Speaker members

Paul Kelly

Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland

Paul Kelly has been the Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland since 2017. Paul has led Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, through the deepest crisis ever for our country’s tourism industry. His work now is focused on driving the sustained and sustainable recovery of the industry to ensure tourism contributes even more to the economic, social, cultural and environmental future of Ireland. This future will build on Fáilte Ireland's previous successes including the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, the Dublin brand refresh and The Gathering.

Paul’s leadership has led Fáilte Ireland to be listed in the top 20 best large organisations to work in for three consecutive years and listed in the top 5 most trusted organisations in the country. In 2020 Paul was named as Ireland's Most Trusted Leader by Great Places to Work. Before his appointment as CEO of Fáilte Ireland, Paul held several management and marketing leadership roles. Raised in a small retail family business, he began his career with Procter & Gamble UK. Paul then went on to senior executive positions with Diageo Ireland, Aviva and the UCD Smurfit Business School. Paul Kelly is a native of Co. Wexford and a Commerce graduate from University College Dublin. He is married and has four children.

Dr Matt Kennedy

Director, Sustainable Development Leader, Arup

Dr. Matt Kennedy is a Director and Sustainable Development Leader in Arup. He has over 25 years of sustainable energy, climate resilience and innovation experience working across government, industry and academia. As Global Leader Matt directs climate strategy, manages stakeholder relations with key clients, and shapes climate offerings for cities and businesses. Matt has  been the EU lead negotiator at COP21 and has delivered mitigation adaptation initiatives for the UN and World Bank in Africa, Asia and Middle East. Matt holds a PhD in Engineering from Trinity College Dublin and is a fellow of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Matt is Board member of Fáilte Ireland and An Post.

Nigel Russell

General Manager, Earthcheck

Nigel Russell is EarthCheck’s General Manager, Consulting – he has over 25 years of experience in destination management and sustainable tourism. Prior to joining EarthCheck, Nigel held a range of senior regional tourism positions in England’s West Midlands.
Nigel has led EarthCheck’s recent work, supporting Fáilte Ireland deliver its sustainability and climate change programme.

EarthCheck is the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for sustainable travel and tourism. Since 1987, it has helped businesses, communities and governments to deliver sustainable, clean, safe and prosperous destinations for travellers to visit, live, work and play. Based in Brisbane, EarthCheck works with private and public sector clients in over 70 countries.

Joanne Grehan

Director of Services, Mayo County Council

As Chief Executive Officer of the County Enterprise Board Joanne led its transition into the Local Enterprise Office in Mayo County Council in 2014. She was appointed Director of Services in 2015.

Joanne has extensive experience in both the private and public sectors having previously worked with the Western Development Commission, Stena Line, UCD Michael Smurfit School of Business and Dublin Institute of Technology (TU Dublin).

A graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology (TU Dublin), she holds a Master’s Degree in Tourism, Management & Marketing and has studied Economic Development, Leadership & Negotiation at Hibernia College, Boston College and Harvard University. Joanne holds a number of Board positions and is a qualified Executive and Leadership Coach and a member of the Association for Coaching.

Mary Mac Sweeney

Executive Manager Acting, Culture Recreation and Economic Services Department, Dublin City Council

Mary Mac Sweeney has worked in a variety of roles since joining Dublin City Council in 1986. In her role as Executive Manager Acting, Culture, Recreation and Economic Services (CRES) Department she works with Councillors and a dedicated team of staff to deliver positive impact for locals and visitors to Dublin. Through policy, strategy and programming we work to make Dublin an attractive place for events, cultural engagement, physical activity and social connection which enhances quality of life. Mary contributes to building a strong cultural, social and circular economic and enterprise eco system in Dublin city, in partnership with internal and external stakeholders. A strong evidence base is being developed to support and inform this work, designed to better measure impacts and progress on strategic objectives.

Mary enjoys working on innovative and collaborative projects designed to promote Dublin as a great city to live, work, study, visit and invest and supports work on the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor, the Dublin Place Brand, the Dublin Economic Monitor, the Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan and the Your Dublin Your Voice survey panel. Working with the Tourism Team Mary is looking forward to supporting an active programme of events, as part of Dublin’s successful bid to become the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024, while also delivering on the key objectives of the Tourism Strategy to 2028.

Leonard Cleary

Director of Services, Tourism Development, Clare County Council

This includes the Tourism strategic function and management of Council-owned tourism sites (Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, Knappogue Castle & Gardens, Craggaunowen Bronze Age Park, Inis Cealtra, Loop Head Lighthouse, Vandeleur Walled Gardens). He also has responsibility for Digital/Broadband and Kilrush Electoral Area, West Clare MD. Previously, he has held portfolios including Rural Development, Housing, Ennis Town Council, H.R., Community & Enterprise and Kilrush Town Council. He is a graduate of DCU, UCC, NUI Maynooth, NUI Galway and the IPA.

Fearghal Reidy

Director of Strategic and Economic Development, Cork City Council

Fearghal Reidy is Director of Strategic and Economic Development with Cork City Council, where he is responsible for forward planning, heritage, climate action, economic development and tourism. Fearghal has 30 years public and private sector experience in economic development and regeneration. Fearghal has an MBS from the University of Galway and an MEconSc (Policy Analysis) from UCD.

Kerrie Sweeney

Chief Executive, Maritime Belfast Trust

Kerrie joined Maritime Belfast in March 2013 and has over 20 years’ experience working in the tourism sector including 10 years between Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, where she was a member of the team that put together the plans for the Titanic Signature Project. Kerrie’s experience is in product and destination development, capital projects and partnership initiatives.

