Three Clare-based arts organisations will receive a total of €187,265 through the Arts Council’s 2026 Arts Grant Funding scheme, supporting a wide range of artistic work and community-focused projects across the county.
The Clare recipients are Courthouse Studios and Gallery, Cracking Light Productions and Salmon Poetry.
Cracking Light Productions, a creative partnership between Maeve Stone and Alex Gill, were awarded €38,265. The duo is known for work that responds to climate challenges in inclusive and imaginative ways. The funding will support the production of a sequel to The Time Machine, an immersive exhibition that transforms the Old Bank in Miltown Malbay into a portal, transporting viewers through time. The original instalment debuted in August 2024.
Speaking to The Clare Echo about the grant, Maeve Stone said, “We are thrilled to have received Arts Grant Funding for the second year as it enables us to work with brilliant people, on interesting projects and to be ambitious in our approach.”
She also noted the difficult context in which artists across Ireland are currently working: “The arts ecosystem is tough, and getting tougher. The Basic Income for the Arts pilot programme has provided clear data that shows the rate of deprivation across the creative community is 47%. For many artists, the cost of living and housing crisis are forcing a choice to leave the profession or Ireland in order to continue working. We support the National Campaign for the Arts calling on Minister O’Donovan to retain, extend and expand basic income for the arts to protect our cultural foundations and make sure companies like ours have the ability to continue making work for communities and audiences.”
Salmon Poetry, now based in Clare, was originally set up as a workshop broadsheet in Galway in 1981. The company was later formalised as a poetry publisher and moved to County Clare in 1995. They have since grown and now have the Salmon Bookshop and Literary Centre in Ennistymon. With the aim of enriching Irish literary publishing Salmon Poetry specialises in the promotion of new poets, particularly women poets. The publishers received €115,000 from the Arts Council’s 2026 Arts Grant Funding scheme.
Speaking about the impact of the recently announced funding Jessie Lendennie, managing director of Salmon Poetry said: “We’re delighted with our Arts Council funding. It goes toward our overall publishing costs. We are publishing 15 poetry collections this year.”
Salmon Poetry has been publishing poetry for 44 years, and we have had Arts Council support for most of that time The Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon has been awarded €34,000 from the grant fund. The arts hub set in a renovated Georgian house features artist studios, galleries, and a workshop space. The space offers exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events year-round.
The funding is part of a national Arts Council investment of €17.1 million, supporting 218 artists and organisations across Ireland which is up from 194 last year. Arts Grant Funding is one of the Arts Council’s key schemes aimed at supporting individual artists and organisations to deliver multiple, high-quality arts activities over a set timeframe.
This funding round supports work taking place in 2026 and comes amid growing demand: last year, the Arts Council received 7,568 eligible applications across all of its funding schemes.
Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council, said:
“Arts Grant Funding is a vital strand of our broader investment in the national arts infrastructure. It enables ambitious, sustained artistic work that connects communities across Ireland. 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.”
The success of Clare-based organisations in this highly competitive funding round highlights the strength and diversity of the arts in the region. As part of ongoing coverage, I will be speaking with each of the recipients to share more about the work this funding will support and the impact it will have on their communities.
