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Independent Judging Panel
Claire Grady
Judging Chair from 2023 will be joining us again for the Irish Journalism Awards 2024. Claire Grady began her career as a journalist with the Mayo News, and worked on the Connaught Telegraph and the Tallaght Echo before joining Independent News and Media where she worked for almost 30 years. She was a news reporter with both the Evening Herald and Irish Independent for over a decade and spent two years as a reporter with the Sunday Tribune before joining the the Irish Independent newsdesk under the editorship of the late Vinnie Doyle. Claire was appointed Executive Editor of the Evening Herald in 2006, a role which included commissioning columnists and being opinion editor. She was appointed editor of the Herald in 2012, and editor of the Irish Independent in 2013, a post she held for a year. She retains a keen interest in the production and presentation of news and is an occasional contributor to radio and television news review programmes.
Journalist & Chair of the Judging Panel
Tom McEnaney
He is the former business editor of both the Irish Independent and The Sunday Times (Ireland). He has worked as a journalist with The Irish Times, Business & Finance Magazine and The Sunday Tribune. He has also worked as a columnist with the Irish Daily Mail, The Irish Mail on Sunday and The Times, and as a broadcaster with Today FM and Newstalk.
Media consultant
McEnaney Media
Miriam Donohoe
Highly experienced senior communications professional with more than 35 years in journalism and PR. For the last five years has worked in the international humanitarian and development aid sector.
Communications Specialist
Brendan Keenan
Brendan Keenan was born in Belfast and educated at St McNissis s College in County Antrim and Queen s University, Belfast. He joined the Belfast Telegraph in 1969 as a junior reporter and throughout the early years of The Troubles he reported on the violence and trials which took place. In 1973 he was appointed Deputy Political Correspondent at the Belfast Telegraph where he covered the original inquiry into Bloody Sunday headed by the English Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery, the Ulster workers strike and the fall of the power-sharing Executive. In 1976 he became a reporter and presenter for RTE News Features where he conducted interviews on the News at One-Thirty and This Week before being appointed Economics correspondent in 1981. In 1983 he joined the Financial Times as Ireland Correspondent. As well as covering the continuing economic crisis of the period, this role also took in the turbulent politics of the time in the Republic and coverage of Northern Ireland, with the various political initiatives taking place. In 1986 he became Business Editor of the Irish Independent where he was responsible for the production of the business pages of the newspaper and introduced the Thursday business supplement. He was Economics Editor from 1992-2012 and now wrote a weekly economics column until 2021.
Ex. Group Business Editor
Independent Newspapers
Hannah-Louise Dunne
Hannah-Louise was prompted to move into advertising a decade ago having witnessed the impact of digital transformation on newsrooms in her former role as a Showbusiness Editor with the Irish Daily Mail. Since then, she has worked across creative, content, and digital teams to innovate and discover new ways of storytelling for brands. She is passionate about great editorial, brilliant social strategy and finding new innovative ways through comms to tell stories about great brands. In her time in Core, she has led campaigns that have scooped gold in the US Content Marketing Awards, the European Sponsorship Awards, the Sockies, the Digital Media Awards and the Media Awards. In her free time, she writes about family, places she loves, and parenthood.
Social Strategy Director
Core Performance
Adrian Barry
Adrian Barry is Operations Director and broadcaster at Off The Ball. Former Sports Broadcaster of the Year who has worked in sports media for over 20 years as reporter and desk editor at 98FM and FM104 and later as producer and then Sports Editor at Newstalk. He produced and then presented various shows across Setanta Sports and later eirSport. Adrian also served on the steering group and the media committee on the 20x20 movement as well as being a judge on the eirSport Sports Book of the Year awards.
Operations Director and Broadcaster Off The Ball
Moira Hannon
Moira Hannon is a staff journalist with RTÉ's top rated radio programme Morning Ireland. She previously worked as Features Editor with the Irish Daily Star and is an award-winning travel writer.
