Clare woman Shelley McNamara has become the first architect to join Aosdána. The 23rd general assembly of the arts group nominated 12 new members yesterday, including Ms McNamara and well-known traditional composer Donal Lunny.
Six new members were drawn from the visual arts: Amelia Stein, Donald Teskey, Veronica Bolay, Jacki Irvine, Seán Fingleton and Louis Lentin. And there were four people chosen from the world of Irish literature: Eugene McCabe, Billy Roche, Glenn Patterson and Dennis O'Driscoll.
The new arrivals were voted in by secret ballot from a list of 27 nominees, bringing membership of the State-sponsored organisation to 220.
The categories of choreography and architecture were added to the list of those qualified for nomination to Aosdána in 2004, but Ms McNamara is the first to be chosen from either of the groups.
The day-long Aosdána assembly was held in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, and was chaired by poet and writer Theo Dorgan. Three motions were agreed. Members passed a motion, tabled by Michael Kane, opposing the proposed move of the National College of Art and Design from its venue in Dublin city centre.
A similar motion, from Marie Foley, opposing the move of the Crawford Art College in Cork from its place in the centre of the city, was also passed unanimously.
Mr Dorgan said the group were "emphatically against the barbaric move" of NCAD, which would "impoverish the heart of Dublin". He hoped the issue would be treated seriously.
Ulick O'Connor said the forces behind the move were big business and that they would drive out anything to do with "human nature and the arts".
A third motion, tabled by writer Jimmy Murphy, was also passed unanimously. It called on members to support northern playwright Garry Mitchell. Mr Mitchell, from Rathcoole in Belfast, is in hiding with three generations of his family after threats from the UDA, said Mr Murphy.
