Unit Information

‘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

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32 results

Name
From
To
Description
Source
Royal Irish Academy1785-05-01Founded 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 Music1848-01-01Founded in 1848, The Royal Irish Academy of Music is Ireland’s oldest conservatoireMcGauran et al. 2005; www.riam.ie, the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Act 1885
National Gallery of Ireland1854-08-10McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.nationalgallery.ie/; National Gallery of Ireland Acts 1854 to 1963
National Museum of Ireland1997-01-01Consists 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.1925-01-012006-01-31Abbey 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 Ireland1981-08-14Known 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 Gaeltachta1980-01-01McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.udaras.ie/; The Údarás na Gaeltachta Acts 1979 to 1999; S.I. No. 424/1979
National Concert Hall Ltd.1981-09-09Functions of RTÉ relating to orchestras and choirs were transferred to the NCH on 28 February 2023McGauran 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 Award1985-03-28Gaisce 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.1991-05-11Was 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 Trust1990-10-242014-01-01Dissolved, 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 Board1993-10-302008-01-01Absorbed 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 Council1995-07-10McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/; Heritage Act 1995
An Foras Teanga1999-12-02Also 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 TeangaMcGauran 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 Gaeilge1999-12-02McGauran 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 Council1999-07-012015-10-01Dissolved, merged into Sport IrelandMcGauran 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-Scotch1999-12-02McGauran 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.2000-12-11McGauran et al. 2005; http://www.tourismireland.com/; Belfast Agreement of Good Friday 1998; CRO
An Coimisinéir Teanga2004-02-23Official Languages Act 2003; http://www.coimisineir.ie/
Fáilte Ireland2003-05-28McGauran et al. 2005; National Tourism Development Authority Act 2003; http://www.failteireland.ie/
Culture Ireland2005-02-012013-01-31Note: 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 Authority2007-01-012015-10-01replaced Campus and Stadium Ireland Ltd. (CSID). Dissolved, merged into Sport Ireland 2015National Sports Campus Development Authority Act 2006; http://www.csid.ie/; Sport Ireland Act 2015; S.I. No. 415/2015
Bord na Gaeilge1978-11-011999-12-02Merged 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.2006-11-20http://www.horsesportireland.ie/
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge1952-09-052008-01-01Absorbed into Foras na Gaeilge; functions are now carried out under the name of Clár na Leabhar Gaeilgehttp://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 Commission1935-04-011971-04-01Archives now held at UCDS.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 Éireann1955-07-012003-05-28Replaced 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.1999-12-102007-01-01Replaced by the National Sports Campus Development Authority; http://www.nscda.ie/National Sports Campus Development Act 2006
An Coiste Téarmaíochta1968-01-011999-12-02Committees 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 1999the 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 Éireann1972-10-272004-01-09Dáil 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 Art1877-08-141997-01-01Became the National Museum of Irelandhttp://www.museum.ie/ Dublin Science and Art Museum Act 1877; National Cultural Institutions Act, 1997
Sport Ireland2015-10-01Replaced the Irish Sports Council and National Sports Development Authoritywww.sportireland.ie/; Sport Ireland Act 2015