ACNI confirms board reappointments

The Department for Communities has reappointed several members to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) board for an additional four-year term.

WILLIAM LEATHEM, a former elected member of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and former board member of the Ulster-Scots Agency, Libraries NI and Consumer Council NI, has been reappointed vice-chair.

PAUL BROLLY, JOE DOUGAN, LAURA McCORRY and GEAROID TRIMBLE have all been reappointed board members. 

Brolly is currently head of creative for BBC Northern Ireland, Dougan is a senior organiser of the Belsonic and Custom House Square outdoor music events in Belfast, McCorry is head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and Trimble currently works with Foras na Gaeilge, a North-South implementation body for the promotion of the Irish language.

Each of the reappointed board members has served since 2021. Their new tenures will run until January 2029.

Meanwhile, current ACNI chairman LIAM HANNAWAY has had his tenure extended until a new chair is appointed.

Last month, the Irish press revealed Hannaway was unlikely to be reappointed for another four-year tenure, with a source stating the decision appeared to be “potentially political”.

The ACNI board has a total of eight members, alongside Hannaway, each of whom are expected to commit to approximately 11 days of work a year.