Circus as an art form was funded for the first time as the Arts Council yesterday announced details of €51 million funding for over 300 arts organisations.
The money will help fund production companies, festivals, arts resource organisations and venues for 2006.
The circus companies to benefit include Fossett Brothers Circus, which was awarded €40,000, Duffy's Circus (€35,000) and Galway Circus Project (€10,000).
Earlier this week it was revealed that the Abbey Theatre got a three- year commitment to €25.7 million in revenue funding, with €7.2 million of that this year, an increase of €2.15 million.
Up the road, however, the Gate Theatre is not happy. Its funding this year rose from €795,000 to €850,000. Director Michael Colgan described the rise as a pittance and said he was furious.
"I've got very little faith in this council. It seems to me there's no rhyme or reason. I wonder if they make decisions alphabetically. 'A' does very well," he said.
"By every yardstick of success we've done well - invitations to bring work abroad, international press, 86 per cent paying capacity. But there is no ethic of rewarding success.
"The Gate is really appreciated by everyone except the Arts Council.
"We're doing 10 Beckett plays in April. The €55,000 increase wouldn't pay for one of them," Mr Colgan said.
Arts Council director Mary Cloake could not comment directly on the Gate's dissatisfaction, but said that in a competitive environment the council could not respond as well as it would like to everybody.
Among those content with their funding were Improvised Music Company, headed by Gerry Godley, which leapt from €198,000 last year to €323,575 this year.
The company was "over the moon" about the decision, and has ambitious plans for the year, interpreting the increase as "the Arts Council now putting it up to us to deliver on the plans".
The Association of Professional Dancers, which is shortly to move into the new dance centre in Foley Street in Dublin, got a rise of €200,000, to €350,000.
Dublin's Irish Film Institute receives €850,000 (up from €660,000) and Mark Mulqueen of the institute was happy with what he saw as a good decision and "a general endorsement of activities to support our claim as a national body".
He said they expected to be increasingly active outside Dublin, including further touring of institute festivals and special seasons.
"It's the first big step in catching up with where we should be at," he added.
Music development organisation Music Network went up from €467,000 to €680,000 and is "absolutely delighted" after a tough couple of years without increases.
Of the grant, €85,000 is for a scheme where musicians can apply for funding to tour, and it also plans to hire a promoter and audience development manager.
The Irish Writers' Centre was awarded €217,000 (up from €150,000), and theatre company Rough Magic got an increase to €600,000 (from €490,000).
Opera Ireland, which has suffered Arts Council cuts in the past, this year gets €1,370,000, a rise from €1,220,000.
Opera Theatre Company, which tours extensively, gets €690,500, up €70,000. But Wexford Festival Opera is still in discussion with the council to finalise its grant.
Some companies faced a cut in their funding, and others are still under review and don't appear in the funding list on the website.
These include Yew Tree theatre company in Ballina, which received €70,000 in funding last year, and whose last production, Sarah's Comfort, toured the north-west last autumn, and Hawkswell theatre in Sligo, whose funding last year was €170,000.