Journalist
RTÉ
Dave O'Connell
Dave O’Connell is Group Editor of the Connacht Tribune, a role he has held for the past 15 years. A graduate of journalism at the College of Commerce in Rathmines in 1983, he started as a reporter with the Connacht Tribune that year before moving to the then-Cork Examiner in 1989. He was promoted to Deputy Editor and News Editor of the Cork Evening Echo before leaving to take up a role as Assistant News Editor with the Star in 1995. He worked as News Editor and Night Editor there until he departed for the Westmeath Independent in 2001, where he was appointed editor – a role that was subsequently expanded to Group Editor with the Westmeath Examiner Group, serving as editor of the Westmeath Examiner, Westmeath Independent and Offaly Independent. He has been a regular presenter and contributor with RTÉ, and with Galway Bay FM, which is part of the Connacht Tribune Group. A native of Oughterard, Co Galway, he is married to the RTÉ journalist Teresa Mannion, and they have two sons, Cian and Tom.
Group Editor
Connacht Tribune
Kevin Jenkinson
Kevin Jenkinson is an experienced journalist and media relations specialist who has worked in the news industry for over two decades and is currently with the international aid organisation Concern Worldwide. He is also the Vice Chairperson of Fairtrade Ireland, which has benefited from his media knowledge and expertise. Kevin was a news journalist with the Irish Daily Star from 2003 to 2015 covering everything from crime, courts and transport to politics, consumer affairs and entertainment. He also worked with the Irish Daily Mirror and Sunday World. Kevin began his journalism career with the Northside People newspaper in Dublin and as a freelance reporter writing for papers like the Business Post and The Dublin Daily.
Journalist & Media Relations Specialist
Concern Worldwide
Kate Shanahan
Kate Shanahan is the former Head of Journalism and munications at TU Dublin where she was also Senior Lecturer. Kate is an award-winning journalist and TV and Radio producer, and contributes to media both as a columnist and broadcast expert. She has worked as a Producer, and Series Producer for Ireland’s national Television and Radio station RTÉ, and as Executive Producer/ Series Producer with some of Ireland's leading TV production companies, across both current affairs and lifestyle strands. Kate is a founding member of the Women Leaders in Higher Education network, and has contributed to both national and international conferences on news and social media, journalism education, story-sourcing, fake news and fact-checking. She is a mentor for Women On Air Ireland, and has worked as a facilitator for the Council of Europe Media and Diversity program. She was a member of the Academic Advisory Board TU Dublin, and a member of the TU Dublin Academic Council. Published works include 'Crimes worse than Death' Attic Press, book chapters include 'Press Gang' New Island Books, 'The Celtic Tiger Revisited' Peter Lang International, Journalism Accreditation and Training in Europe' Nomos. She has been on the Judging Panel for Newsbrands Ireland’s National Media Awards since 2020 and was chair of the Judging Panel for the Local Media Awards 2019.
Journalist
TUDublin
Bob Hughes
Bob Hughes is Executive Director of Local Ireland, the association representing local news publishers across the country. A journalist and broadcaster, he was worked as a newspaper reporter, television producer, manager of journalists and newsrooms, and an international consultant for editorial, operational and digital strategies. His credits include TV3 Ireland, Channel 4 News, Reuters, Radio Ireland, the Press Association, the Thomson Foundation and TVC News Nigeria. He began his career in local newspapers.
Executive Director
Local Ireland
Breda Brown is co-founder of Unique Media, a strategic communications consultancy. She previously held a number of senior print and radio journalism positions including Head of News with Dublin’s Q102, Chief News Reporter with 98FM and Assistant Editor of Marketing.ie. She also freelanced for Business and Finance, Business Plus and WENN, the international entertainment news agency. Breda is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Irish Writers Centre, reviews crime novels for the Sunday Independent and presents the ‘Inside Books’ podcast. She also contributes regularly to national radio and television programmes, acts as a MC/Moderator at industry events and engages in VO work for national and international brands. Breda holds an MA in Journalism and BA in Communication Studies, both from Dublin City University.
Co-Founder / Communications Director
Unique Media
Raymond Burke
Former News Editor of the Irish Press and Chief News Editor of RTÉ News; Author of Press Delete: The Decline and Fall of the Irish Press (2005) and Joyce County: Galway and James Joyce (2016/2022) and contributor to four books on Irish newspaper history; book reviewer and occasional contributor to An Irish Diary in the Irish Times; contributor to the Connacht Tribune and the Century Ireland website.