Since joining Maritime Belfast, Kerrie has led a series of key successes: the award of a £5million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Enterprise Programme towards the former Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices, to restore them and develop the building into a four-star boutique hotel; the acquisition of Titanic’s little sister the SS Nomadic; and the relocation and restoration of the Great Light. Maritime Belfast’s current focus is the development of the Maritime Mile - an award-winning initiative that aims to connect the waterfront physically, recognising that the sum of its parts is much greater than the individual components, and influencing the development the public realm as a seamless, vibrant, connected experience.

Annette Aspell

Director of Services for Housing and Regeneration and Deputy Chief Executive, Kildare County Council

Annette Aspell is Director of Services for Housing and Regeneration and Deputy Chief Executive with Kildare County Council. All of Annette’s career in local government has been with Kildare County Council and she has been Director of Services since 2019. Prior to that she worked in senior positions in the Housing, Corporate Services and Planning Departments. Part of Annette’s brief as Director of Services is to work with the council’s Special Projects and Public Realm Team to develop and deliver transformative Public Ream/Urban Design solutions to create more vibrant town and village centres from concept right through to construction. The Shackleton Experience is one such project which will see the regeneration of a prominent building in the town centre of Athy developed as a museum celebrating the life and legacy of Ernest Shackleton.

Elaine O’Connor

Ryder Cup Coordinator, Limerick City & County Council

Elaine O’Connor was recently appointed to the role of Ryder Cup Coordinator for Limerick City & County Council with a view to Limerick embracing the opportunity that the world renowned Ryder Cup golf event offers the city, county and the region. Ryder Cup 2027 Adare, Limerick is the centenary event that will put Adare and Limerick on the map. It is the second time the event will have been held in Ireland following the K Club in Kildare in 2006.

The Coordinator role encompasses working as part of an all government collaboration with Ryder Cup Europe and the Adare Manor Hotel towards the successful execution of the event alongside ensuring positive legacy outcomes. An attendance in excess of 271,000 and a global broadcasting reach of 220 countries is anticipated.

Elaine’s career to date has spanned the public and not for profit sector in sports management, event management, change management and regeneration projects both in Ireland and the UK. Her experience includes management positions in programmes funded by Sport England (Olympic lottery funding), Sport Ireland (Local Sports Partnership), UL Sport and Limerick National City of Culture 2014 amongst others.

Elaine holds a BA degree from UCD and a MSc degree in Leisure Management from Loughborough University in the UK.

Brian O’Flynn

Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Fáilte Ireland

Brian O’Flynn has been the Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland since March 2020. He has spent much of his career working overseas, primarily in North America and Australia in commercial and business development roles. Prior to joining Fáilte Ireland, Brian was based in Melbourne where worked with The Belgravia Group in a business development capacity across its leisure and tourism portfolio. He also has extensive FMCG experience having worked in a variety of international roles with Ornua. Brian is a graduate of University College Cork.

Orla Carroll

Director of Product Development, Fáilte Ireland

Orla Carroll is Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland. She joined Fáilte Ireland in 2008 after working for over 10 years in the Telecommunications Industry.

As Director of Product Development, Orla has responsibility for leading the development and implementation of strategies which support the sustainable development of tourism to Ireland. Orla has responsibility for the development and implementation of Irelands Tourism Development Investment strategy which strives to stimulate and support innovation in the development of tourism experiences in Ireland that will deliver greater regional and seasonal spread of tourism, while maintaining the competitiveness we already have in mature destinations.

In the development of tourism visitor experiences, it is imperative that we take into full account their current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.

Des Foley

Director of Services – Planning, Economic, Enterprise, Tourism Development & European Affairs, Meath County Council

Des Foley currently holds the position of Director for Planning, Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Development, and European Affairs at Meath County Council.

As part of the Tourism brief, Des has been involved in the delivery of several key tourism projects, including the proposed Boyne Greenway and Navigation Restoration, the Trim Destination Town Project, the newly opened Swift Cultural Centre in Trim and the Púca Festival.

Des works in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and the hospitality and tourism sector on the implementation of the Meath and Louth Destination Experience Development Plan and has sat on a number of CCMA Committees at national level including the Business, Enterprise, Tourism, Innovation, Urban/Town Economic Renewal Committee.

Des has also served as deputy Chief Executive of Meath County Council at regular intervals.

Martin O’Brien

Voluntary Chairperson of Barrow Valley Community Development ( Tourism Hub). Company Director in Day job.

Martin O'Brien is the Voluntary Chairperson of Barrow Valley Community Development ( Tourism Hub). Company Director in Day job. My main goals are to help improve our local economy by using Tourism ( Domestic and foreign).

I am proud to have help establish various community projects, ie, Graiguenamanagh Rowing Club / Town Of Books festival/ Waterways College/ Tourism Hub.

Personal fact: I love the waterways.

Laura Magee

Chief Executive Officer, Thoroughbred Country

I am extremely lucky and grateful to work in an industry that excites me. The Thoroughbred industry in Ireland is something to be very proud of, which I am. I began in more practical, hands on roles with some of the leading Stud Farms in the country and spent a wonderful 7 years as Sales & Hospitality Manager at Punchestown Racecourse. I have been heading up Thoroughbred Country since its inception in July 2021 and am excited to share our five-year plan progress with you today.

Jonathan Healy

Conference M.C.

Jonathan Healy has spent a quarter of a century working at the highest levels of Irish broadcasting, having worked extensively with Newstalk, Sky News, RTE and Cork’s RedFM. He established Healy Communications in 2017 with the express goal of helping businesses and improve their storytelling.

A graduate of law from University College Cork, Jonathan has conducted thousands of interviews with people from all walks of Irish life. A skilled inquisitor and proven cross-platform content creator, he has cultivated extensive contacts across politics, business and public relations throughout the country.

