Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between the Irish state and the Irish audiovisual sector in an attempt to examine where the future of Irish cultural policy lies. Chapter one examines the nation as an "imagined community" and the importance of the media in that imagining. It establishes how important the media were to developing the cultural basis of the Irish nation-state. It indicates that with increasing internationalism and consumerism, the importance of the cultural field is becoming more unclear and how a redefinition of the public sphere is occurring in increasingly consumerist terms. Chapter two presents a history of broadcasting and film in Ireland, paying particular attention to concepts of nation-state, consumer-citizen and the changing definitions of public service. Chapter three extends this into the present day and shows how policy in the area of film and television is more and more being based on commercial rather than cultural criteria. Chapter four examines changes in the audiovisual sector at a European level and explores the effects of these developments on the Irish media and subsequently Irish culture. Based on interviews with Irish film makers, it presents their views on aspects of Irish culture and on the audiovisual sector itself. The final chapter presents a summary of findings and explores further, the need for more research and debate in the area of cultural policy in Ireland.