Roisin McDonough is to retire as chief executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland after 26 years leading the organisation. The announcement was made on 29 October 2026, with McDonough remaining in post until the end of March 2027.

The Arts Council said her retirement will bring to a close more than two decades of leadership during which it oversaw significant developments in arts infrastructure, public funding, cultural participation and partnerships across Northern Ireland. McDonough described it as an immense privilege to have worked in what she called a wonderfully creative and life-affirming sector.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the region's principal arts funding and development body, distributing public and National Lottery funding to artists and arts organisations. Its recent work includes the Small Capital Grants Programme, a £750,000 scheme announced earlier in October to help arts organisations buy equipment and carry out minor works to their venues, and the Digital Evolution Awards for individuals and organisations working in digital arts.

The council's chair, Nora Douds, thanked McDonough for her considerable contribution and longstanding commitment to the Arts Council and the arts community, and said the organisation looked forward to continuing to work with her over the coming months. No successor has yet been named, and McDonough's departure comes at a moment when the council is administering several open funding rounds, including the small capital grants, which close for applications on 16 November, and the National Lottery Digital Evolution Awards for individuals and organisations, which close at midday on 26 November.

Her exit also follows a busy autumn for the council, which presented its highest-value Major Individual Awards, worth up to £15,000 each, to four Northern Ireland artists earlier in October, including visual artist and painter Padraig Mac Cana. The awards, funded by the National Lottery, support artists in creating new work for local and international audiences.