MIKE FITZPATRICK HAS been appointed the new director of Limerick City of Culture.

The board announced the new appointment today, with Chairman of the board, Pat Cox stating that they were “delighted” with the new appointment.

Fitzpatrick currently holds the position as Interim Head of the City of Culture. 

The appointment comes some months after the project was mired in controversy after the former CEO Patricia Ryan resigned after scrutiny over her appointment when it emerged it had not been advertised.

Ryan had been an adviser to Pat Cox, the chairman of the board of Limerick City of Culture.

Ryan said the speculation about her appointment had ‘undermined her authority’.

The board said in their statement today that position of director, for which Fitzpatrick was appointed today, was advertised and interviews were held for the role in recent days.

Cox added that they were delighted to have someone of Fitzpatirck’s calibre take on the role, saying: 

We look forward to building on the success of the first quarter of the year, with Mike in charge for the remainder of the project in tandem with City of Culture team.

The statement went on to say that Mike Fitzpatrick had accepted the offer of appointment subject to the agreement of Limerick Institute of Technology to extend the secondment.

Read:  Former artistic director of Limerick National City of Culture backs new appointment>

Pat Cox: ‘I never asked for Patricia Ryan to be appointed’>