30 June 2016

As a long-standing and proud patron of the arts, ESB is delighted to announce the renewal of its 10 year sponsorship commitment to the ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art (CSIA).

The ESB Centre for the Study of Irish Art – located in the Millennium Wing at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin – has played a significant role in promoting and supporting the study of Irish art since opening in 2003.

Its library and archive collection documents the country’s rich artistic legacy from early Celtic art to the present. This includes an extraordinary collection of artists’ personal and professional papers such as those of Evie Hone, Walter Osborne, Paul Henry and Jack B.Yeats.

William Burton’s celebrated watercolour “Meeting on the Turret Stairs”, which was recently voted Ireland’s favourite painting, is currently on display in the CSIA.

Commenting on ESB’s support of the Centre, Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive of ESB, said: “I firmly believe that Ireland’s rich artistic and cultural history is what sets us apart on the world stage.  ESB is a proud patron of the arts, but also a beneficiary of the innovation and creative thinking they inspire.  Given the level of disruption happening in our sector, the importance of this can’t be overstated.

“ESB has always worked to bring light and energy to communities across Ireland.  Our support for the arts reinforces this commitment and helps us reach out and connect with our customers and stakeholders in a more meaningful way.

“In doing so, we have helped to maintain Ireland’s vibrant arts culture, and have also charted our own history. Today, our collection of Irish art contains the largest collection of Sean Keating paintings in the State, including his iconic series of paintings of the Shannon Scheme at Ardnacrusha.”