“During the past 10 years, Irish playwrights Martin McDonaugh (“A Skull in Connemara”), Maria Jones (“Stones in His Pockets”) and Conor McPherson (“The Weir”) have emerged on the world stage. But between 2000 and 2001, Ireland’s volatile “Celtic Tiger” economy slowed from an annual growth rate of 11 percent to just 2.5. And the most predictable victim of any economic slowdown is arts funding. Ireland is coping with an 8 percent cut to its national arts council’s budget, its largest in history.”