The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport () is a department of the

Government of Ireland The Government of Ireland () is the executive (government), executive authority of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, headed by the , the head of government. The government – also known as the cabinet (government), cabinet – is composed of Mini ...

. The mission of the department is to promote and develop Ireland's tourism, culture, and art; and to advance the use of the Irish language, including the development of the

Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...

. It is led by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are on Kildare Street, Dublin. The department also has offices in South Frederick Street in Dublin, Na Forbacha in Galway and in New Road,

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

. The departmental team consists of the following: * Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport:

Patrick O'Donovan Patrick O'Donovan (born 21 March 1977) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport since January 2025. He previously served as Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovati ...

, TD ** Minister of State for sport and postal policy:

Charlie McConalogue Charles McConalogue (born 29 October 1977) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport since January 2025. He previously served as Minister for Agriculture, Foo ...

, TD *Secretary General of the Department: Feargal Ó Coigligh

Overview

In carrying out its mandate the department undertakes a variety of functions including: *formulation, development and evaluation of policy and structures to promote and foster the practice and appreciation of the creative and interpretative arts and to encourage the development of the Irish film industry; *enabling the national cultural institutions to preserve and protect Ireland's movable heritage and cultural assets; *creating an environment enabling the National Cultural Institutions to flourish through the provision of financial resources and an appropriate policy framework. The department is responsible for funding national cultural institutions such as: *

National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...

National Library of Ireland The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...

National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland () is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has three branches in Dublin, the arch ...

and organisations such as: *

Arts Council of Ireland The Arts Council (sometimes called the Arts Council of Ireland; legally ) is the independent "Irish government agency for developing the arts". About It was established in 1951 by the government of Ireland, to encourage interest in Irish art ( ...

(which also acts as the "Cultural Contact Point" to access EU cultural programme funding); * Culture Ireland

Culture

Creating an environment enabling the National Cultural Institutions to flourish through the provision of financial resources and an appropriate policy framework. The National Cultural Institutions include: the

National Archives of Ireland The National Archives of Ireland () is the official repository for the state records of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Established by the National Archives Act 1986, taking over the functions of the State Paper Office (founded 1702) and the Publi ...

National Concert Hall The National Concert Hall (NCH) (An Ceoláras Náisiúnta) is a national cultural institution, sometimes described as "the home of music in Ireland". It comprises the actual concert hall operation, which in various chambers hosts over 1,000 ...

Chester Beatty Library The Chester Beatty Library, now known as the Chester Beatty, is a museum and library in Dublin. It was established in Ireland in 1953, to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty. The present museum, on the grounds of ...

Irish Museum of Modern Art The Irish Museum of Modern Art (), also known as IMMA, is Ireland's leading national institution for the collection and presentation of modern and contemporary art. It is located in Kilmainham, Dublin. History Irish art collector Gordon Lam ...

and

. Formulation, development and evaluation of policy and structures to promote and foster the practice and appreciation of the creative and interpretative arts and to encourage the development of the Irish film industry; enabling the national cultural institutions, as integral elements of the national culture, to preserve, protect and present for the benefit of present and future generations our moveable heritage and cultural assets.

History

The department was created by the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1977 as the Department of Economic Planning and Development, an act of the

15th government of Ireland In music, a fifteenth or double octave, abbreviated ''15ma'', is the interval between one musical note and another with one-quarter the wavelength or quadruple the frequency. It has also been referred to as the bisdiapason. The fourth harmonic, ...

led by

Jack Lynch John Mary Lynch (15 August 1917 – 20 October 1999) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Taoiseach from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979. He was Leader of Fianna Fáil from 1966 to 1979, Leader of the Opposition from 1973 to 1977, ...

. This act provided its function as: Over the years the name and functions of the department have changed several times.

References

External links

*
Structure of the Department
{{authority control Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Ministries established in 1977 Cultural heritage of Ireland 1977 establishments in Ireland

Telecommunications in the Republic of Ireland Communications in the Republic of Ireland Communications ministries