Sharon Barry is the Director of Culture Ireland responsible for promoting Irish arts worldwide.

Culture Ireland creates and supports opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present their work at strategic international festivals and venues and developing platforms to present outstanding Irish creative work to international audiences through showcases at key global arts events, including the Edinburgh Festival and Venice Biennales. In 2025, Culture Ireland supported over 5,500 artistic presentations in over 50 countries to audiences of almost 7 million.

Sharon is also the project lead for the Basic Income for the Arts initiative which provides a weekly income to 2,000 Irish artists. The project is underpinned by a comprehensive research programme to evaluate the impact of a basic income on professional artists.

Sharon is also responsible implementing the cultural elements of the Irish Government’s Global Ireland strategy, including the management of an international network of Cultural Officers.