Board of IRD Duhallow

Michael is a founder member of IRD Duhallow and served as Chairman from 2011-2013 and was re-elected in 2022 as our current Chair. He represents Kanturk Chamber of Commerce on the Board. With his wife Noreen he manages the family owned Supervalu Stores in Kanturk, Abbeyfeale and Askeaton. A keen angler and hunter he has developed a number of angling projects in Duhallow. Michael is Chairperson of the Finance Working Groups as well as being an active member of the HR Committee.

Anne Maria was a former Board Chair from 2015- 2018. She represents the INTO on the Board. She is a
former National School Principal and works closely with State agencies in an advisory capacity. She currently sits on the Finance and Womens Forum
Working as well as acting as Chairperson of our HR Committee She is a keen bridge player and is a member of both the Brogeen and Kanturk Bridge Clubs.

Breeda re-joined the Board in 2014 to represent Duhallow’s Social Enterprises and was Chairperson from 2019-2022. Breeda was a member of Dáil Éireann from 1992 – 2007 and a member of Kerry Co. Council from 1999- 2003 and from 2011 - 2013. Serving her community
for over 20 years, her constituency included the East
Kerry area of Duhallow. She is involved in a number of
voluntary and charitable organisations. She was
elected Chair of IRD Duhallow in 2019

Cormac is a former Chairman of IRD Duhallow holding the role from 2012 to 2015. He is from Gneeveguilla and works as a Senior Manager in the
ESB. He was appointed to the Board to represent the State sector having previously served as Community
Representative for Western Duhallow. He is the current chairman of Gneeveguilla Community Council, who developed a cultural centre in
Gneeveguilla village,“Teach Failte”. He serves on the HR, Finance and Community Development Working
Groups.

John represents the Environment Working Group on the Board. He is currently Director of Services with
responsibility for Environment & Water Services, Fire and Emergency services, Civil Defence and Library services as well as Municipal District manager for the
Castleisland / Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District with
Kerry County Council. He has also previously served
as Director of Services in Limerick City and as Town
Clerk in Tralee and Town Manager of Listowel and
Killarney Town Councils. A native of Kilkenny city he
presently resides in Castleisland.

Padraic is from Kanturk where he lives with his wife and two daughters. He is Chairman of the IRD Duhallow Enterprise Working Group. He is Head of HR at Gas Networks Ireland having held senior management roles there in Energy Policy, Commercial, PR, Marketing and Legal for the past 18
years. Padraic is actively involved in various community, school and sporting clubs in Kanturk. He
is also an avid golfer and is a member of Kanturk and Killarney Golf Clubs.

Jack is from Rockchapel and represents the Saoi Network of which he is the Chairman. A former IRD Duhallow Chairman, he sits on the Social Economy, Finance, Human Resources and Community Development Working Groups. Jack has represented
IRD Duhallow on ILDN and ILDN on ELARD the European LEADER Association for Rural Development
of which he is past President. Steeped in the cultural development of the region, he developed Bruach na
Carraige Cultural Centre in Rockchapel, along with a dedicated Sliabh Luachra Archive and the Sliabh Luachra Cultural Trail.

Billy hails from Lyre and was elected to the Board of IRD Duhallow to represent the South Eastern region
in 2018. He is a founding member and current Chairperson of the Lyre Community Culture, Sport and Leisure Association where he has overseen large scale community development projects in Lyre village. Billy is also a long standing member of Banteer, Lyre Nadd District Community Council. Billy
works in the Water Section of Cork County Council and is an avid community volunteer.

Pat was elected to the Board to represent Western Duhallow in July 2020. He has over 20 years experience as an online marketing consultant specialising in Search Engine Optimisation, E business consultancy and website design. Pat has lived in Gneeveguilla for over 40 years and has been involved in the GAA, Walking and Basketball Clubs. He is an active member Gneeveguilla Development Association where he is in charge of PR. He also updates Rathmore Parish website. Pat is a member of North Cork Business Alliance and is an online advisor to Charleville Chamber of Commerce.

Billy Dennehy was elected to the Board of IRD Duhallow in May 2017 as a community representative for the Western Duhallow region. He is an active member of the Kiskeam Community and volunteers with many community groups. He is the current Development Officer of the Kiskeam Development Association and Chairman of Kiskeam GAA Club. He is working as an Engineer with Cork County Council. Billy is married to Emily and they have two children.

Tom O’Riordan was elected to the Board in July 2019 to represent the communities of North Eastern Duhallow. Tom, a native of Kilbrin is married to Nora Mary and they have six children. Tom worked for many years in retail where he held a variety of roles and owned his own business for a number of years. In recent times, he retired to part time farming. Tom has been actively involved in Kilbrin Community for over forty years where he held posts of Secretary, PRO, and Chairperson. Tom was one of the instigators of the heritage project, which restored Dr. Croke’s birthplace house in Kilbrin. Tom’s hobbies include Golf, Heritage, Music and Dancing and GAA.

Margaret was elected to the Board in 2019. She is involved with a number of various boards and committees in her community on a voluntary basis. Margaret served as Parent’s representative for 6 years on her local secondary school’s Board of Management which granted her with an invaluable background in decision making and communications. She is currently the Child Officer in
her local GAA club where she is responsible for the provision of child safe guarding courses and Garda
vetting.

John is a retired Forest Engineering. He was secretary of the Forestry Union for management staff, Chair of the Forest Industry Transport Group, and involved in various projects nationally and internationally. His current involvements include Secretary and active member of Macroom Tidy Towns, secretary of Macroom Handball/ Racquetball club, Chairperson of Safeguarding Committee in Macroom Parish, Chairperson of local community association, member of gun club, hillwalking club and an active member of Aghinagh Comhaltas Group. Married to Frances, they have 4 daughters and nine grandchildren.

