Claire McDonagh brought cultural partnership expertise to judging panel at Irish Sponsorship Awards 2025

Looking back on last year's awards, Claire McDonagh, Fundraising & Sponsorship Manager at the National Gallery of Ireland, brought 15 years of arts sector experience to the judging panel at the Irish Sponsorship Awards 2025, strengthening the evaluation process with deep expertise in partnership development and cultural experience creation.

At the National Gallery of Ireland, Ireland's national cultural institution devoted to the collection and care of fine art, Claire has built a career focused on creating successful partnerships that enhance cultural access and transformative visitor experiences. Her role as Fundraising & Sponsorship Manager positions her at the intersection of commercial investment and cultural mission, where she navigates how brand partnerships can genuinely serve artistic objectives rather than compromise institutional integrity.

Throughout her career spanning 15 years in the arts sector, Claire has developed sophisticated expertise in project and relationship management, understanding how successful partnerships require sustained dialogue, shared values, and authentic alignment rather than transactional arrangements. Her communications and event planning experience has equipped her with comprehensive insight into how sponsorships translate into meaningful cultural moments for audiences and stakeholders.

Claire's approach prioritises creating partnerships that serve transformative cultural outcomes rather than pursuing sponsorship purely for revenue generation. This philosophy positions her as a valuable evaluator of whether sponsorship entries demonstrate genuine cultural contribution, authentic brand-institution alignment, and measurable audience benefit beyond commercial metrics.

Such expertise equipped Claire with a nuanced understanding of how cultural partnerships balance commercial sustainability with artistic mission integrity. Her insights contributed to the balanced and rigorous judging process that underpins the Awards, ensuring winners reflected true excellence in cultural authenticity, partnership integrity, and transformative impact.

With judges bound by strict confidentiality and guided by rigorous evaluation standards, the integrity and credibility of the process remained paramount.

For past winners, category details, and updates, visit the official Irish Sponsorship Awards website and subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive insights and coverage from Ireland's sponsorship sector.