Opening Doors for the Arts

Minister Catherine Martin at Government Buildings for Budget 2021

Cabinet Minister and Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin is committed to her background in music and the arts – and to the friendships made at Maynooth University

Catherine Martin is not unique in switching lanes from teaching to a career in politics: the current Dáil has 19 teachers and former principals. But not many cabinet ministers can claim to have busked on Grafton Street as a student – and with renowned harpist Laoise Kelly, who also studied music at Maynooth University in the early ‘90s.

In another life, Martin’s studies might well have led to a very different world as a professional Chamber singer, pianist and composer. “I guess I knew I wanted to study music. I loved English literature and the Irish language, but music was my passion,” she explains, outlining why Maynooth was her university of choice. “I did a lot of research and was told that wherever Professor Gerard Gillen was – this was the place to go. That’s why I choose Maynooth for music. The music department is in such a beautiful campus. There was a village atmosphere, I lived on Parsons Street at the time, it was very handy and close to everything.” Emeritus Prof Gerard Gillen is a celebrated organist and expert in Church music, and was a former Head of the Music Department.

Minister Catherine Martin graduating with BA (Music and English) in 1994

It was somewhat unusual for a first year to be selected for the solo of the Chamber Choir Christmas event, broadcast by RTÉ, but an exception was made in 1991 – Martin competed and was chosen by Prof Gillen for the solo. “I was up against senior, more established singers. It gave me a lot of confidence that he was recognising me,” Martin says. “I had studied piano all my life, but I switched to voice from that moment. I’d had some singing lessons, but that was the confidence changer for me and I went on to do performance.” In 1991, Martin composed and sang the winning song of the Maynooth Song Contest, having known about the contest growing up as a teenager. “It was so competitive that it was hard to even get an entry form to run in the heats.” She has also sung in the National Concert Hall, and was invited to perform at the bicentenary celebration of St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, in 1995. And of course, she regularly sang at lunchtime recitals in the University Chapel, colloquially known as the ‘the Gunn’. “Anytime I go back to the campus I call into ‘the Gunn’. It’s a special place, a place of refuge, silence and contemplation. If you’re having a tough time, or doing exams, you could go in there. Sometimes you would walk in and there’d be an organ scholar practicing, and it was really special to hear.” She stays in contact with her university friends, including Dr Martin O’Leary who taught her composition, Dr Patrick Devine, now retired, who taught her piano; and Dr Adrian Scahill, who is the Deputy Head of the Music Department. “Sometimes he plays the organ and I sing at weddings,” she laughs. “All of those became friends, and when I was elected to the Dáil, Patrick Devine visited me in Leinster House for a coffee. I’ve kept friendships throughout.” A native of Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, Martin graduated from Maynooth with a BA in Music and English in 1994 and H.Dip in 1995, and taught at St Tiernan’s Community School in Dundrum for 15 years. She won a Dáil seat for the first time in 2016 and in July, lost out in the leadership contest to Eamon Ryan by only a narrow margin. Martin says she’ll contest again for party leader, believing it’s important for girls to see women in leadership positions. “I’d never say no, and I think it’s important I would not say no, because I think it’s a signal to young girls out there – that this TD or deputy leader ran for the leadership, she just missed out on it but that’s not going to deter her, she’ll run again. Sometimes doors close, but when you look there’s another way in. It’s a responsibility as far as I’m concerned to the next generation.” Given her background, she is aware that artists are reeling from the impact of Covid-19. “I feel that we talk a lot about how amazing the arts is, and how much we love and value it, but now is the time to show that, and stop the talk. So this is what I signalled with the biggest Arts Council budget – an additional €50 million on last year – and a €50 million live events support package. “I want people to be able to perform again, so that means we have to subsidise the tickets, because unfortunately, even at Level One, venues aren’t at maximum capacity. There needs to be subsidies to help musicians get back on stage and those who work behind the scenes to get paid and to help independent venues put on those gigs,” she says. “I’ve lots of friends who are musicians, or work behind the scenes, and I’m acutely aware that they’re not earning; they’re not playing -- which isn’t good for their mental health. And all of us are missing out, which isn’t good for us either as a nation.”