Terry Stevens

Founder Stevens & Associates

Terry Stevens is the Founder of the multi-award winning Tourism Consultancy - Stevens and Associates. He has worked on all aspects of Tourism Development in 55 countries including extensive work in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Liam Ward

Acting Director of Services for Planning, Heritage, Economic Development, Tourism, Just Transition and Edenderry Municipal District in Offaly County Council

Andrew is currently Acting Director of Services for Planning, Heritage, Economic Development, Tourism, Just Transition and Edenderry Municipal District in Offaly County Council. He was the Senior Planner for the council since 2009 and a Senior Executive Planner since 2003. He has also worked in Laois and Wicklow County Councils.

In recent years, Andrew has worked with various sections of the council, communities and semi-state companies to plan, seek funding for and deliver a number of greenways and other amenity projects including the Grand Canal Greenway, Lough Boora Discovery Park & Derryounce Lakes and Trails, in addition leading the Councils current applications to the Just Transition Fund.

Liam Ward

Director of Community Development & Planning Services, Donegal County Council

Liam Ward is Director of Community Development & Planning Services with Donegal County Council. Liam is also the designated Director of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, one of five Municipal Districts in Donegal. Liam has over 39 years of Public Service, and previously served as Director of Housing and Corporate Services, including Human Resources from 2010 before taking up his current role in 2017.

Liam serves on many committees at local, regional and national level, including the Housing Building & Land Use Committee under the CCMA structures. Liam is currently Vice-Chairperson of the Children & Young People’s Services Committee in Donegal, and also serves the Local Community & Development Committee, and the Age Friendly Alliance in Donegal.

In his current role, Liam leads the teams tasked with the Regeneration and Development of the Town & Villages throughout the County, through the opportunities arising in the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan – Ireland 2040. The role also includes the development of the Tourism Product in Donegal, working closely with Fáilte Ireland.

Jenny De Saulles

Director of Sector Development, Fáilte Ireland

Jenny De Saulles is Director of Sector Development of Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. Fáilte Ireland’s strategic objective is to secure the economic well being of the tourism sector through the development of an innovative, sustainable and resilient industry.

The focus of the Sector Development directorate is to support the tourism sector through a range of national initiatives informed by economic and industry analysis. These include the development and implementation of programmes around climate action, labour supply and skills, business competitiveness and financial resilience, accommodation development and quality assurance.

Previously Head of Ireland’s Ancient East, Jenny has worked with Fáilte Ireland for over 15 years in both national and regional roles working on Destination, Product, Industry and Commercial Development. Jenny has extensive FMCG experience, previously working with Nestlé across the globe in a variety of commercial roles as well as in private consultancy.

Moira Murrell

Chair of the CCMA

Cian Ó Lionáin

Assistant Secretary General for Tourism and Sport

Cian Ó Lionáin is the Assistant Secretary General for Tourism and Sport with responsibility for tourism policy, marketing, industry and product development and sports policy, capital investment, and major sporting events.

Paula O’Brien

Senior Executive Officer, Kildare County Council

Paula O’Brien is a Senior Executive Officer in Kildare County Council within the Community Department. Paula is spearheading the Brigid1500 programme in Kildare. Paula is a board member of Into Kildare (Kildare Tourism) and is involved in several tourism initiatives in the county including the Shackleton Experience and the roll out of the Just Transition Tourism initiative.

Colette Moss

Senior Executive Officer, Louth County Council

Colette Moss is a Senior Executive Officer with Louth County Council with 40 years’ experience across multiple disciplines and with current responsibility for the Economic Development & Tourism Department.

Colette has worked on a number of projects in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland & other State Agencies including Destination Towns, Night Time Economy, Carlingford Vision 31, Shared Island Development Fund, Urban Animation and has most recently overseen & delivered the Lú Festival of Light Drogheda and the Brigid 1500: Louth Birthplace of Brigid Festival.

David Robinson

Leisure Services Manager Center Parcs Longford Forest

David Robinson is part of the senior leadership team at Center Parcs Longford Forest holding the position of Leisure Services Manager.

He rejoined Center Parcs in August 2017 as Duty Village Manager at Whinfell Forest, Cumbria. He was then appointed to the role of Deputy Leisure Services Manager taking the opportunity in 2019 to support the Leisure team with the opening of the Center Parcs Longford Forest in Ireland. In 2020 he joined Center Parcs Ireland permanently as Leisure Services Manager and relocated to Ireland in 2020. David is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of the Leisure Division at Center Parcs in Ireland; this includes The Subtropical Swimming Paradise, Irelands Largest Waterpark, Aqua Sana Spa, Irelands Award Winning, Largest Stand Alone Spa as well as all 100 Indoor and Outdoor Activities. David drives operational excellence across his area of responsibility as well as the wider village and is an advocate for people development within the business.

Michael Nevin

Acting Director of Services Economic Development & Tourism, Longford County Council

Michael Nevin has worked in Local Enterprise Development for 28 years. He joined Longford County Enterprise Board in 1996 and took over as Chief Executive in 1999. Since the integration of the Enterprise Board function into the Local Government Sector in 2014 he has worked as Head of Enterprise with Longford County Council. He has additional responsibilities in the areas of Tourism , Economic Development and the Ukrainian Crisis Humanitarian Response. Michael is vice chair of the County Longford Tourism Committee and led the development of the Tourism Strategy for County Longford 2023-2027.

