The question of Palestine is directly connected to our responsibilities. Ireland’s recognition of Palestinian statehood in May 2024 reflects its commitment to international law, human rights, and the principle of self-determination. When Irish cultural institutions accept funding from entities involved, directly or indirectly, in settlement expansion, weapons manufacture, or surveillance against Palestinian civilians, they contradict these principles and the values of the Irish public who fund them. No Climate Justice Without Social Justice Three of the corporate partners listed on IMMA’s website are problematic: Hennessy    Soho House     BNP Paribas Hennessy’s parent company, LVMH, has been linked to human rights violations and environmental harm, including deforestation, carbon-intensive supply chains, and forced labour.  Owner Bernard Arnault also invests in Israeli cyber security and has been involved in illegal surveillance of activists and journalists. (See also: Paris judge approves 10 million euro settlement with LVMH in spy case) Soho House is a global network of private membership clubs for people in the creative industries. It operates a club in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, which has been documented to displace Palestinian communities. BNP Paribas. Although the partnership ended in 2019, the company remains listed as a sponsor of The Freud Circle on IMMA’s website, lending legitimacy to its practices. BNP Paribas finances fossil fuel projects, invests heavily in companies supporting illegal settlements in Palestine and has purchased shares in Israeli weapons manufacturers. All of this contributes to both climate and human rights harm. Removing misleading or outdated sponsor listings is a necessary step toward transparency and accountability. IMMA Policy Framework Opportunities IMMA’s draft ethical policy is a welcome step, but it must go further by addressing financing as well as manufacturing of weapons, banning ties to settlement infrastructure, and explicitly excluding partners linked to human rights abuses or the war economy. Can A Public Institution Divest? Yes. There are clear precedents in Ireland: Dublin City University was the first Irish university to divest from fossil fuels in 2015, setting a precedent for ethical investment policies in higher education Trinity College Dublin achieved full institutional divestment, proving that large national institutions can successfully navigate such transitions while meeting statutory obligations University Galway has also divested from fossil fuels, and both DCU and GU have divested from all association with Israel Cork City Council and South Dublin County Council have both declared themselves an Apartheid Free Zone, proving that public institutions can act within existing statutory frameworks IMMA’s COMMITMENT Director Annie Fletcher wrote in last year’s Earth Rising Impact Report: “IMMA's role as a catalyst for social progress and cultural innovation is perfectly reflected in Earth Rising. It aligns with our five-year strategy to foster dialogue, inclusion, and creativity while encouraging urgent action to protect the planet and build a more sustainable world.” We welcome this commitment. Now is the time to turn those words into action. Add your voice. Sign the petition below to encourage IMMA to reflect the values of justice, human rights, and environmental responsibility in its partnerships.

The Clonlara residing along the R463 would like to request the support of all residents of Clonlara for the following reasons: • Improved accessibility for those of us at these addresses means more economic activity in Clonlara village.   • It would allow us to access bars and restaurants. It would also create a higher footfall for the village shop which has now closed twice previously due to this challenge. It would increase bus service user numbers thus ensuring the service is not cancelled and more bus services may be added. • It would reduce traffic at Clonlara bridge as many would choose to walk and cycle such a short distance rather than sit on the bridge in traffic. • It would bring members from your community who are currently not spending time in the village due to a lack of accessibility across the bridge and create a more unified community.   We would also like to request the support of those who have  accessibility concerns for relatives living in the area. We thank you all for your support on this matter.

33 children are ready to take part in the trip of a lifetime. Clubs and families across the island are ready to welcome them.  GAA Palestine have been organising this trip for months. The only thing standing in their way is the Irish government who have refused their visas at the last minute.   GAA Palestine demands immediate action from the Department of Justice to allow these children to come and visit Ireland. Plans were in place with over 150 Irish families who would host the children, bring them to matches and show them the beach for the first time in their lives. GAA Palestine is a symbol of hope for children who've been denied a proper childhood. LET THEM PLAY!

The GPO is the most important historical site in the City of Dublin, the centre of a rebellion that marked the start of the Irish revolutionary period.  The Rising was globally significant, preceding a wave of revolution against war and empire across Europe.  We can not allow the government dilute or bury our revolutionary past. We can not allow soulless corporate retailers or anyone else destroy such an important space in our City - people power can stop them! https://cdn.uplift.ie/assets/uploads/2025/07/MyUplift-banner-politician-SVG-1-scaled.png

If we were to establish an academy and house it in the GPO, it would kill three very significant birds with one stone: Firstly, it would revolutionise art education in Ireland, and a revolution is what's needed. Secondly, it would give us an institution that would be a rallying point for our national pride and our national identity. And thirdly, it would be a catalyst for the regeneration of that part of the north inner city, which as you know, has been sorely neglected.  The establishment of an Academy in the GPO would also honour the memories of the men and women of 1916, and be in alignment with the ethos of the Rising, known as the Poet's Rebellion.  The GPO is the building our nation was born in, it should not be used for shops and offices as the government are currently proposing, we can do much, much better.

