The Bobby Sands Trust: Some Questions For Stormont Minister Carál Ni Chuilín

Carál Ni Chuilín. member of the BST and the Stormont minister who funds the Arts Council

Sinn Fein Assembly Member, Carál ni Chuilín is the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure in the power-sharing Executive at Stormont;

She also sits on the board of The Bobby Sands Trust (BST):

The Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure, which she heads, funds the Arts Council of Northern Ireland;

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland gave a grant to The O’Brien Press to help publish the graphic novel ‘Bobby Sands – Freedom Fighter’;

When asked by thebrokenelbow,com whether the Bobby Sands Trust had been paid a fee by O’Brien Press, the Publisher, Michael O’Brien said it had not;

But when I directed a supplementary question to the publisher asking if the BST would receive a share of the royalties from the book in the future, The O’Brien Press declined to answer;

I also asked what dealings, if any, The O’Brien Press had with the BST. Again no answer;

That was a week ago;

The Arts Council’s records show that a grant of £3,994.00 was paid to O’Brien Press in its 2013/2014 funding period;

Ms ni Chuilín became Minister of Culture, Arts & Leisure in May 2011;

The funding of the Bobby Sands graphic novel happened during her watch;

The O’Brien Press needs to clarify this matter;

Minister ni Chuilín needs to clarify her role in this affair.

Bobby Sands’ son, Robert Gerard at his father’s funeral