Lisa Kealey

Recreation Manager - Bord na Móna

Lisa Kealey is Recreation Manager at Bord na Móna, with specific responsibility for the planning, co-ordinating and overall delivery of trails projects on the Bord na Móna landbank. Lisa has over 25 years’ experience in the development and delivery of projects, with extensive knowledge of construction in peatlands and Bord na Móna’s estate. She is a chartered member of Engineers Ireland and holds an honours degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Tina O’Dwyer

Managing Director/Founder, The Tourism Space

Tina O’Dwyer has been at the forefront of sustainable and regenerative approaches to tourism development in Ireland for more than a decade. Her award-winning work with the Burren Ecotourism Network and the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark 2011-2018, saw her emerge as a pragmatic and motivational change-maker in the field. She went on to set up The Tourism Space, a platform for inspiring leadership and change in tourism. The business partners with public sector agencies, industry governing bodies and other development groups in Ireland and the UK, creating bespoke solutions that are regenerative, collaborative and place-centred.

John Concannon

Director General of “Global Ireland Strategy", Department of Foreign Affairs

John is the Director General of “Global Ireland” strategy in the Department of Foreign Affairs. Global Ireland Strategy is an initiative designed to double Ireland’s international footprint by 2025. This role includes responsibility for the coordination of the Global Ireland policy, Cultural Diplomacy, Public & Digital Diplomacy, and the Communications function for Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs.

John has held numerous leadership roles across both public and private sectors, including with Unilever PLC, Dubarry, Fáilte Ireland, the Taoiseach’s Office, the Department of Culture Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and has served as Vice President of the University of Galway.

Ciara Sugrue

Head of Festivals and Events, Fáilte Ireland

Ciara has worked in tourism for over 25 years in the areas of marketing, development, international publicity and event management. She is Head of Festivals and Events at Fáilte Ireland leading the investment, creation and development of festivals to deliver compelling visitor experiences that support strategic tourism objectives focussing on regionality and seasonality.

Previously, Ciara served as Head of Marketing & Development for Dublin Tourism for 15 years travelling extensively internationally before joining Fáilte Ireland as Head of International Trade and Publicity. She has held several directorships including St Patrick’s Festival Dublin and is a member of the International Festival and Events Association.

Alice Mansergh

Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland

Alice Mansergh is Chief Executive at Tourism Ireland, the organisation with leadership responsibility for marketing the island of Ireland to overseas visitors. Collaborating with industry and government, Alice and the Tourism Ireland team are proud to grow the contribution overseas tourism makes to economies and communities across the island. Previously, Alice spent 19 years leading large-scale commercial organisations at Google.

As Managing Director, UK & Ireland Customer Solutions, she helped hundreds of thousands of businesses to digitise and succeed online. During a period in London, Alice led Google’s own consumer marketing, growing iconic brands like Google Chrome to market-leading positions.

Alice is passionate about tourism and has not let a year of her life go by without holidaying around the island of Ireland. From 2018 to 2023, she served on the board of Fáilte Ireland.

Aeidin McCarter

Head of Culture, Derry City & Strabane District Council

Aeidin McCarter is Head of Culture at Derry City and Strabane District Council with responsibility for Tourism, Arts & Culture, Festival & Events, Museum and Visitor Services and Marketing. She has led on the development of the Tourism and Arts and Culture strategies for the City and District and delivers an extensive programme of Festival and Events and Cultural Programming throughout the City and District.

Aeidin returned to Ireland in 2007 after several years in international investment in Britain and Hong Kong to lead a project at Donegal County Council engaging with the region’s Diaspora and has since been involved in numerous cross border and transnational European projects in economic development, tourism, arts and culture.

Sonya Kavanagh

Chair of the CCMA Business Committee & Chief Executive of Kildare County Council.

Sonya Kavanagh is a Kildare native with 30 years of Local Government experience. She became Chief Executive of Kildare County Council in July 2022. Sonya has previously worked in key delivery roles in Economic, Community & Cultural Development, Roads, Transportation & Public Safety, Housing and Corporate Services.

She has represented the CCMA on working groups and forums with a focus on the Leader Programme, the LECP (Local Economic and Community Plan) and the SICAP Programme. Sonya is currently the Chair of the CCMA’s Business, Enterprise, Tourism, Innovation, Urban/Town Economic Renewal Committee (BETIUER)

Catherine Martin

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Originally from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, Catherine is the Green Party’s Deputy Leader and TD for the constituency of Dublin Rathdown since February 2016. After founding the Oireachtas Women's Parliamentary Caucus, she was elected as its inaugural Chair in November 2017.

A graduate from NUI Maynooth and a classical singer, Catherine taught English and Music in St Tiernan’s Community School in Dundrum, Dublin, for 16 years prior to being elected to the Dáil. She was a Councillor on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council from 2014 to 2016, and she served on the boards of the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education Training Board, Dundrum and Stillorgan Colleges of Further Education and St. Tiernan’s Community School.

She lives in Dublin with her husband and three children.

Peter Burke

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment

Peter Burke is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment since January 2025. He was born in Mullingar, Ireland and attended National University of Ireland, Galway where he studied Commerce. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession with ten years' experience in the private sector.

He has been a TD for the Longford–Westmeath constituency since 2016, and he was a member of Westmeath County Council from 2009 to 2016. Peter Burke was a frequent media commentator during the 32nd Dáil on issues including finance and taxation, drawing from his private sector experience as a Chartered Accountant.

Caroline Bocquel

Chief Executive Officer, Fáilte Ireland

Caroline Bocquel serves as Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland, bringing more than two decades of experience in strategic leadership, innovation, and sustainable growth across the public and NGO. Before joining Fáilte Ireland, Caroline was Chief Executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), where she led significant organisational transformation during a period of major industry change. Her career also includes senior leadership roles in financial management and governance, including Chief Financial Officer at GOAL and Director of Corporate Services at the Marine Institute.

