The director of the Museum of Modern Art has confirmed that negotiations are taking place in his dispute with the chairwoman of the board. However, Declan McGonagle also said that legal action is proceeding.
Declan McGonagle today briefed the media and art commentators about the planned programme at IMMA for the year 2001. The briefing came against the background of the dispute over McGonagle's position at the museum. He told RTÉ News that negotiations are ongoing, adding that "it is very difficult to be definitive at this stage". He said that the court process was going ahead.
The row began in November 2000 when the chairwoman of the board of IMMA, Marie Donnelly, told the director that his job was being advertised. McGonagle has been the director of the museum since it opened in 1991, and lives in a house in the grounds with his family. Insiders have described the dispute as a clash of cultures, with Donnelly in favour of a "blockbuster" approach to the arts and McGonagle more concerned with accessibility and cross-community involvement.