James is the Blue Dot Farmer Representative on the Board. He is a fourth-generation dairy farmer from
Lismire. He is Chairman of the Newmarket Charleville ICMSA and was elected to the National Board of the ICMSA in 2021. James was on Kerry co-op advisory committee from 2011 – 2021 and in 2018 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Kerry co-op and is a member of their strategy committee. He is an outdoor enthusiast who is married to Aine and they have two children.

Judy first joined the Board of IRD Duhallow in 1997 representing womens’groups. She Chairs the Women and Childcare Working Group and is a member of the HR Working Group. Judy is a founding member of the Duhallow Women’s Forum. She hails from Dromtariffe and is actively involved in her local community. She is
a long standing member of the Irish Country Women’s Association and is a member of the Kiskeam Guild. She has also served as Vice Chairperson of IRD
Duhallow for three years.

Suzanne joined the Board of IRD Duhallow in 2005. She represents Inland Fisheries Ireland where she has
held the position of Head of Business Development for IFI the past 12 years. Suzanne has previously worked as a manager and accountant in the public
and private sectors. As head of Business Development with IFI, her focus is on developing habitat, angling infrastructure, angling marketing and
education and outreach. Suzanne represents IFI on the Boards of a number of other tourism and rural
development strategy groups.

David Doyle joined the Board in July 2015, as a nominee of the Chief Executive of Kerry County Council. David holds the position of Senior Engineer in the Operations & Safety section of Kerry County Council. He is currently working on the development
of proposals for URDF projects in Killarney and Tralee, and RRDF projects in Caherciveen and Valentia Cable
Station. He previously worked in Roads directorate and as Killarney Town Engineer. David lives in Beaufort, Killarney and is an active member of the local Tidy Towns.

Cllr Maura Healy Rae joined the Board of IRD Duhallow in March of 2016. She has served as an independent Councillor for the Killarney Municipal
District, since 2016. Maura is the fourth of the six Healy-Rae children of Danny and his wife Eileen. Her constituency includes the East Kerry area, so she is
very familiar with Duhallow and the projects and work that have been carried out in her region. Maura
works as an English and History teacher in St. Brogan’s College, Bandon.

Cllr Fionnán Fitzgerald is a secondary teacher and was elected Councillor for the Castleisland Area in the
recent local elections of May 2019. He was nominated to the Board of IRD Duhallow to represent Kerry County Council and is the current Cathaoirleach of Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne. He has been a community activist for many years particularly in the field of social inclusion for our elderly, community alert groups and also the provision of sport for our
youth.

Gobnait joined the Board of IRD Duhallow in June 2016. Gobnait was elected as a County Councillor by
the people of Millstreet / Macroom Municipal District, and has been representing the people of the area
since 2016. Gobnait works closely with her brother Aindrias Moynihan TD to represent the people of the
area. The IRD Duhallow region was expanded to incorporate the greater Macroom, Inchigeelagh, Rylane area. Gobnait continues to build bonds
between IRD Duhallow’s existing networks and communities in her own constituency.

Martin joined the Board of IRD Duhallow in 2019. He is a member of Cork County Council representing the
Macroom Municipal District. Martin was previously a Town Councillor in Macroom for 20 years. Martin is a
retired FAS supervisor who lives in Macroom and is an active Community worker. He is the current Chairman
of the Macroom Tidy Towns group and on the Board of Directors of the Briery Gap and also works with the Lee Valley Enterprise Board.

Ian Doyle joined the Board in 2019. Hailing from Charleville, he was a founding member of Charleville
Agricultural Show. He is a member of the St Vincent de Paul and is Vice Chairman of the Charleville
Heritage Society, Chairperson of the Charleville Tidy Towns Committee and he is currently a board member of Ballyhoura Development, Charleville
Sheltered Housing and Community Care, Charleville Community Hall, Charleville Chamber, and Newtownshandrum Community Association. He also sits on the Board of Management of St Marys Secondary School and the CBS Primary School
Charleville

Amanda comes from Boherbue and is a primary school teacher in Ballyclough National School. She
was nominated to the Board of IRD Duhallow this year as the Macra Na Feirme representative. Amanda
is the current chairperson of Banteer Macra, is the Rural Youth representative for Avondhu and she is
also on the National Rural Youth sub-committee. Amanda represented Macra na Feirme on a Study
Session entitled“Food as a Human Rite”in Budapest this year. Amanda has previously been the PRO for
her club. She is looking forward to joining the board.

Paul is from Newmarket where he lives with his wife and two children. Paul works in Cork College of FET – Mallow Campus where he has been deputy principal since 2013. He was nominated to the Board in July
2022 to represent the communities of North Eastern Duhallow. Paul is currently involved in a number of
voluntary organisation and serves as chairperson of Newmarket Juvenile GAA and vice chairperson of
Newmarket Sports & Leisure and is a member of the Board of Management for the local primary school.

Geraldine was elected to the Board of IRD Duhallow in July 2021 representing South Eastern Duhallow.
She is the current vice chair of the Enterprise Working Group. Living in Millstreet with her family, Geraldine is
a volunteer on Millstreet Town Park Committee. She recently concluded a 20-year tenure with Aon Ireland
to focus on family life and other commitments. During her career at Aon she progressed to the role
of Senior Retirement Consultant, managing a portfolio of multinational clients and trustee groups.