Elaine Harold

Principal Officer, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE)

Elaine Harold is Head of Tourism Policy at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, leading the implementation of A New Era for Irish Tourism. She has significant experience leading largescale change across the Civil Service, having previously worked in the Departments of Social Protection, Foreign Affairs and the Courts Service. Her current focus is on advancing a resilient tourism policy framework that supports sustainable growth, balanced regional development and coordinated delivery across government, agencies and stakeholders.

Paddy Mahon

Chief Executive, Longford County Council | Chair, CCMA

Paddy Mahon is the Chief Executive of Longford County Council and serves as Chair of the County and City Management Association (CCMA). He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from NUI Galway.

An experienced local government leader, Paddy has been a strong advocate for collaborative approaches to community development, climate action, and housing. He has spoken widely about the role of local authorities in delivering effective public services and fostering regional economic growth, and has worked to build partnerships between communities, agencies, and public bodies to drive meaningful outcomes at a local level.

As Chair of the CCMA, Paddy leads the representative body for the chief executives of Ireland's county and city councils, playing a central role in shaping local government policy and practice at a national level.

Paul Keeley

Director of Regional Development, Fáilte Ireland

Paul is the Director of Regional Development with Fáilte Ireland and has recently served as its Interim CEO. Since joining the tourism development authority in 2004 Paul was actively involved in the development of the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East, Ireland's Hidden Heartlands and Dublin brands and experiences and the local DEDP programme that now activates destinations within all four regions. He has also led the development of the organisation's Industry Digitalisation Programme with Digital that Delivers and Web Accessibility supports being delivered to activity providers across the country. Paul has previously led the organisation's business development function, partnering with Tourism Ireland to build distribution for visitor experiences.

Prior to joining Fáilte Ireland, Paul worked with well-known businesses including Musgrave SuperValu Centra; Vodafone, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline and Cantrell & Cochrane.

Simon Wright-Lakin

Vice President, Public Sector, UK&I, Mastercard

Simon Wright-Lakin is Vice President, Public Sector for Mastercard in the UK and Ireland. In this role he leads Mastercard's engagement with government and public sector organisations, working to apply the company's technology, data, and payment network capabilities to support digital transformation in public services.

Mastercard's public sector work spans areas including government payments, financial inclusion, digital identity, and smart city initiatives, with Simon playing a key role in developing partnerships with public bodies across the UK and Ireland.

Shane Tiernan

Chief Executive, Roscommon County Council | Chair, CCMA Economic Development Committee

Shane Tiernan is Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council since October 2022 and is responsible for advancing the physical, economic, social and cultural life in the county. His focus is on working with the 520 staff and 18 elected members in developing and overseeing the organisational structures and resources needed to deliver an extensive range of high quality services to the public. His overarching focus is driving local government service excellence to make county Roscommon a modern, innovative and climate friendly place, where its citizens and visitors are happy to work, live, visit and enjoy life!

Shane has held Senior Management positions with responsibility for many service divisions in Irish Local Government over the past 18 years. Prior to that, he was a Senior Manager in multinational private sector organisations in a total career spanning over 36 years. Shane graduated in Engineering from Atlantic Technology University. He holds a Masters Degree in Management Practice from Trinity College Dublin as well as a Diploma in Management from the Irish Management Institute Dublin and is also a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy Programme for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

Shane Tiernan

Chief Executive, Roscommon County Council | Chair, CCMA Economic Development Committee

Shane Tiernan is Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council since October 2022 and is responsible for advancing the physical, economic, social and cultural life in the county. His focus is on working with the 520 staff and 18 elected members in developing and overseeing the organisational structures and resources needed to deliver an extensive range of high quality services to the public. His overarching focus is driving local government service excellence to make county Roscommon a modern, innovative and climate friendly place, where its citizens and visitors are happy to work, live, visit and enjoy life!

Shane has held Senior Management positions with responsibility for many service divisions in Irish Local Government over the past 18 years. Prior to that, he was a Senior Manager in multinational private sector organisations in a total career spanning over 36 years. Shane graduated in Engineering from Atlantic Technology University. He holds a Masters Degree in Management Practice from Trinity College Dublin as well as a Diploma in Management from the Irish Management Institute Dublin and is also a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy Programme for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

Liz Halpin

Head of Development (Dublin), Fáilte Ireland

Liz joined Fáilte Ireland as Head of Dublin in October 2018, where she has responsibility for the regional tourism development strategy for Dublin city and county. Liz and her team work closely with local authorities, industry partners and stakeholders to develop shared regional plans, including the Dublin City DEDP, launched in July 2025, as well as forthcoming DEDPs for the mountains and the coast. Liz championed the development of Winter in Dublin and The Dublin Coastal Trail - flagship initiatives strengthening Dublin’s position as a best in class tourism destination.

Before joining Fáilte Ireland, Liz spent 20+ years in marketing, customer value management, and commercial roles across eircom, Vodafone, and Bord Gáis Energy.

Lisa Joy

Tourism Officer, Roscommon County Council

Lisa Joy is the current Tourism Officer with Roscommon County Council, bringing over 20 years of local authority experience across housing, regeneration, communications, and International Relations. As manager of the Visit Roscommon brand, Lisa has led impactful marketing campaigns that have strengthened Roscommon's visibility and appeal. Her work reflects a commitment to sustainable tourism growth, community collaboration, and showcasing Roscommon as a vibrant place to live, visit and explore.

