Protests at Duffy's Circus in Booterstown

by Malachi Ó Mhéanstráid Wed Apr 07, 2010 13:37

The Arts Council use the blanket cover of economic cutbacks to reduce or otherwise limit arts' organisations that don't fit in with their prepared strategy, haphazard as that is. They reduced drastically the funding to the 35-year-old 'Cyphers' magazine will throwing over €50,000 at a relatively new literary magazine also based in Dublin.

There is no artistic or critical reason for doing this. The 'economic cutbacks' are not shared equally by arts' organisations. Pulling circuses under the Council's funding umbrella is ridiculous, because by tradition circuses were supposed to sit outside conventional society and that was their main attraction. 'How can you 'run away' to a circus any more when it is a State-funded body!

The Arts Council will, if the point is argued say that they do not interfere with the running of the organisations they fund; a patent untruth, as anyone who has dealt with them will know. The job of the Council increasingly is to reinforce conventional and conservative art; art they can 'depend upon.' And, if the past record is anything to judge by, (and from what I hear, this despicable practice has gone on) a copy of this comment will be sent anonymously to the Council, as has happened before now, to indicate that the author is a negative voice undeserving of their funding. They don't like criticism.

by circus supporter Tue Apr 06, 2010 18:30

and dont twist my words, its very easy to find a circus when they addvertise well, yes there are a lot of issues that are covered, and i for one dont think it`s sillyness to see a horse ridden by a thug and being beaten by the same thug to make the horse go faster, i have stopped this many times, as well as dogs being kicked and stoned, ok we are differant sides of the fence when it comes to circus, but where loose animals are treated like i have said its sickening to say the least, i have supported circuses for over 30 years, i have never seen any animal being illtreated not once, but i see it every week where i live, and on freds post, its not anyones fault that the grant has been taking away for the writers only the arts council, and YES CIRCUS IS AN ART, an art which will never die,

by Mark C - Contact.ie Tue Apr 06, 2010 18:22

Fred,

That's an interesting point you make about Arts Council funding. I'm not really sure how Duffy's passes as 'art' (except in a very twisted postmodern sense, perhaps - some sort of commentary on our political class!).

To think that the Writers' Centre and your own Western Writers' Centre are having funding pulled at the same time as private, for-profit enterprises like this are being subsidised, is shameful.

Mark C.

by circus supporter Tue Apr 06, 2010 18:00

mark i am in no way involved in any circus, i`m a supporter, thats all,

by Mark C - Contact.ie Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:28

Circus Supporter,

You said it all when you said "remember, circus is a business" and, being so, how can expect that the animals are 'living in harmony' with the humans. Do you really think the place for an animal is on show for us? Do you really think that the animals enjoy being 'trained' to do the petty little acts that they do? Seriously?

Also, your logic that just because people are opposing this means that they/we are not tackling more issues is just sillyness. Do you really expect that we should list all of the issues that we are involved in on every thread. Seriously?

If I was a more cynical person, I'd say you are probably an employee of Duffy's Circus.

Mark C.

by Fred Johnston Mon Apr 05, 2010 18:24

I think you may be protesting at the wrong place. The Arts Council funded Duffy's in 2008 alone, to the tune of €75,000 more or less the same last year- and this when the Council are trying to shut down the Irish Writers' Centre and Galway's Western Writers' Centre by withdrawing funding. Then take it to the Department of the Arts or whatever they call it now.

by circus supporter - circuseire.com Mon Apr 05, 2010 07:47

the poor animals are are held captive, in fear of their lives, abused and misery, well sorry but thats not true, what is true is that they are well taken care of, loved and like a family pet well fed, excercised, and in harmony with the humans around them, the duffy family are doing what they do for generations and it will take more than a few narrow minded people to stop them doing what they do best, remember circus is a business, they pay wages, they buy grocerys in localshops suppies for the animals in local businesses, why dont you tackle far more issues, like dogs and horses wandering in public housing esates, starving, these are the animals in fear of their lives, abuses and suject to misery, i know because i do my best to feed the ones that cross my path, this is heart breaking to see, yes i`m a circus fan, but i love animals.

circus supporter