A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive.

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to enhance your experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our website. The types of cookies we use include essential cookies such as necessary and functional cookies, performance and analytical cookies, and advertising cookies. We also use non-essential cookies such as Google Analytics, email and web tracking cookies and conversion tracking cookies.

You can block cookies by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you set your browser to block all cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or parts of our website.

The Ark uses cookies for the purpose of storing and retrieving session information in respect of our on-line systems and for analysing traffic on our website

We use the following types of cookies on our website:

Essential Cookies

1. Strictly Necessary Cookies
   These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around our website and use its features. The type of personal data collected through these cookies includes your IP address; location data and the fact that you are logged into our website. These cookies are deleted when you close your browser and do not store your preferences or information beyond your current visit. They include, for example, session cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our website and to purchase tickets.
2. Functional Cookies
   These cookies allow us to recognise you and remember choices you make (such as choice of language, mobile device preferences, cookie setting preferences.) when you return to our website. In order to provide these features, these cookies collect your personal information. Usually, functional cookies expire after a maximum of XX years and can be deleted from your browser history at any time up to the point of their expiry.

Non-Essential Cookies

1. Performance or Analytical Cookies
   These cookies collect information about The Ark website usage. For example, we use Google Analytics to track anonymized usage statistics for the site. This data is used to analyse how frequently people visit the site, how the website is found, and which pages are most frequently viewed.
   
   These cookies do not collect information that identifies an individual website user. Instead they collect browser information and anonymised data for the reasons set out above. This information is combined with data from thousands of other users to create an overall view of website use and users are never identified individually or personally. These cookies are only used to identify ways to improve the website.
   We also use cookies to track whether emails sent to individuals on our mailing list (MailChimp) have been opened and to measure how many people who have received our official ezine have visited our website.
   Performance or Analytical Cookies remain on your device for varying periods of time with some deleted when you close your browser and others remaining on your device indefinitely until deleted.
   Our cookie widget is set so that performance and analytical cookies will not be placed on your device unless you opt in.
   To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites please visit: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
   
   For more information about Google Analytics, and the cookies it sets please visit: https://developers.google.com/analytics/resources/concepts/gaConceptsCookies.
2. Advertising or Targeting Cookies
   We use cookies set by third parties which are used to deliver advertisements to you, based on your preferences and interests and to measure the effectiveness of online advertising campaigns. For example, for measuring how many unique browsers have seen a particular advertisement and how many of those subsequently visit the website. Each have their own privacy policy which will tell you how they use cookies and data tags.
   Our cookie widget is set so that advertising or targeting cookies will not be placed on your device unless you opt in.
   You can opt out of one or all third party Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) cookies on the web browser you are currently using with an "opt-out cookie" by visiting http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ie/your-ad-choices.

Set out below is more information on these categories of cookies, including their purpose and whether these cookies collect personal data:

Most browsers automatically accept cookies. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies or request that you be warned when a website is trying to install a cookie. This can be done by modifying the settings in your browser. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of this website.

For more information about managing cookies and how to stop cookies being installed visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/

Our Privacy Notice describes, in a comprehensive manner, how The Ark processes your personal data. For more information on our approach to privacy, please see our Privacy Notice

If you have any questions about how we use Cookies you can email us at data@ark.ie or you can write to us at: Data Protection, The Ark, 11a Eustace Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.