The Stage

Gabriel Bryne and Michael Colgan honoured

Published Thursday 18 March 2010 at 14:38 by Anthony Garvey

Veteran actor Gabriel Byrne, a recent Golden Globe winner, has been appointed Ireland’s first cultural ambassador.

And, in a separate development, Michael Colgan, director of Dublin’s Gate Theatre, has been awarded an OBE for services to culture between Ireland and the UK.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced the Byrne appointment during his St Patrick’s Day visit to the US. He said the 59-year-old actor was already well established as one of the country’s great unofficial ambassadors through his work in film, TV and theatre, as well helping behind the scenes in supporting and promoting Irish artists.

The actor was born in Dublin, learning his craft in the city’s theatres and in RTE, and moved to America, where he now lives, more than 20 years ago. According to Cowen, in his new official role, he will “broaden Ireland’s cultural footprint and add a string to our bow in relations with the US”.

Gabriel Byrne has established a considerable reputation with a string of successful films, including Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects and Jindabyne. He was recently awarded a Golden Globe for his performance as a psychiatrist in HBO drama, In Treatment. He said he was “extremely honoured” by the appointment and saw his role as “building an artistic bridge between Ireland and the rest of the world”.

Commenting on his OBE award, Colgan said it reflected the Gate’s close involvement with Harold Pinter, “a playwright whose work may not have been as recognised in his own country as it should have been”. He added that in his 27 years at the theatre, he had also introduced top British talent to Irish audiences and Gate productions had featured regularly at the Edinburgh festival and at the Barbican Centre in London.

He described the choice of Byrne as “a great appointment”, a view endorsed by Irish Arts Council chair Pat Moylan. She said it was an acknowledgement by government that “the arts will play a key role in the country’s economic recovery”.