The GPO is one of Ireland’s most iconic buildings—ground zero for the 1916 Rising and a national symbol of Irish freedom. Turning this sacred space into a shopping and office complex is not development—it’s desecration. The GPO should be strengthened as a historical and cultural hub that honours our past, not turned over to commercial interests. We believe in respecting our heritage and keeping public space for public good—not for profit. #SaveTheGPO

I am one of the 2,000 recipients of the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme, a transformative initiative that has provided crucial support to artists across Ireland. This scheme is due to conclude in August 2025, and as of early June, there has been no clear communication from the government regarding its future. This uncertainty is causing real stress and anxiety among artists who have come to depend on this support to sustain not just their livelihoods, but their creative contributions to Irish society. The BIA provides a weekly payment of €325. For me and for the other 2,000 recipients, it has been life changing. Over the past three years, it has enabled us to cover essential costs like rent, bills, and other basic living expenses. It has allowed us to invest in our practices, stay rooted in our communities, and contribute to Ireland’s cultural life with greater freedom and stability. Importantly, this payment is not a handout. We are assessed on it as self-employed individuals, and it is taxed at the standard rate of 20 percent. We are also required to log our time and artistic activity in detail. Every hour spent on our creative work must be entered into a diary. We are regularly surveyed throughout the scheme to measure its outcomes. This is a structured, accountable programme that recognises artistic work as real work. Recipients of the BIA were selected to reflect the full diversity of Ireland’s artistic community—across all disciplines, career stages, geographic regions, age groups, genders, and backgrounds. This includes visual artists, writers, musicians, performers, filmmakers, dancers, and many others working across traditional and contemporary forms. The aim was to create a representative sample of working artists in Ireland—not just elite or high-profile names—so the scheme’s impact could be fairly measured and understood. To have this support cut off abruptly, with no transition plan, would not only be a personal and professional crisis for many artists, but a major setback for the wider creative ecosystem. A recently published 2025 report by Dr. Jenny Dagg provides compelling evidence of the scheme’s success. It documents measurable improvements in artistic output, financial stability, and mental health and wellbeing. The report confirms what we already know: basic income works for artists. It enables us to plan for the future and focus on creating meaningful work. Minister for Arts Patrick O'Donovan has expressed hope that the scheme will be retained, extended, and expanded, but to date, there is no sign of concrete action. With the pilot’s end just weeks away, the lack of a clear commitment is deeply unsettling. We are calling on the government to: 1. Retain the Basic Income for the Arts for current recipients 2. Extend the scheme beyond its pilot phase 3. Expand access to include all eligible artists in Ireland To lose this scheme now, without a roadmap for continuation, would be a serious blow to the artistic and cultural life of our country. It would undo the progress already made in recognising the value of creative work and the people who do it. I am calling on current recipients, artists across Ireland, and members of the public who believe in supporting creativity to sign this petition and urge the government to act now. Keep the BIA alive. Support Ireland’s artists. Secure the future of our cultural sector.

For the vibes 

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to positively influence the trajectory of one of the most interesting and friendly small towns in Ireland with a project which can transform the heart of the town and provide a tourism and visitor hub and attraction for one of the most beautiful surrounding areas, populated with greenways, lakes, walks and other visitor attractions just waiting to be discovered, many of which are wonderfully recalled in the works of the great writer. The McGahern Gateway Centre will provide the opportunity to harness and coalesce in one place the significant local, national and global interest in one the most evocative, elegiac and poetic of prose writers on the world stage of this or any age and to honour and illustrate his life's work in his home town with a centre of appropriate ambition, quality and scale equal to the writer's towering achievements. This project has, of course, the full support of the writer's family. 

Kildare county currently has no facilities for musicians and dancers to develop their works. We would like to see free or affordable hourly rents for small dedicated rehearsal rooms (especially soundproof rooms and sprung floors). As a last resort, we believe that some spaces currently given over to visual artists (and nobody else) could be repurposed for different types of artists who need it more.

It is not acceptable that camogie players are banned from wearing shorts. All we are looking for is choice. 

The Israeli government are massacring the people of Gaza and make the place completely unliveable. By normalising Israelis participation in global events like the Eurovision - that states its values are democracy, solidarity and unity  is deeply cynical and amounts to art washing.  People who work in RTE are demanding that RTE's Director General agrees not to broadcast the Eurovision. A massive public outcry will send a powerful message that people in Ireland are behind them and are not standing by.