Six new members elected by Aosdana assembly

Six new members have been elected to Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland.

They were elected by ballot in the private morning session of the 21st general assembly of the organisation, which took place yesterday in Dublin Castle.

The election brings the total membership of the organisation to 199. Elected from the 20 proposed nominees were: poets Moya Cannon and Trevor Joyce; poet and publisher of Dedalus Press, John F. Deane; playwright Jimmy Murphy; and visual artists Eileen MacDonagh and Geraldine O'Reilly.

The afternoon's public session was chaired by visual artist Brian Maguire. Aosdána's governing committee, the Toscaireacht, proposed that members accept the terms of an agreement reached between the committee and the Arts Council, which will make provision for an additional 50 members to Aosdána, over a period of time yet to be defined. It also proposed that members recommend the entrance of architects and choreographers to the organisation.Both proposals were passed.

Writer Ulick O'Connor proposed a motion that "Aosdána deplores the lack of respect for truth demonstrated in the account of its proceedings in Máire Mac an tSaoi's autobiography, The Same Age as the State, in particular the statement relating to her proposal about Francis Stuart at the General Assembly in 1997". The reference was to the debate at the 1997 a.g.m., at which Máire Mac an tSaoi proposed controversially that the honour of Saoi be removed from Francis Stuart.

In a heated discussion on O'Connor's motion, visual artist Brian Lynch suggested withdrawing it, as it was "unseemly". Lynch was overruled by chair Brian Maguire. O'Connor's motion was defeated by 17 votes to 16, with 20 abstentions.