The Bobby Sands Trust: Some Questions For Stormont Minister Carál Ni Chuilín

The Broken Elbow continues to ask questions of the Bobby Sands Trust.

Sinn Fein Assembly Member, Carál ni Chuilín is the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in the power-sharing Executive at Stormont:


Carál Ni Chuilín. member of the BST and the Stormont minister who funds the Arts Council
Carál Ni Chuilín. member of the BST and the Stormont minister who funds the Arts Council

She also sits on the board of The Bobby Sands Trust (BST):


BST
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The Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure, which she heads, funds the Arts Council of Northern Ireland;

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland gave a grant to The O’Brien Press to help publish the graphic novel ‘Bobby Sands – Freedom Fighter’;

When asked by thebrokenelbow,com whether the Bobby Sands Trust had been paid a fee by O’Brien Press, the Publisher, Michael O’Brien said it had not;

But when I directed a supplementary question to the publisher asking if the BST would receive a share of the royalties from the book in the future, The O’Brien Press declined to answer;

I also asked what dealings, if any, The O’Brien Press had with the BST. Again no answer;

That was a week ago;

The Arts Council’s records show that a grant of £3,994.00 was paid to O’Brien Press in its 2013/2014 funding period;

Ms ni Chuilín became Minister of Culture, Arts & Leisure in May 2011;

The funding of the Bobby Sands graphic novel happened during her watch;

The O’Brien Press needs to clarify this matter;

Minister ni Chuilín needs to clarify her role in this affair.

Bobby Sands' son, Robert Gerard at his father's funeral
Bobby Sands’ son, Robert Gerard at his father’s funeral

1 comment:

  1. The CAL committee met at Stormont. The Arts Council were in and were asked about the grant to O'Brien Press for the publication of a graphic novel about Bobby Sands. They stated that any profit would result in a clawback of money and if any royalties or other monies could be paid to the Bobby Sands Trust of which the minister is a director.

    The question had been asked by some bloggers and FB posters to the chairman and so it has now been asked directly to the Arts Council.

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