Library job back on Minister's desk

What - or who - next at the National Library? With the retirement last week of director Brendan O'Donoghue, the post once again…

What - or who - next at the National Library? With the retirement last week of director Brendan O'Donoghue, the post once again rears its head.

After director Pat Donlon's retirement on health grounds in 1997 and the furore that followed about a new appointment, the Minister will now face the issue again. Prior to Donlon's retirement there had been some controversy over the poor level of governmental funding of the library; when the post became vacant it was advertised but it was reported - including under questioning in the Dáil - that "the competition had failed to yield a suitable candidate for the position". The Library Association of Ireland said at the time that while there were a number of suitable people, the low salary level, and the fact that it was a contract post, would have put most contenders off, thus leaving what should have been the premier post in Irish librarianship vacant for a long period.

In the event, Brendan O'Donoghue, the former secretary of the Department of the Environment who was acting as administrator of the library, was later appointed director. Indeed O'Donoghue has presided over a period which has seen a lot of high-profile acquisitions (about €16 million-worth was added to the collection in 2002). The additions included the collection of James Joyce manuscripts, described by Dr Stephen Roe, head of the European book division at Sotheby's, as "the most important discovery of literary manuscripts by a 20th century author ever made". The library also acquired the personal library of W.B. Yeats, making the National Library the world's foremost repository of Yeats papers and memorabilia, as well as the personal library of Seán O'Casey, and political papers dealing with Michael Collins's role in Partition.

Last month's trustees' report said visitors numbers for 2002 were down on previous years - the main reading room attendance book was signed by 33,105 people last year (2,500 fewer than in 2001), which the report blamed on the decline in use of the library's genealogy service - with fewer US visitors and genealogical information available online.

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Following O'Donoghue's retirement, the library's board of trustees appointed Aongus O hAonghusa as interim acting director and the Department of Arts says the position will be advertised. The question now is, when will the position of director of the National Library be advertised - and what will the terms and conditions be?

TG4 gets arty

Paraic Breathnach, who founded Macnas and was heavily involved in establishing the Galway Arts Festival, is branching out into television as presenter of TG4's Soiscéal Pháraic, a new cultural affairs/arts show that begins on Tuesday and looks like it could be a lively addition to the arts broadcasting scene. The burly Connemara man, who's not afraid of a bit of controversy these days, is an unmistakable figure in Irish movie bit-parts and has been working in the arts/film/theatre field at all levels for nearly 30 years. The programme makers, Loopline Film, say opinions will be "freely expressed", so we're hoping for some fireworks. The format is the familiar three guests plus presenter in the TG4 studio, and Soiscéal Pháraic will discuss a range of subjects, including Irish film, The Dublin Theatre Festival and new Irish drama writing, the Cork Film Festival, visual art and road sculpture, contemporary and traditional dance in Ireland and island artists. Soiscéal Pháraic Tuesdays, TG4, 9.05pm (with subtitles in English).

Leeds plays a different tune

Two pianists familiar to Dublin audiences have made it to the finals of the 2003 Leeds International Piano Competition, reports Michael Dervan. The winner will be announced tonight at the Town Hall in Leeds. Chiao-Ying Chang, who took second prize in Dublin three years ago, performed Beethoven's Fourth Concerto with the Hallé Orchestra under Mark Elder last night. And, by curious coincidence, it's in the same concerto that Antti Siirala, this year's first prizewinner in Dublin, will close the Leeds competition tonight. There are some other interesting overlaps between the two competitions. Li Wang, who took second prize in Dublin this year, was eliminated in the second round in Leeds, as was Yevgeny Sudbin, who took the fifth prize in Dublin in 2000. Chenyin Li, who made it to the 2003 Dublin semi-finals, failed at the first hurdle in Leeds, but both Nami Eijiri and Andrea Secchi, have scored better in Leeds, by one and two rounds, respectively. The closing session from Leeds is live on BBC Radio 3 tonight, performances at 6.30 p.m., results at 10.15.p.m, and also on BBC Four television at 8 p.m.

Hit still running

The dance film, Hit and Run, looks as if it will run and run in the awards stakes. David Bolger, co-founder and artistic director of CoisCeim Dance Theatre, has been nominated in the Short Film category of the ninth annual American Choreography Awards, the dance community's highest honour. Other nominations include Chicago, The Matrix Reloaded and Talk to Her (some of these pushing definitions of choreography in interesting directions). Bolger's most recent work has been on the Druid production of John B Keane's Sharon's Grave, which is currently touring before coming to the Dublin Theatre Festival, and CoisCeim's new show, with the Peacock, Swept, opens in mid-November in the Peacock Bar.

And furthermore . . .

If you kind of like classical music but feel you should know a bit more about its history and origins, the Royal Academy of Music promises to reveal "the mysteries" in a new series of music appreciation classes. The academy describe Bravo! An Appreciation of Music Through the Ages, at the Academy's home on Dublin's Westland Row, as a bluffer's guide to classical. Over 10 weeks, Deborah Kelleher will trace the development of music from its origins on the tombstones of Greek and Roman civilisations to the challenging music of today, and there will be recordings and live performances. The classes are on Tuesday morning and Wednesday evenings and the course costs €125. Information from the academy at 01-6764412.

Irish artist John Keating has been selected to participate in the first Beijing International Art Biennale, which opens thgis weekend and runs until October 20th. More than 40 countries and regions are represented at the biennale (participation is by invitation), which will feature more than 400 works by Chinese and international artists, on a theme of "Originality: Contemporary and Locality". Meanwhile, Keating's work also features in the 149th annual exhibition of the Water Colour Society of Ireland, at County Hall, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. The exhibition, which runs from September 29th to October 11th, will feature 240 exhibits, with work by 95 of Ireland's leading contemporary artists, including Berthold Dunne, Desmond Carrick, William Carron, Brid Clarke, Gerald Davis, Anthony Loughran and Susan Sex. Founded in 1870, previous members of the society have included Jack B. Yeats, Mildred Anne Butler, Paul Henry, Sir William Orpen and Harry Clarke. The cover of the catalogue is Contours, by Nancy Larchet, president of the society. Admission free.

The National Chamber Choir will be on tour from September 26th to October 16th, giving six concerts in Ireland (Wexford, Dublin, Galway, Dunmore, Navan and Belfast) and four in Brazil. The choir, which has 17 young members, gives around 60 live concerts each year at home and abroad and broadcasts regularly on Lyric FM. Full details of the Irish concerts at www.nationalchamberchoir.dcu.ie

The Arts Council has launched a new funding scheme which is open to all small arts festivals and events. The grants available range from €1,000 up to a maximum of €10,000. (Festivals seeking funding of more than €10,000 should apply for revenue using the standard application procedure, for which the deadline is October 10th, 2003). The new scheme grants will be made in two rounds: the deadline for the first round is December 5th, 2003; thesecond round is March 12th, 2004. Information from Regina O'Shea, grants assistant, Arts Programme Department at the Arts Council.

Telephone: 01-6180260 or e-mail regina@artscouncil.ie