Former Chief News Editor
RTÉ News, Irish Press
Rachel Kane
Currently working as PR Manager across Ireland and the UK for Irish entertainment brand Paddy Power, part of the Flutter Group, the world's leading online sports begging and iGaming operator. For the past eight years, I've worked to make sure Paddy's remains the most talked about brand in its category, puncturing the major moments in sport and public life with our mischievous tone of voice. Prior to this, I worked as a journalist for almost ten years across various titles including The Star as a news reporter.
PR Manager UK & Ireland
Paddy Power
Alan Owens
Communications Manager at University of Limerick. Provide high-level communications, media management and support as part of UL's Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Division. Key focus on media, strategic communications projects, reputation and communication of research PR output. Former Assistant Editor (Digital) at Limerick Leader. Experienced editor and award winning multimedia journalist with extensive experience at local and national level. Strong media and communications professional with a Master's Degree (first class hons) in History and BA in European Studies from University of Limerick.
Communications Manager
University of Limerick
Múirne Laffan
Múirne is a Nonexecutive Director of the Abbey Theatre and Irish Film & TV Academy and investor in NOA, News Over Audio. She is formerly Managing Director of Digital at RTÉ, leading the team the developed the RTÉ Player, GAAGO and RTÉ News Now.
Non Executive Director
Abbey Theatre
Mairead Lavery
Journalist and Editor I have over 20 years experience as a journalist and editor with the Irish Farmers Journal. Now retired.
Former Journalist & Editor
Irish Farmers Journal
Sean O’Rourke
Sean O’Rourke is one of Ireland’s best known print and broadcast journalists. His career began 50 years ago and he has been covering Irish politics since 1980. Educated at St Ignatius College and the University of Galway, he was a cub reporter with the Connacht Tribune before joining The Irish Press Group where he was Political Correspondent for five years. For over three decades Sean worked with the Irish national broadcaster, RTE, initially as a programme editor and then as Presenter of the News at One on Radio 1, from 1995 to 2013, before moving to mid morning on Today with Sean O’Rourke, a two-hour mix of current affairs, culture, health and entertainment items. He also presented The Week in Politics on RTE One television for ten years. He is a three time winner of the News Broadcaster of the year, and was conferred with an honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of Galway in recognition of his contribution to journalism. Following his retirement from full time broadcasting Sean has worked on a TV documentary and Podcast series, called Two Tribes. Broadcast last year, they trace the stories of the two parties that have dominated Irish politics for the past century Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. Once bitter rivals, they now share power in a coalition government. More recently he has been holding conversations with public figures for his latest project, a series of long-form interviews for RTÉ’s Podcast platform. The Insights series was launched last Spring.
Former Irish national broadcaster
RTE
Sive O'Brien
I am a brand marketing consultant and agency with an MSC in Fashion Marketing and 24 years experience working across print media, digital publishing, marketing, content and brand development - working for and alongside brands, listening to and observing customers' unmet desires and turning ardent fans into brand advocates. With my team of content specialists, we help to relaunch, reframe and refresh existing brands, from developing brand personality based on market positioning to redesigning how brands communicate and connect via the right content on the right channels for lasting brand impact and growth. I have worked with and for leading brands like IMAGE, IMAGE Interiors, and IMAGE. i.e., CARA, Brown Thomas, Arnotts, Weirs, Platinum Pilates & Physio, Lucy Nagle, Dundrum Town Centre, HerFamily.ie, Aldi, Waterwipes, Goffs, Laura Chambers, Conscious Convert, NJO Designs, KDK, Maoliosa, Amber & Willow, Design KNB, Dishy, Reuben Avenue, mibeau interiors, EQ Vibration, Porter & Jones, WearWith, Kayla's Kitchen, The Designed Table, Moyee Coffee, Medical Optics, Mater Private Network, Dunville Pharmacy, Tara Walker Food, Quirc Interiors, Noema, Collected, Tara Walker Food, CA Design, Peelo, Sync (coming soon), Homespun, Brown Thomas, Maverick Soul, Helen Turkington, Sisterly, Sable Studios, Soop (coming soon), Ondine London, DCU Business School Let's Lead programme, House & Home magazine, and a host of other brands.