Una Ní Chuinn

Town Regeneration Officer, Roscommon County Council

Una Ní Chuinn is the Town Regeneration Officer and Head of the Economic Development Section with Roscommon County Council. She has over 25 years' experience in local government, with a professional background across community development, tourism, regeneration, corporate services and information technology. Una holds a Master's degree in Rural Development, which informs her strong place-based and community-focused approach to regeneration. She is deeply committed to Roscommon and its long-term sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on creating vibrant, inclusive and economically resilient towns. In her current role, Una leads the strategic planning and delivery of town centre regeneration initiatives across the county. She works closely with Town Teams, community groups and key stakeholders to identify priorities, develop projects and guide them from early concept through to design and delivery. She has a strong track record in securing capital funding and supporting high-quality placemaking and collaborative regeneration throughout Roscommon.

Danny McCoy

Chief Executive, IBEC

Danny McCoy is Chief Executive Officer of Ibec since 2009. Ibec is Ireland's largest business representative organisation and the country's largest lobbying group. It has over 300 staff in nine locations and has 39 sectoral brands with substantial presence within the European Union through Ibec's Brussels office. He is a member of the Irish Tripartite Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF).

He is a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, a Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, Honorary Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineers, Adjunct Professor Trinity College Dublin Business School and Vice President of the Statistical & Social Inquiry Society of Ireland and Independent Non Executive Director of Iput Real Estate.

He has held lecturing posts at University College London, University of Oxford, Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University. He has been senior economist at the Central Bank of Ireland and the Economic & Social Research Institute as well as being a consultant to the European Commission and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Roisin Rigney

Commercial Manager, The Shed Distillery Visitor Experience, International Markets & Projects

Roisin is the commercial driving force behind The Shed Distillery Visitor Experience, growing visitor numbers to over 70,000 in 2025.

She is also project manager for major new business developments, including the establishment of the Drumshanbo Nature Reserve and its preservation programme and the restoration and repurposing of the town's former Methodist church into an imaginative and unique event space.

Roisin joined the family business full time in 2021 (part-time since 2017) after completing a business degree at Technological University Dublin, and has become a central part of the continued growth of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin and The Shed brands, working across all areas of the operation, starting from the ground up.

With her hands-on approach and can-do attitude, Roisin is a natural leader and has inherited her parents' work ethic driven by a vision of partnership, employment and a thriving rural community, placing great value on the extraordinary 100-strong team behind the brands.

She plays a key role in international market development, travelling regularly to build relationships and support partners across the United States, China and Europe, and engage with trade and consumers alike.

She also represents the family business and its brands at international industry events, and is a regular spokesperson for the company in Irish media.

Tom Green

Director, Business Development, Mastercard Services

Thomas leads Mastercard's Services relationships with Government and Public Sector Clients in the UK and Ireland.

With a background in Data Analytics, Machine Learning and Consulting over the past 10 years, Thomas works with Central Government Departments, Regional Authorities, DMO's, Cities and Local Authorities to deliver impact by taking smarter decisions through the use of data.

In addition, Thomas's experience spans the Nordics and Baltics regions within the Public Sector for Mastercard as well as leading Mastercard's relationships with major Financial Services partners in Europe.

Jenny De Saulles

Director of Sector Development, Fáilte Ireland

Jenny De Saulles is Director of Sector Development of Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. Fáilte Ireland's strategic objective is to secure the economic well being of the tourism sector through the development of an innovative, sustainable and resilient industry.

The focus of the Sector Development directorate is to support the tourism sector through a range of national initiatives informed by economic and industry analysis. These include the development and implementation of programmes around climate action, labour supply and skills, business competitiveness and financial resilience, accommodation development and quality assurance.

Previously Head of Ireland's Ancient East, Jenny has worked with Fáilte Ireland for over 15 years in both national and regional roles working on Destination, Product, Industry and Commercial Development. Jenny has extensive FMCG experience, previously working with Nestlé across the globe in a variety of commercial roles as well as in private consultancy.

Marie Ward

Chief Executive, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

Marie was appointed Chief Executive of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council in October 2019. Prior to this she was Director of Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism from 2015, before which she was South Eastern Group Chief Building Control Officer and Director of Capital and Estates at Down District Council.

Marie qualified as a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2001 and worked in the private sector before joining local government.

Marie has led and continues to lead on strategic projects which contribute to the economic, social and physical regeneration of local areas. These include for example the development of the Downshire Public Sector Campus, the Newry City Centre Regeneration Programme and the Newcastle Gateway to the Mournes.

Marie is currently Chair of the Society of Local Government Chief Executives (SOLACE) Northern Ireland Branch.

Lar Power

Chief Executive, Kilkenny County Council

A native of County Wexford, Lar Power graduated as a Civil Engineer from University College Dublin in 1991. In 2003, he graduated with an MBA from Dublin City University. Lar has spent the last 32 years working in various management roles in local authorities throughout Ireland. He is currently Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council having previously been Chief Executive of Leitrim County Council for a period of 5 years.

Professor Terry Stevens

Tourism Consultant and Author

Terry Stevens is a multi-award winning tourism consultant and author. He has worked on all aspects of tourism development in over 50 countries around the world. He curated and led the Co-operation Ireland learning Journey to Slovenia in 2025.

Alison McCullagh

Chief Executive, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council

Alison McCullagh took up post as Chief Executive of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on 1 February 2020; from December 2014, she had been the Council's Director of Regeneration and Planning. Prior to this, Alison had been Omagh District Council's Head of Development, she has also worked in higher education and in the voluntary and community sector.

She is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast, the Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia, and also studied at Boston College.

Alison has led a number of strategic capital and partnership projects within the Council district and on a cross border basis and has a particular interest in community led regeneration and wider place shaping initiatives.

She is the current Co-Chair of the Northern Ireland Emergency Preparedness Group (NIEPG) and Vice Chair of Solace NI.

