘The Woman in White’ by Wilkie Collins is our choice for March. This Reading Group is currently full but if you’re interested in attending please contact the Gutter Bookshop.

Thursday 18th March – 6pm until 7.15pm

Poetry Night
If you enjoy reading, listening to, or writing your own poetry come along to our Poetry Night! This event is free and open to all, just turn up on the night.

St Patrick’s Festival Art Trail in Temple Bar – “Shop If You Can, Look If You Want”

From 12th – 17th March, Temple Bar, Dublin’s Cultural Quarter, will provide the perfect setting for an inspiring visual art trail Shop If You Can Look If You Want as part of the St Patrick’s Festival.

This exhibition will showcase some of the interesting existing public art, spaces and places in the Temple Bar area, and also platform 5 innovative Irish artists and their work. Curated in conjunction with Temple Bar Cultural Trust this event is an opportunity for visitors and Dubliners alike to experience some of our finest urban artists as part of the Festival celebrations.

This unique trail will incorporate existing public  artwork, many which were commissioned by TBCT, with a variety of art installations and activities in both newly vacant and existing retail spaces, where some of Dublin’s best cultural centres and unique shops line the narrow cobbled streets. Artists’ films will also be projected in the perfect setting of Meeting House Square.

Whether visiting for the first time or simply back for more, this is an exciting and atmospheric area worth discovering and rediscovering!

Exciting plans for Number 12 East Essex Street

Since January 30^th this year the ground floor space here at 12 East Essex Street (formerly the Temple Bar Cultural Information Centre) has been closed as we refurbish the space and re-open it as a new multi-use venue in April.

We have decided to change the way we use the space so that it makes a better contribution to the Cultural Quarter. There are a number of stages involved in creating our planned multi-use space in what was formerly the Information Centre. 

This new space will be the venue for TBCT’s new programme of audience engagement events throughout the year, as well as providing box-office, ticketing and event information facilities.  This new space will be available for rent and full details for enquiries will be available on our website from March.

The No Grants Gallery will continue to operate here at 12 East Essex Street hosting visual artists of all disciplines along with expanding its current remit to be socially inclusive of all visual artist groups and communities.

For updates on plans for this space and other TBCT plans follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Culture Corner Blog
or Subscribe to our E-zine.

Dublin to celebrate Russian Culture during week-long event in the city

“From Red Square to Meeting House Square”: Dublin’s first ever Russian Cultural Festival takes place across the city from February 15^th – 21^st.

Traditional Russian music, dance, performance, food, exhibitions and lectures are just some of the wealth of vibrant activities on offer across Dublin this week as part of the first ever Russian Cultural Festival. The week long festivities will culminate in a family day on Sunday February 21^st, traditionally celebrated in Russia as “Pancake Day”, where numerous events to appeal to all ages will take place in and around Meeting House Square, Temple Bar.  The festival is a city-wide event, with associated activities certain to suit all cultural tastes taking place in Temple Bar, The Helix Glasnevin, Light House Cinema Smithfield, Civic Offices Wood Quay, and the Pepper Canister Church.  This event is unique in that it is organised jointly by Dublin City Council and Moscow City Council.

There are many highlights taking place during the week-long festival – particularly the central focus on Sunday February 21^st in Temple Bar, Dublin’s Cultural Quarter.  Meeting House Square will host a variety of performances and Russian food and souvenir stalls on this date, with numerous activities to keep children enthralled, including Russian fairytale storytelling, face painting, Russian doll painting, and other ongoing entertainment throughout the day.  Just across the street in The Button Factory (formerly Temple Bar Music Centre), there will be two free performances of the “Russkaya Pesnya” (Russian Song) Folk Band, with the acclaimed singer Nadejda Babkina taking part.  These performances take place at 2pm and 5pm on Sunday 21^st, and while free are ticketed.  Tickets can be reserved by e-mail, russianfestival@dublin.ie.