Editor, House and Home magazine and Brand Consultant
Graham Clifford
Founder of the Sanctuary Runners Movement, a solidarity-through-sport initiative which uses running to bring together asylum seekers, refugees and those in wider Irish society (expanding internationally soon). Also founder of Translate Ireland Multilingual Video Messaging Ltd - an initiative which produces vital Multilingual Video Messaging for migrants on everything from Public Health to Visa information, education, services. Former Feature writer with Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Post and the Business Post. Former Broadcast journalist with RTÉ Radio 1, BBC Local Radio and Radio Kerry. Occasional Television contributor and Contributing Editor.
Founder and Head of International Development
Sanctuary Runners
Fiachra O Cionnaith
Fiachra Ó Cionnaith is a member of the political staff for RTE News. He has worked for the national broadcaster across TV, radio and online since November 2019, being stationed on Morning Ireland (November 2019-November 2021), News at One (November 2021-February 2023) and the TV home desk (February 2023-June 2024) before returning to the Dail this summer. Prior to joining RTE, Fiachra was a senior staff journalist and later a political correspondent for the Irish Examiner (September 2008-November 2019), based at various stages in the Cork, Dublin and Dail offices. During his career, Fiachra covered stories from the White House, the EU Parliament and the Dail, winning a number of awards including Newsbrands Analysis of the Year in 2017 for the Grace foster abuse investigation.
Staff Journalist
RTE
Valerie Wheeler
Valerie Wheeler is an IMRO Award winning Sports Broadcaster. She currently works in SPIN South West as the Breakfast Show presenter & RTE as a Sports Reporter.
Radio Presenter on SPIN South West
Sports Reporter with RTÉ
John McGee
John McGee has over 30 years as a journalist, editor and publisher, having worked for and contributed to a number of Irish and international publications. A former Magazines Ireland, Editor of the Year and Publisher of the Year, he is a graduate of UCD and a journalism graduate of DCU and was the Media & Marketing columnist for the Sunday Independent from 2016 to 2024. He is currently publisher of IMJ Adworld and is passionate about all things media, advertising and marketing-related.
Publisher & Editor
Irish Marketing Journal (IMJ)
Marie Kierans
Marie Kierans currently works as a Communications Executive with Irish Wheelchair Association. She began her career in journalism forty years ago, cutting her teeth locally before moving to work in national newspapers including the Sunday World and Irish Daily Mirror. She was the first female to be appointed Editor of the Drogheda Independent and was producer of the flagship current affairs show on LMFM radio for eight years.
Communications Officer
Irish Wheelchair Association
Campbell Spray
Campbell Spray is a former Executive Editor with the Sunday Independent. After working in national and regional newspapers in Britain, he came to Ireland in 1979 where he was in turn Features Editor of the Irish Press. Editor of Social and Personal magazine and Assistant Editor of the Irish Independent before joining the Sunday Independent in 1985. He was also the paper's motoring correspondent for nearly25 years. He holds a MA in Ethics from Dublin City University.
Former Executive Editor
Sunday Independent
Colette Sexton is a communications and public affairs consultant with a background in journalism and politics. During her career in journalism, she was a political correspondent for The Times, Ireland Edition and a news correspondent for The Business Post. She was a regular contributor to TV and radio, and a bi-weekly columnist for Image.ie. Colette was also a sub-editor at The Irish Daily Mail and The Hull Daily Mail. From County Clare, she holds a first-class honours master’s degree in journalism from NUI Galway and a first-class honours degree in history and politics from the University of Limerick.
Communications and Public Affairs Consultant
Joe Breen
Joe Breen is a former Irish Times journalist. During his career he was chief sub editor, online editor, oped editor and managing editor (production and design). In recent years he has lectured on journalism in DCU and UCD.
Freelance journalist
Catriona Loughran
Catriona has over 20 years experience in journalism, media relations and communications across Ireland and Norway. After 10 years working in journalism, she transitioned to the humanitarian sector and worked as Media Relations Manager for Concern Worldwide. She later moved to Oslo, Norway to take up a media advisor position at the Norwegian Refugee Council. She also worked for a time as VP of Communications at Hurtigruten Group which specializes in expedition travel to polar regions. She now works for an NGO called Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for women with a STEMM background. She is based in Dubai.