Martin Lydon

Chief Executive, Sligo County Council

Martin Lydon is a qualified accountant, with 30 years of experience in local government. He started his career in the London Borough of Southwark, before moving to Kent County Council where he worked in a number of roles including education and housing. In 2005 he joined Sligo County Council as a Financial / Management Accountant.

In 2008, Martin joined Roscommon County Council as Head of Finance. During his 13 years with the Council, he was also responsible for Community and Enterprise, Planning and Housing.

In August 2021, Martin was appointed as Chief Executive of Sligo County Council.

Kieran Comerford

Head of Economic Development and Enterprise, Carlow County Council

Kieran Comerford is the Head of Economic Development and Enterprise at Carlow County Council, overseeing the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), county-wide economic development programmes and EU-funded programmes. Since moving to the public sector in 2002, he has applied his previous experience in banking, IT, retail, and training to various strategic projects. He has mentored and created programmes for many start-ups and scaling businesses and has led several international initiatives in areas such as the creative industries, female entrepreneurship, food and drink businesses, digital technology, and urban planning.

Kieran is currently in his second term as Chair of the National Network of Local Enterprise Offices and sits on a number of National Committees. He has been a judge for the Irish Export Awards for over ten years. He serves as Chairperson of Carlow Early Years Training Services CLG and is a Director of both Carlow Community Enterprise Centres CLG and South East Innovation Company (Catalyst HQ) CLG.

His educational background includes a degree from the Quinn School of Business at UCD, a Higher Diploma in Management from SETU, and postgraduate qualifications in European Studies and Social Entrepreneurship.

Brendan Troy

Head of Economic and Tourism Development, Limerick City and County Council

Brendan Troy is Head of Economic and Tourism Development at Limerick City and County Council, where he leads the development and delivery of strategic initiatives to support economic growth, tourism development, and city and county revitalisation. He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Henley Business School and brings extensive experience from UK and Irish Local Government in urban planning, strategic and project planning, programme and project management, and policy analysis.

In his role, he works closely with public and private stakeholders to advance investment, enterprise, tourism and place-based development across Limerick.

Tom Enright

Ryder Cup 2027 Project Director (Government of Ireland)

Tom was appointed as the Ryder Cup 2027 Project Director (Government of Ireland) in May 2025. He previously held the position of Chief Executive of Wexford County Council from 2014 to 2024 and prior to then worked as Director of Economic Development and Planning with Limerick City and County Council. Tom also worked with other local authorities and with private consultants. He has served as a Director of a number of Government agencies and companies and is a member of the Institute of Directors. Tom graduated in Civil Engineering from University College Cork and has holds a M.Sc. in Engineering from Cranfield University in the UK and a Masters in Business Administration from DCU.

Caitríona O'Connor

Royal Sites of Ireland Project Coordinator, Tipperary County Council

Caitríona is a conservation architect with experience working on complex heritage sites across Ireland, UK, Myanmar and Jordan. As part of her MSc in World Heritage conservation she has undertaken research on the nomination process for Bagan, Myanmar towards its inclusion on the World Heritage list and has worked for UNESCO Jordan field office delivering Italian funded conservation programmes at Petra World Heritage site.

She currently coordinates Ireland and Northern Irelands' joint World Heritage nomination for the Royal Sites of Ireland, a group of six archaeological sites located across the island which demonstrate the ceremonial nature of kingship during Ireland's Iron Age and early medieval period up to the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

Paul Mockler

Head of Commercial Development, Fáilte Ireland

Paul heads up the commercial development division at Fáilte Ireland (The National Tourism Development Authority), the State Agency responsible for guiding and supporting the sustainable development of tourism in Ireland.

He leads the Fáilte Ireland teams responsible for Business Events (Meet in Ireland), Dublin Convention Bureau, Leisure Business Development, Golf Tourism (Golf in Ireland) and trade FAMs & Platforms. Paul also provides advocacy and leadership to Ireland's Regional Convention Bureau as well as international fora such as Convene4Climate, The Iceberg and Destinations International European Stewardship Council. Paul is a champion for the sustainable development of tourism and an advocate for the potential impact and legacy from hosting events for communities, destinations and sectors.

With over 25 years of tourism experience in the private and public sectors, having worked with companies right across the industry from aviation, visitor attractions, regional development, convention bureaux and a regional development agency prior to joining the leadership team of Fáilte Ireland and taking over a national role in 2013.

He lives in Co. Clare on the west coast of Ireland with his wife and 2 daughters. His passions apart from family life, include, golf, sport, laughter and great food & wine.

Edel McWeeney

Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Manager, The National Famine Way

Edel McWeeney Moran is Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Manager for the National Famine Way with the Irish Heritage Trust, working across six counties to strengthen partnerships, audience engagement, and the continued development of the trail as a nationally significant heritage and tourism initiative.

Her work focuses on communications, stakeholder engagement, education, and community collaboration, working with local authorities and heritage, tourism, and cultural partners to share the story of the National Famine Way.

She has over twenty-five years' experience working across education, heritage, cultural engagement, and the arts.

Kate Howard

Night-Time Economy Advisor, Galway

Kate Howard is Night-Time Economy Advisor for Galway, working to develop a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable evening economy. With a background in cultural management and production, she has delivered major programmes including Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and TULCA Festival, specialising in festival development, public space activation and place-based cultural programming.

Her work focuses on activating neighbourhoods and strengthening the role of culture in the visitor economy. She has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration, working with businesses, cultural organisations, communities and public bodies to deliver impactful, city-wide initiatives.

She holds a Master's in Arts Policy and Practice.

Mark Davies

Night-Time Economy Adviser for Drogheda, Louth County Council

Mark Davies is the Night-Time Economy Adviser for Drogheda, working with Louth County Council on Ireland's national night-time economy pilot. A project manager by trade, his work sits at the intersection of culture, community and how places come alive after dark.

