‘Units’ in this database are national-level organisations which perform public functions under public authority. These include government departments, agencies, and commercial state-owned enterprises. For further details on the types of organisations included in the database, see the what we have done and why document.
Units can be searched by name, legal form, function, policy area, or date. On each unit’s page, information is available including dates of activity, alternate names, relevant legislation, related units, related events. and also data on characteristics such as legal form, policy area, function, accountability mechanisms, location, and parent bodies. For further details on the data recorded about each unit, see the Codebook
32 results
Name
| From
| To
| Description
| Source
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Irish Academy | 1785-05-01 | Founded in 1785, RIA is an all-Ireland, independent academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. | McGauran et al.2005; www.ria.ie | |
| Royal Irish Academy of Music | 1848-01-01 | Founded in 1848, The Royal Irish Academy of Music is Ireland’s oldest conservatoire | McGauran et al. 2005; www.riam.ie, the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Act 1885 | |
| National Gallery of Ireland | 1854-08-10 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.nationalgallery.ie/; National Gallery of Ireland Acts 1854 to 1963 | ||
| National Museum of Ireland | 1997-01-01 | Consists of four separate museum buildings: the NMI - Archaeology and History (1890), the NMI - Decorative Arts and History (1997), the NMI - Natural History (1857), the NMI Country Life (2001). | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.museum.ie/ National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 | |
| National Theatre Society Ltd. | 1925-01-01 | 2006-01-31 | Abbey Theatre established in 1903, nationalised in 1925 as the National Theatre Society Limited. On 31 January 2006 this company was dissolved and all assets and liabilities were transferred to a newly established company, Abbey Theatre Amharclann Na Mainistreach, which now runs the theatre. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/ |
| Screen Ireland | 1981-08-14 | Known as the Irish Film Board until renamed Screen Ireland in June 2018. Hiatus between 1987 and 1993 (see Dáil Éireann - Volume 373 - 25 June, 1987-- Estimates, 1987. - Vote 3: Department of the Taoiseach (Revised Estimate) and 'Higgins move to reactivate film board welcomed' P Woodworth, Irish Times, 31/03/1993). | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/; Irish Film Board Act 1980; S.I. No. 282/1981; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 1993; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 1997; Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2000; National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Act 2015; S.I. No. 182/2018 | |
| Údarás na Gaeltachta | 1980-01-01 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.udaras.ie/; The Údarás na Gaeltachta Acts 1979 to 1999; S.I. No. 424/1979 | ||
| National Concert Hall Ltd. | 1981-09-09 | Functions of RTÉ relating to orchestras and choirs were transferred to the NCH on 28 February 2023 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.nch.ie/; National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Act 2023 (No. 1 of 2023); S.I. No. 130/2023 | |
| President's Award | 1985-03-28 | Gaisce or ‘great achievement’ is a self-development programme for young people between the ages of 15-25 and has been in existence since 1985. | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.gaisce.ie/; Finance Act, 1985 (Section 16) | |
| Discovery Programme Ltd. | 1991-05-11 | Was initially set up through a personal initiative of the then Taoiseach Charles Haughey; it is a company limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital and is now funded by the Heritage Council | http://www.discoveryprogramme.ie/; Dáil Éireann - Volume 437 - 15 December, 1993--Written Answers. - Discovery Programme | |
| Temple Bar Cultural Trust | 1990-10-24 | 2014-01-01 | Dissolved, in April 2013 the Board of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust requested that Dublin City Council (the Shareholder) begin the process of winding down the Trust and for the council to take over the responsibilities, functions and assets of the Trust. | http://www.templebar.ie/; www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/temple-bar-cultural-trust-and-temple-bar-cultural-information-centre/31040; www.irishtimes.com/culture/council-assumes-full-control-of-temple-bar-cultural-trust-1.1712075 |
| Irish Horse Board | 1993-10-30 | 2008-01-01 | Absorbed into Horse Sport Ireland as the Breeding Sub-Board of Horse Sport Ireland. | http://www.irishsporthorse.com/; Dáil Éireann - Volume 613 - 25 January, 2006--Written Answers. - Irish Horse Board; 'Equestrian: Kennedy slams IHB plans for merger' Parkes, L., Irish Independent, 4 June 2008; 'Walsh launches new Horse Board' Irish Independent, 1 November 1993. |