Homeward Bound - NGO
Denis Kirwan
Denis Kirwan has almost 40 years’ experience in journalism, broadcasting and public relations. Denis was a Press Officer in the National Lottery from its start-up in 1986 until 2006. He has worked as a producer, presenter and reporter for international, national & local television & radio stations and has covered over 75 major international sporting events in golf and horse racing. Denis writes weekly golf and betting columns for the Irish Daily Star and also writes features for national print media.
Journalist, Broadcaster & Producer
Jennifer O'Brien
Jennifer O'Brien works at RTÉ Communications, is currently Acting Communications Manager TV, Radio, and Online, and is a former journalist. Previously, Jennifer worked as Ireland Arts Editor at The Times Ireland, online producer at ITV's Good Morning Britain, and Editor of Bizarre at The Sun in London. Jennifer is a two-time winner at the journalism awards, and before moving to London in 2013, worked as Showbiz Editor at The Irish Sun.
Communications Manager
RTÉ Communications
Allan Prosser
Allan Prosser has been a journalist and publishing manager for 53 years. He worked for 16 years with the Irish Examiner before retiring as Editor in April 2020. He is a leader writer for his old newspaper and a previous judge of the Irish Journalism Awards. He is a Freeman of the Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in the UK.
Owner and Editor
Third Wave Publishing
Emma is a freelance pop culture writer and content editor, currently working with aid organisation Concern Worldwide. She frequently writes comment pieces for the Irish Independent, and has written for publications including Vice, the Daily Beast, the Guardian and the i. She previously worked as deputy showbiz editor at the Daily Star, and deputy entertainment editor at Metro.co.uk. Emma previously judged the One World Media Awards, and has a journalism degree from TUD (formerly DIT) and a masters in magazine journalism from Kingston University.
Lead content editor
Concern Worldwide
Michael Gilson
Michael Gilson is a former editor of, among others, The Scotsman and the Belfast Telegraph. He is an Associate Fellow of the School of Media, Arts and Humanities at the University of Sussex. His book on the history of the British suburban garden is published by Reaktion early next year.
Communicator & Freelance Consultant
Nessa McGann
Nessa McGann is an experienced content programmer, with over 20 years’ experience in senior management in Ireland and abroad. She started her career in RTÉ Cork as a news reader, reporter and features journalist. Recruited as part of the start-up of the regional youth station SPIN South West in 2007, she worked as Programme Director, Station manager and Content Director until 2020. Under her management the station won numerous programming awards, achieved consistently high JNLRs for the target demographic and she was responsible for huge recruitment of new talent to the industry. In 2020 she founded McGann Media and works as a radio and programme consultant and project manager for Irish and international radio and audio businesses. She is Programme Director for Radiodays Asia, the premier Asian conference for the radio, audio and podcasting industry, which is held in the Asia Pacific region every year.
Independent Media Consultant: Talent, Training & Funding
Davin O’Dwyer is the Senior Managing Editor on the Content team at Intercom, the Irish-founded customer service platform. Davin manages the team responsible for some of the most renowned content marketing in the B2B space - they publish books, guides, podcasts and blog posts that are consumed by more than a million readers and listeners every year. Before joining Intercom, Davin spent 12 years as a journalist at the Irish Times, working in production across features and the newsroom, as well as writing regularly about technology and culture issues. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate.
Senior Managing Editor
Intercom
Marie Toft
Marie enjoyed an international career as a senior TV executive and documentary maker before returning to university to study psychotherapy. Today she has combined her story-telling and psychotherapy experience to create Emotionise AI - which helps build better relationships at scale. Their innovative Generative AI model EIMEAR helps users create authentic, consistent communications built on empathy and company values. Their solution transforms communications for Customers and Employees by focusing on emotional intelligence - the new power skill. Emotionise AI has built the only Gen AI domain model trained with emotional intelligence at its core, by creating its own emotionally intelligent data created and curated by its data creation team.
CEO & Co-Founder Emotionise AI
Paul O’Kane has more than 33 years' experience in Irish media, having worked in both corporate communications and national newspapers. He is currently a Director at Murray, working within the Corporate and Financial PR team for a range of blue-chip clients. Previously, Paul held the role of Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at airports operator daa. Before moving into corporate communications, Paul spent 15 years in journalism. He was Business Editor and Deputy Business Editor with The Sunday Tribune, and also worked as a business reporter and a news reporter/features writer publications such as The Irish Times, The Sunday Tribune, Cara magazine, and U magazine.
