Alternative Entertainments

Board

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JIMMY CLARKE - Chair Person

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BRENDA FULLER - Director, Treasurer

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Brenda joined Alternative Entertainments in 1990 while working on an Arts in the Communityproject. Her interest in visual arts and arts curation made her a perfect fit for the organisation’s developing visual arts programme. With Liam she identified visual arts projects and developed them into exhibitions and workshop opportunities for the audiences of South County Dublin.  The organisation ran its visual arts programme in a wide variety of spaces around the county until The Alternative entertainments Gallery was opened in the Civic Theatre in 2000. Brenda worked with Liam crafting an annual programme of exhibitions that featured some of the most influential artists in the country – Paddy Graham, Seán McSweeney, Richard Gorman, Brian Maguire, Patrick Pye and Jack Pakenham to name a few.

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HUGH MCCARTHY - Director, Visual Arts Consultant

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KAREN TIERNEY - Director

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​Karen has a multidisciplinary background across arts, health, technology & the environment. She has degrees in art history & photographic media, and spent a number of years working in Dublin contemporary art gallery, Green on Red. She was co-founder & chief product officer of SilverCloud Health, designing & delivering a clinically robust technology platform to support people with their mental health. She is a member of the Institute of Directors of Ireland & holds their diploma in company direction. Karen is currently a student of forestry, working towards becoming a responsible land steward.

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PAUL SHANAHAN - Director

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Paul joined Alternative Entertainments with a background that bridges technology, community leadership and long-standing involvement in the arts. His roles in Cloud, AI and security have shaped his understanding of how creative work, digital innovation and audience engagement continue to evolve. He has been an active musician since his teens, performing, recording and touring throughout Ireland, including session work and playing at many of Ireland's major festivals. This experience gives him a grounded connection to the creative sector and the realities of live performance. Paul also plays a key role in community development through his work with Wanderers GAA Club, focusing on governance and volunteer-led initiatives. He brings this mix of organisational experience and creative practice to support the organisation’s evolving programme.

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AOIFE WEBB - Director

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Staff

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MARTIN MORAN - CEO, Company Secretary

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Martin has been involved with Alternative Entertainments since the 80s. His first contact was as guitar student and attendee of The Tallaght Rock School. In the 90s he began working as guitar tutor with The Des Carty Music School. He then joined the festival support staff, working on projects that would become The Des Carty Sessions and The South Dublin Rock School later to become Suburban Sounds) as administrator and eventually Music Programme Manager. The organisation moved away from its original multi-disciplinary remit and more toward a mainly music-focused programme. Martin has worked on programme development since 2010. He was appointed CEO in 2015.

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LIAM MORRISSEY - Traditional Music consultant, Visual Arts consultant.

 

Liam is one of the founding members of Alternative Entertainments and was its CEO from 1982 – 2014. He identified the possibilities in arts programming in the Tallaght/Saggart/Rathcoole area in the early 80s and in the absence of any cultural activity decided to programme, manage and deliver music and visual arts events. With a small group of dedicated friends he developed a strong committed artistic audience and a creative hub in the region. He built on a vibrant existing traditional music scene by enrolling the services of musical stalwarts in the area, particularly the great Des Carty, to set up festivals and schools that continue to this day. His pioneering work in the presentation and development of the best of the country’s visual art in the South County Dublin region is one of his most important achievements. Between 1984 and 2013 Liam curated hundreds of high quality exhibitions, workshops, exchanges and commissions. Alternative Entertainments was the first organisation to provide fully serviced and affordable artists’ studios in Tallaght, further nurturing the artistic, creative spirit in the area. Liam continues to contribute to the organisation to this day.

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Lara Jardim Fleming - Arts Administrator, Communications and Marketing, Programme Coordinator.

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Lara Jardim Fleming is a singer-songwriter based in South Dublin. Lara graduated from BIMM in 2021 and received a Digital Media Design Diploma in 2024. She is an experienced musician who often performs and records vocals/backing vocals for musicians and songwriters. She has also worked with some of the world’s most famous artists, most notable, as a backing vocalist and guitarist for U2 in their Disney+ documentary: “Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, with David Letterman” released in 2024. Lara has performed in some of Dublin’s famous venues such as Whelan’s, Workman’s Cellar, Anseo, and the Ambassador Theatre Dublin. She performs her own original material, as well as serving as a backing vocalist. Lara is currently an executive assistant, media designer, and social media manager to Alternative Entertainments, Lara teaches in a private capacity, with the Des Carty Music School, as a mentor in the SubSounds Youth Music Collective, and as a lead vocal mentor in Hangout Sessions. She also taught with Music Generation South Dublin from 2021-2024, teaching vocals, guitar, early years, and ukulele.

 

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Our Sponsors​

Alternative Entertainments is supported in its work by South Dublin County Council Arts Office, Music Generation South Dublin, 

Music Generation Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown, The Arts Council, Meath County Council, Kildare County Council, and Creative Ireland. 

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Our Policies

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Child Protection Policy​

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Child Safeguarding Statement

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Complaints Policy

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Anti Bullying Policy

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Safeguarding Adults Policy

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Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

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Code of Conduct for Staff

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