Abbey lands €25m in Arts Council funding

The Arts Council is to fund the Abbey Theatre to the tune of more than €25m, it emerged today.

The national theatre, which was on the verge of bankruptcy in the last year, will receive the funding over the next three years.

It is the largest grant ever awarded by the Arts Council and the first time a three-year funding package has been put in place for the 101-year-old theatre.

Ms Olive Braiden, Chair of the Arts Council, said the additional 10m euro funding announced by Arts Minister John O’Donoghue had helped provide the unprecedented level of funding.

“The Abbey has exceptional issues and this funding is to enable the organisation to reclaim the ground lost over recent years,” Ms Braiden said.

“This three-year arrangement with the theatre should allow the Abbey to progress with its core function of providing the highest quality theatre as an expression of national artistic vibrancy.”

Some 435 applications were received this year by the Arts Council from groups around the country seeking funding.

A total of 325 will be funded by the Council in this round – 22 more than last year – with the body spending €51m of its €72m allocation.