New members appointed to Sport Ireland Board

Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Minister Charlie McConalogue appoint four new members to Sport Ireland

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue TD, have today announced the appointment of four new members to the Board of Sport Ireland.

The new appointees are:

• Michael Hand, who is appointed under Facilities Development and Management criteria;
• Caroline Kelly, who is appointed under Marketing and Communications criteria;
• Brendan Foster, who is appointed under Financial criteria;
• Fiona Chambers, who is appointed under Digital Transformation/Technology criteria.

Commenting on the appointments, Minister O’Donovan said: “The strength of Irish sport depends on strong leadership, sound governance, and ambitious thinking. I am personally delighted to appoint Michael, Caroline, Brendan, and Fiona to the Board of Sport Ireland at such a pivotal moment for our sporting future. With the Ryder Cup 2027, UEFA Euro 2028 and the Los Angeles Olympic Games on the horizon, Ireland is entering a defining period on the international sporting stage. At the same time, we must continue to strengthen grassroots participation so that every child and every community can benefit from sport. These appointments bring critical expertise in facilities development, finance, communications, and digital innovation - the very capabilities required to deliver world-class events while building a sustainable, inclusive sporting system for the long term. I look forward to working closely with the Board to ensure Sport Ireland is equipped to seize the scale of opportunity ahead.”

Minister McConalogue said: “I am delighted to welcome four candidates of such high calibre to the Board of Sport Ireland, and I congratulate them on their appointments. I believe that their wide experience and skills, will be hugely beneficial to Sport Ireland and its ongoing work in sustainably growing participation, so that more people can reap the benefits of sport, and fulfil their potential, from grassroots right up to high performance level. The government will continue to facilitate and enable Sport Ireland to deliver a programme of interventions to boost participation levels among people with disabilities and to provide leadership and guidance for the sector across priority areas including, safeguarding, gender equality, diversity and inclusion.”

The appointments follow an open call for expressions of interest on the State Boards website and an assessment process operated by the Public Appointments Service.

The appointments will be for 5 years with an option to extend the term of engagement for a second term, subject to a maximum of 8 years.

ENDS