Louise Donlon, Executive Director of the Lime Tree Theatre, which is based on the MIC Limerick campus, has been appointed as the Chair of the Culture Ireland Expert Advisory Committee by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD.
Louise has worked at the forefront of arts administration for over 30 years and in addition to her role at the Lime Tree Theatre she has served as a member of the Arts Council and on the board of Siamsa Tíre. She was appointed to the board of Culture Ireland’s Expert Advisory Committee in 2021 and will serve as Chair until the end of 2026.
Culture Ireland was established in 2005 as a Division of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to promote and advance Irish arts worldwide, strengthening Ireland’s cultural profile and global reputation and increasing career opportunities for Irish artists globally.
Accepting her appointment as Chair, Louise Donlon said: “The global impact of Irish arts and culture is quite phenomenal, exceeding that of countries much larger than Ireland. The investment by artists, arts organisations and Government continues to reap many rewards and accolades, which benefits all sectors of society and the economy. I am delighted to have been invited to chair Culture Ireland at this exciting time and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Expert Advisory Committee to continue the great work being done by Culture Ireland in showcasing Irish arts on the global stage."
In making the announcement, Minister Catherine Martin said: “The Chair of the Culture Ireland Expert Advisory Committee plays an important role in guiding Culture Ireland’s strategy and also in the progression of my Department’s ambitions under Global Ireland 2025. With her many years of involvement in the Irish theatre and Arts sector, Louise will bring a large set of skills to the role and also a keen appreciation and understanding of the challenges and also the opportunities facing Irish artists today. I wish her well in her new position."
Louise has served as Executive Director of the Lime Tree Theatre which is based at the MIC Limerick campus. Opened in 2012, the state-of-the-art 510 seat theatre hosts a wide variety of performances including theatre, music, comedy, traditional arts, schools’ performances and conferences. It was recently the venue for RTÉ’s live television debate with the candidates vying to be Limerick’s first Directly Elected Mayor.
Congratulating Louise on her appointment was Professor Eugene Wall, President of MIC, who said: “Louise has worked at the forefront of the Arts in Ireland for over three decades and I welcome her appointment and congratulate her on behalf of the College community. The Lime Tree Theatre has been a wonderful addition to the MIC Limerick campus and has flourished under Louise’s direction. Louise takes up this position at an exciting time for the Arts with so much positive attention on our cultural output nationally and internationally and I wish Louise all the best with her term as Chair.”
