I’ve had a heavy workload of late so it’s only now I’m getting around to congratulating those elected to Aosdána last week.

There were four writers elected: Eugene McCabe, Billy Roche, Glenn Patterson and Dennis O’Driscoll..

Most writers, myself included, had previously assumed that Eugene McCabe was already a member, such is his eminence, so it’s particularly gratifying to see him elected.

Of course there were several others elected also, including for the first time, an architect, Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects.

Another first, I think, was the election of the traditional Irish musician and composer, Donal Lunny, often described as the man with the longest CV in Irish music.

Six new members were elected from the visual arts: Amelia Stein, a photographer, Donald Teskey, Veronica Bolay, Jacki Irvine, Seán Fingleton, all painters, and film-maker Louis Lentin.

Those elected were chosen from twenty-seven nominees, bringing the membership to 220.

As for the other business of the assembly, two motions were tabled which channelled the anger of members at the proposed move of two art colleges.

The first, tabled by artist Michael Kane, opposed the proposed move of the National College of Art and Design from its present home in Thomas Street, in Dublin city centre.

Marie Foley, also an artist, raised a similar issue involving the Crawford Art College in Cork, and tabled a motion opposing the move from its site in the centre of the city. Both were passed unanimously.

A third motion, tabled by writer Jimmy Murphy, called on members to support northern playwright Garry Mitchell, who is from Rathcoole in Belfast, and who is in hiding with three generations of his family after threats from the UDA. This too was passed unanimously.