Director
Murray
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Tim Vaughan
Tim is an accomplished media and communications professional and is currently Editorial Director of Poppulo, a global leader in employee communications. He was editor of the Irish Examiner for 16 years, during which the newspaper won multiple awards for campaigning journalism. After moving on from the Irish Examiner in 2016, he was chair of Irish Journalism Awards judging panel for three years
Editorial Director, Poppulo
Ex-Editor, Irish Examiner
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Frank Mulrennan
Frank Mulrennan is CEO and principal owner of Celtic Media Group, the leading publisher and service provider to the local news publishing sector. Frank is a Chartered Director and a former business editor and agriculture editor with the Irish Independent. He has an M. Sc. in Management Practice from IMI.
CEO and Principal Owner
Celtic Media Group
Mick O’Keeffe
Mick O’Keeffe is Chief Executive of Teneo’s Irish business. He is the former Managing Director of Pembroke Communications and CEO of PSG, which he founded in 2014 following the merger of Slattery Communications and Pembroke Communications. Mick leads Teneo in Ireland and is responsible for company strategy, development and growth. He is deeply involved in reputation management, CEO advisory, issues management and media training. He also leads business development in Europe for Teneo and is a member of the Global Management Committee.
CEO, Teneo Ireland
Des Gibson
Des Gibson is a journalist with over 30 years' experience in the Irish National Newspaper and website market. Formerly Editor of the Irish Daily Star and Star Sunday, Des was then overall Group Tabloid Editor for INM with direct Editorial responsibility for both The Sunday World and The Herald. For the past three years, he has been Managing Director and owner of GPM Solutions, a media strategy and advisory consultancy.
Owner & Founder GPM Solutions
Director of Media Relations
John is a writer with a history of producing lively, jargon-free, grammatical English in a wide variety of environments.
Writer at Irish Arts Review/Sunday Times
Seán Dunne
Seán Dunne is a radio producer and journalist with RTÉ Radio 1 working on Drivetime. Prior to this he was the Senior Producer of The Tonight Show on Virgin Media. In 2016 he was the Newsbrands Ireland Young Journalist of the Year for his work with the Irish Daily Mail.
Radio Producer & Journalist
RTÉ Radio 1
David Diebold
David Diebold was Features & Magazine Editor at Independent News & Media between 2001 and 2011. He has written for the Business Post, Irish Daily Mail, Irish Independent Magazine, Sunday Independent and for The Herald where his weekly column of seven years made the finals for National Newspapers of Ireland Feature Writer of the Year Award in 2011, and NewsBrand Ireland Popular Columnist in 2016. His writing has featured in Press Gang, Tales from the Glory Days of Irish Newspapers (New Island, 2015) and he is the author of This Is How We Dance (2019) and Diary of a Wimpy Dad (2021). Since 2011 he has owned and run a fortnightly local newspaper magazine in Skerries.
Author & Former national newspaper columnist
Dr Michael Foley
Michael Foley is professor Emeritus as the school of Media, Technological University, Dublin, where he lectured in journalism. Prior to that he was a journalist at The Irish Times for 20 years. As well as lecturing and writing he has worked as a consultant in media development in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Middle East. He is the author of many essays on journalism and of a study of the press and the Great Irish Famine, Death in Every Paragraph (Quinnipiac and Cork University Press). He has been a journalism awards judge for many years.
Professor Emeritus
TUDublin
Tony O'Brien
A native of Wexford, Tony O’Brien started his media career with the Wexford People. He later moved to the Irish Independent where he was appointed the Group’s first Environment Correspondent. In that award-winning role, he covered issues ranging from council meetings and planning to talking with whale fishermen above the Arctic Circle and visiting the infamous tower at Sellafield Nuclear Plant (formerly Windscale) in the UK, scene of a major explosion in the ‘50s. Tony spent 20 years with the Irish Independent where he also carved a niche as a music critic covering Life Aid at Wembley Stadium and U2’s debut at Madison Square Garden, New York, as well as major events at home including Bruce Springsteen’s legendary Slane Castle concert. Moving into the world of Public Relations, Tony worked with a leading agency before setting up his own consultancy, Tony O’Brien Communications, where he has advised clients such as Ticketmaster, Wicklow County Council, APCOA Parking Services, Eddie Rockets, SIXT Car Rental, the Ukulele Hooley and others. Tony is the author of “Going Green – the Irish Guide to Living a Greener Life” and edited the Roads Ireland journal. He contributes regularly to newspapers and magazines.