Originally from Wales, his background spans local government, community safety and underground music culture. Before moving to Ireland in 2023, he worked with Cardiff Council, helping shape partnership approaches to the night-time economy, alongside a parallel life touring in alternative bands as a published songwriter.

In Drogheda, Mark's work focuses on building a more cultural, people-led vision for the night — one that leans into the town's strong working-class identity and its grassroots, independent spirit. Through the emerging Sound Town approach, Drogheda is positioning itself as Ireland's East Coast Alternative: a growing hub where music spills out, artists take risks, and an authentic, homegrown scene is beginning to take shape.

Ruairí Lehmann

Tourism Officer, Galway City Council

Ruairí Lehmann is the first tourism officer in Galway City Council starting his role in 2019. Having studied Tourism Marketing in DIT (TU Dublin) and worked in Heritage Island, Tourism Ireland, Clifden Station House Hotel, Ruairí has worked across the tourism industry.

He developed Galway City Council's first Tourism Strategy and worked alongside Fáilte Ireland in developing the DEDP for the City.

John O'Driscoll

General Manager, The National Famine Museum, Strokestown Park, Roscommon

John joined the Strokestown Park team in 1998 where he had responsibility for the ongoing restoration of the Walled Gardens. He has played a key part in further restoration projects – the Gentleman's Study/Darkroom, the Family Mausoleum, the Courtyard and Woodlands.

He has been involved with the 2022 development of new visitor centre, Vaulted Stables Event Space and the Reinterpretation of The National Famine Museum. John is now working with The Irish Heritage Trust to continue to bring Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum to life for future generations.

Signe Jungersted

CEO and Founding Partner, Group NAO, Copenhagen

Signe Jungersted is CEO and founding partner in innovation and strategy agency Group NAO, based in Copenhagen.

Group NAO works with both big and small destinations across Europe and North America on strategy development, and on new agenda-setting collaboration projects, like AI Opener for Destinations and Time for DMOcracy. NAO also runs a major AI upskilling programme in Denmark, targeting smaller destinations and tourism businesses.

Signe is formerly Development Director of Wonderful Copenhagen – the destination organisation of Copenhagen, where she was responsible for the strategic shift towards "localhood" and a focus on balancing livability and visitability.

Signe holds a master's degree in Political science from Copenhagen University, an executive MBA in Creative Leadership from Steinbeis University, Berlin. She studied Mandarin in Shanghai and has since pursued management education at MIT Boston, Hyper Island Stockholm. Signe is on the Board of Museum Odense.

Valerie Stenson

Manager, Arigna Mining Experience

Valerie Stenson is Manager of the Arigna Mining Experience in Co. Roscommon with a combined fifteen years' experience of managing this community tourism initiative. Arigna Mining Experience was developed in 2003 after Ireland's last working coal mine closed in 1990 and the attraction is now a national & international tourist attraction. Valerie has a background in Management and Business Development. Valerie is a board member of two local community development companies in Co. Leitrim & Co. Roscommon.

Valerie worked with the Early Learning Centre (a high street retailer in Dublin) for 13 years where she gained extensive marketing experience.

Valerie was awarded a Bachelor of Nursing Science from St Angela's College Sligo and NUIG in 2012. Valerie has completed a number of training courses in tourism, training and community development and she is passionate about the development of rural tourism.

Susan Cooney

Head of Tourism, Dublin City Council

Susan Cooney is Head of Tourism with Dublin City Council, where she leads the city's approach to tourism as a driver of inclusive economic development, placemaking and neighbourhood vitality. Her role focuses on improving the lived experience of residents while shaping a high-value, resilient visitor economy that supports local communities and the businesses that power Dublin's tourism sector.

Susan brings over ten years' experience delivering large-scale mixed-use, housing and regeneration programmes across the UK. Prior to joining Dublin City Council, she was Associate Director at M&G Real Estate, where she led residential asset management and sustainability strategies across a €1bn portfolio, launching and stabilising multiple mixed-use neighbourhoods and embedding ESG, social impact and governance frameworks across more than 3,000 homes and a diverse mix of commercial occupiers. Her work included close collaboration with local authorities, investors and policy stakeholders.

Susan is a graduate of University College Dublin and completed the University of Cambridge programme in Sustainable Real Estate. She is particularly interested in the intersection of cities, culture, community wellbeing and long-term economic resilience.

Fiona Collins

Cork's Night-Time Economy Advisor, Cork City Council

Fiona Collins is a dynamic events and culture professional with over 20 years of experience across event management, stakeholder engagement, communications, and strategic development.

Currently serving as Night-Time Economy Advisor with Cork City Council, she is leading a city-wide consultation process to develop a comprehensive NTE Action Plan for Cork — bringing together artists, cultural venues, hospitality, retailers, residents, and public bodies to shape a more vibrant and sustainable night-time city.

As Chair of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival since 2015, she has played a central role in one of Ireland's most iconic cultural events, securing stakeholder funding, strengthening sponsor relationships, and guiding the festival's long-term legacy in the city.

A confident public communicator and strategic leader, she also lectures in Event Management, Communications, and Public Relations at Munster Technological University.

She holds an MA in Public Relations and New Media and has worked across the public, cultural, and private sectors throughout her career.

Julie Calder-Potts

Teacher, Artisan Organic Food Producer, Developer, Grower

Operating and continually developing an Agritourism Destination in a heritage farm for the Highbank Experience Taste & Tour with her husband Rod for over 20 years.

Director of sales and marketing for Highbank Orchard & Distillery apple food and beverage products.

Representative Kilkenny Food Producers for Taste Kilkenny & Food Trails with Kilkenny Tourism Board.