Conor McPherson Joins Aosdána | The Irish Film & Television Network

IFTA winning writer and director, Conor McPherson (The Eclipse) and six other Irish artists were voted onto Aosdána on April 15th. The new members were elected following the federation’s annual general assembly in the Armagh City Hotel, the first occasion whereby the event has been held in Northern Ireland.

Playwright and director, McPherson has enjoyed enormous success with his plays such as ‘The Lime Tree Bower’ and ‘The Seafarer’. The three-time Tony award nominee also saw his latest feature film, ‘The Eclipse’, claim the title of Best Film at this year’s IFTAs. The other newly voted members include poet, Vona Groarke; writer, Francis Harvey; composers Gráinne Mulvey and Kevin Volans and architects Yvonne Farrell and Sheila O’Donnell.

With the addition of the new seven artists Aosdána now boasts 236 members, the membership of the affiliation is limited to 250 members. Other Aosdána members include self taught painter Louis le Brocquy, IFTA lifetime achievement award winning filmmaker George Morrison and architect Patrick Scott.

Aosdána was established by the Arts Council in 1981 to honour artists whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland. Membership was extended to architects and choreographers in the last few years.

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