Managing Director
Tony O’Brien Communications
Tom Felle
Tom Felle is Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Galway, Ireland. He has a diverse background in journalism, having worked as a journalist and foreign correspondent for various media organisations in Ireland, the UK, Brussels, Sydney and Beirut for more than a decade before transitioning into academia. He was formerly based at City, University of London, and from 2018 to 2023 was Head of the Department of Media at the University of Galway. His research interests encompass digital news, verification, data-driven journalism, so-called “fake news” and disinformation, and democracy-related topics such as trust, transparency, and accountability. He has provided advice and testimony to national governments and the EU, and collaborated with the United Nations migration agency, IOM, as the lead academic partner for the Global Migration Media Academy from 2020-2022. Most recently he was a Fulbright Scholar in Los Angeles, California in 2023/24. He has authored or edited five books on journalism and democracy issues.
Associate Professor of Journalism
University of Galway
Dr Fergal Quinn
Fergal Quinn is Associate Professor and current Head of Journalism with University of Limerick. He is the co-author of How to Read Economic News: A Critical Approach to Economic Journalism (2023) and News Discourse and Power: Critical Perspectives on Journalism and Inequality (2021). He is a Principal Investigator for Ireland for the international Journalism Role Performance Project (2019-present) and established the MA in Sports Journalism (2019 to present) and the PD in Data Communications (2022 to present). Prior to joining UL in 2014, he worked for over a decade as a print and multimedia journalist with RTÉ, The Cambodia Daily, The Longford Leader and The Irish Times.
Associate Professor & Head of Journalism
University of Limerick
Frank O’Donovan
Frank O’Donovan is an experienced professional with extensive lecturing experience at third level. He has 26 years’ experience in lecturing in Journalism/Media Communications at undergraduate and postgraduate level. He also has extensive experience in undergraduate and postgraduate programme development, programme coordination and the management of academic departments at Munster Technological University. He worked as a professional reporter and editor for 20 years.
Programme Co-ordinator
Munster Technological University
Richard Moore
Managing Director of Public Relations company based in heart of Dublin, advising key clients across a range of sectors, including transport, health, education,leisure, security and politics. Former Government media and special advisor (1996-2011); former national newspaper news editor (Irish Press,Dublin) (1991-1995);former news reporter, Irish Press (1987-1991).Freelance journalist and regional reporter in greater Dublin area, Tipperary, Meath and KIldare. Lecturer in journalism (Dublin VEC) ; PR lecturer, Dublin DIT.
Managing Director
MComm Communications
Declan Varley
Declan Varley is Group Editor of the Galway Advertiser Newspaper group, a position he has held since 2001. In that time, as a key member of a progressive management team, he has overseen the growth of the newspaper into the highest circulation regional publication in the country. Holding Masters degrees in Writing; and Culture, Media and Identity, Declan has been a prolific journalist and author, winning global and European accolades for the quality and fairness of his weekly editorial and writing. He won an EU Regional Journalist Award in 1998 for his work in the Tuam Herald. He has written for international, national and regional publications and is an avid and witty Twitter contributor.
Group Editor
Galway Advertiser Newspaper group
Noel Costello
Noel Costello is a former Night Editor and Chief Sub-Editor of The Irish Times and worked with the newspaper for over 30 years. On graduating from Trinity College with a MScEcon in the 1970s he joined the Irish Press group as a news sub-editor. He also lectures in Economics in the Technological University Dublin.
Former Night Editor and Chief Sub-Editor
The Irish Times
Luke Holohan
Luke Holohan is a journalist and copywriter based in Berlin. Formerly a journalist with Metro Herald, UTV Ireland, Filmwerte, Candide Gardening, and Il Giornale, Luke currently works as Head of Content for promiseQ.
Head of Content
PromiseQ
Richie Oakley
Richie Oakley is a director at Murray Consultants. He moved to PR following a 25-year career in journalism. He is a former editor of The Business Post and The Times, Ireland edition. He has previously worked for The Sunday Times Irish Edition and The Sunday Tribune.
Director
Murray Consultants