| Heritage Council | 1995-07-10 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/; Heritage Act 1995 | ||
| An Foras Teanga | 1999-12-02 | Also known as North/South Language Body. Is comprised of two agencies: Ulster-Scots Agency and Foras na Gaeilge, each of which has its own board, whose members together constitute the board of the An Foras Teanga | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.anforasteanga.ie/; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999 | |
| Foras na Gaeilge | 1999-12-02 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.gaeilge.ie/; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999 | ||
| Irish Sports Council | 1999-07-01 | 2015-10-01 | Dissolved, merged into Sport Ireland | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/; Irish Sports Council Act 1999; S.I. No. 173/1999; Sport Ireland Act 2015; S.I. No. 415/2015 |
| Tha Boord O Ulstér-Scotch | 1999-12-02 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999 | ||
| Tourism Ireland Ltd. | 2000-12-11 | McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.tourismireland.com/; Belfast Agreement of Good Friday 1998; CRO | ||
| An Coimisinéir Teanga | 2004-02-23 | Official Languages Act 2003; http://www.coimisineir.ie/ | ||
| Fáilte Ireland | 2003-05-28 | McGauran et al. 2005; National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003; http://www.failteireland.ie/ | ||
| Culture Ireland | 2005-02-01 | 2013-01-31 | Note: Plans announced in Feb 2007 to make Culture Ireland a statutory body never materialised. On 31 Jan. 2013, a Delegation Order delegated the functions of directing Culture Ireland to a Principal Officer within the Dept. of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. | http://www.cultureireland.ie/; Dept. of Public Expenditure and Reform 'Summary of agency rationalisation measures as at January 2014', Table B http://per.gov.ie/summary-of-agency-rationalisation-measures-as-at-january-2014/; Written answers, Thursday, 7 March 2013 - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Departmental Appointments |
| National Sports Campus Development Authority | 2007-01-01 | 2015-10-01 | replaced Campus and Stadium Ireland Ltd. (CSID). Dissolved, merged into Sport Ireland 2015 | National Sports Campus Development Authority Act 2006; http://www.csid.ie/; Sport Ireland Act 2015; S.I. No. 415/2015 |
| Bord na Gaeilge | 1978-11-01 | 1999-12-02 | Merged into Foras na Gaeilge in 1999. | Bord na Gaeilge Act, 1978; the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999 |
| Horse Sport Ireland, Ltd. | 2006-11-20 | http://www.horsesportireland.ie/ | ||
| Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge | 1952-09-05 | 2008-01-01 | Absorbed into Foras na Gaeilge; functions are now carried out under the name of Clár na Leabhar Gaeilge | http://www.gaeilge.ie/Foras_na_Gaeilge/Clar_na_Leabhar_Gaeilge.asp; 'Book Body Meets' the Irish Press, 5 Sept. 1952; http://www.educationmatters.ie/2007/10/31/irish-language-books-board-disbanded/ |
| Irish Folklore Commission | 1935-04-01 | 1971-04-01 | Archives now held at UCD | S.I. No. 16/1957; S.I. No. 193/1957; http://www.ucd.ie/ucdnews/may95/folklore.html; O'Sullivan, S. (1974) 'The Work of the Irish Folklore Commission', University College Dublin. |
| Bord Fáilte Éireann | 1955-07-01 | 2003-05-28 | Replaced An Bord Fáilte and Fógra Fáilte, added publishing/publicity functions. Replaced by National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland) | Tourist Traffic Act 1955; National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003 |
| Campus and Stadium Ireland Development Ltd. | 1999-12-10 | 2007-01-01 | Replaced by the National Sports Campus Development Authority; http://www.nscda.ie/ | National Sports Campus Development Act 2006 |
| An Coiste Téarmaíochta | 1968-01-01 | 1999-12-02 | Committees of Irish-language experts were set up as early as 1927 in order to provide terminology for the education system. An Buanchoiste Téarmaíochta (The Permanent Terminology Committee) was established by the Minister of Education in 1968. Merged into Foras na Gaeilge 1999 | the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999; the North-South Co-operation (Implementation Bodies) Northern Ireland Order 1999; http://gaeilge.ie/Foras_na_Gaeilge/The_Terminology_Committee.asp |
| Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann | 1972-10-27 | 2004-01-09 | Dáil Éireann - Volume 577 - 16 December, 2003--Written Answers. - Institiúid Teangeolaíochta Éireann; http://web.archive.org/web/20030607005819/http://ite.ie/index.htm | |
| National Museum of Science and Art | 1877-08-14 | 1997-01-01 | Became the National Museum of Ireland | http://www.museum.ie/ Dublin Science and Art Museum Act 1877; National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997 |
| Sport Ireland | 2015-10-01 | Replaced the Irish Sports Council and National Sports Development Authority | www.sportireland.ie/; Sport Ireland Act 2015 |