Irish Theatre Institute was formerly known as Theatre Shop (Ireland) from 1994 to 2006. In July 2006 the organisation was re-constituted, re-branded and re-launched as Irish Theatre Institute.
Catríona Crowe (Chair)
former Head of Special Projects, National Archives of Ireland.
Catriona Crowe is former Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland. She is an Editor of Documents on Irish Foreign Policy, which published its tenth volume, covering the period 1951 – 57, in November 2016. She is editor of Dublin 1911, published by the Royal Irish Academy in late 2011.
She is Chairperson of the Irish Theatre Institute, which promotes and supports Irish theatre and has created an award-winning website of Irish theatre productions. She is an Honorary President of the Irish Labour History Society, and a former President of the Women’s History Association
She is Chairperson of the SAOL Project, a rehabilitation initiative for women with addiction problems, based in the North Inner City, and also Chairperson of the Inner City Renewal Group, which delivers employment and welfare rights advice and support to the community in the North Inner City.
She contributes regularly to the broadcast and print media on cultural and historical matters. She presented the RTE documentary, Ireland before the Rising, which was shown in February 2016.
She has been granted honorary doctorates by Maynooth University, Limerick University and University College, Dublin.
She is a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
(Appointed July 2004)
Damian Downes
College Secretary and Registrar at the National College of Art and Design
Damian Downes is the College Secretary and Registrar at the National College of Art and Design.
Prior to that he was the Chief Executive at Kilkenny Arts Festival from 2007 to 2011. His other work in the arts includes Business Manager the Helix and Finance Manager at the Irish Film Institute. He has lived and worked in the United States, Switzerland, Germany and France. In 2012 he was a judge of the Irish Times Theatre Awards. Damian has an MA in Communication and Cultural Studies from DCU (2001), an MBA from the Smurfit Business School at UCD (2005) and at Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance, also from UCD (2015).
(Appointed 06/03/2018)
Bernardine Maloney
Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Manager, ESB.
Bernardine Maloney is Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at ESB.
With over 23 years experience in the energy business Bernardine has held a number of Senior Management roles in ESB including Manager, Clean Coal Strategy and Manager Moneypoint Power Station, Irelands largest Coal Fired Generating Plant.
ESB is Ireland’s foremost energy provider and owns the Transmission Electricity Network across the whole Island as well as the distribution electricity networks. ESB currently has 48% share of the electricity generation market and 38% share of the customer retail market on the Island. ESB has significant investments in the UK including windfarms, thermal gas plants, currently constructing a new gas fired CCGT Power Station outside Manchester and recently announced Financial Close on a Joint Project with the Green Invest Bank to build a 40MW Biomass Plan on the Thames at Tilbury.
ESB International is ESB’s engineering and consultancy business which has completed projects in over 115 countries worldwide.
(Appointed 02/09/2014)
Andrea Martin
Principal, MediaLawyer Solicitors.
Andrea Martin is the founder and principal of MediaLawyer, Solicitors, a boutique legal firm providing legal services to the media and entertainment industries. Andrea is recognised internationally for her expertise in the area. She advises a large number of the leading Irish independent production companies, writers, musicians, publishers and is the “go to” person on all their legal requirements. Considered by many as their “in-house” counsel, she provides them with practical, solutions-focused advice in the fast paced environment that is the media industry. She has advised large corporations on reputation management issues including the provision of social media and data protection auditing services. Andrea is author of “Quick Win Media Law Ireland: Answers to your top 100 Media Law Questions”. This publication is aimed at those who work in the media industry seeking quick and practical answers to legal questions they encounter day-to-day. Written for non-lawyers, it is useful to public relations, advertising, publishing and digital media professionals faced with legal queries arising in their work. It has been well received and is the only ‘quick reference’ handbook in this area of law in Ireland.
Training is an integral part of the services provided by MediaLawyer’s team. Andrea herself has a wealth of media law training experience. She lectures at third level institutions across Ireland. For over ten years she has been the Legal Trainer with Learning Waves Skillsnet, the leading provider of training for the independent commercial Radio Sector in Ireland. Andrea also provides bespoke training in media law for her clients and event organisers.
Andrea is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin (BA Legal Science (Hons), Law 1981). She is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Irish Theatre Institute and also a Board Member of Fís na Maolaoíse Teo t/a Cinemobile, Ireland’s only mobile cinema. She is a Member of the Law Society of Ireland, the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association. She enjoys sailing and is a member of the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dublin.
(Appointed 01/07/2014)
Chris Morash
Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin.
Professor Chris Morash became the inaugural Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin in 2014 and was appointed as the Vice-Provost/Chief Academic Officer of Trinity College Dublin in 2016. His work on Irish culture extends from his pioneering 1996 study, Writing the Irish Famine, to his 2002 History of Irish Theatre (which won the Theatre Book Prize), to A History of the Media in Ireland (2009). His most recent works are Mapping Irish Theatre (with Shaun Richards, 2014), and The Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish Theatre (co-edited with Nicholas Grene, 2016). Prior to his appointment to Trinity, Chris Morash worked in Maynooth University. He was the first chair of the Compliance Committee of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (2009-2014), and was elected to Membership of the Royal Irish Academy in 2007. Originally from Canada, he is married with three adult children.
Cian O’Brien
Artistic Director, Project Arts Centre
Cian has been Artistic Director of Project Arts Centre since October 2011. Prior to this he was Producer/Artist Development with Rough Magic Theatre Company. He produced 13 productions with Rough Magic, including national & international tours along with 3 world premieres. Cian was also responsible for managing and co-curating Rough Magic’s Artist Development programmes: SEEDS, ADVANCE and Production Support. Cian worked as a freelance producer working on a number of projects with Making Strange Theatre, junk ensemble, Brokentalkers, thisispopbaby, Project Arts Centre and Bedrock Productions. He also served on the board of Theatre Forum Ireland and worked as an assessor for The Arts Council of Ireland. Cian is a board member of Irish Theatre Institute and CoisCéim Dance Theatre.
(Appointed 30/04/2013)
Patrons
Brian Friel
Playwright 1929 – 2015
Tom Hickey
Actor
Garry Hynes
Theatre Director
Tom Murphy
Playwright 1935 – 2018
