Shireen McDonagh announced as new member of Athletics Ireland Board

We are proud to announce that Shireen McDonnagh has been co-opted onto Athletics Ireland Board as part of the new Board announced on 16th June. Well done Shireen, we know the board will benefit from your expertise and guidance, like we have been lucky to have had your time also in DSD. Well done Shireen you will be an asset to this newly formed Board.

"Shireen McDonagh is currently Head of Brand at Legacy Communications, where she sits on the senior leadership team and has previously held leadership roles across sponsorship and communications in the business.

With over 15 years’ experience, agency & client side, across the full marketing mix, she has worked with numerous major national and international brands and a range of rightsholders across sporting and cultural organisations.

Previously Head of Brand Marketing at Life Style Sports, Shireen’s passion for athletics began early, inspired by her parents’ involvement in coaching. She competed nationally and internationally throughout her teens and returned to coaching a decade ago, specialising in hurdles, at Dundrum South Dublin AC (DSD), where she has coached athletes to international level.

She has served on Athletics Ireland’s Coaching and Development Committee and is currently Secretary and a director of The Marketing Society of Ireland." Athletics Ireland

Following a significant governance review over the last three years a new Board was elected by the membership at Congress in April 2025. The Board has recently finalised further appointments in collaboration with the Nominations Committee. We note that there is one more Cooptee to be appointed based on any skill deficiencies that the current group may have, this final appointment will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The newly formed Board has reduced in size from 16 to 12 members and is composed of a diverse skillset of individuals committed to leading Athletics Ireland forward and delivering our Strategic Plan 2025 to 2028.

President Brid Golden notes, “It is an exciting time for our sport, and we are very conscious that we require individuals of the highest calibre and skillset to lead athletics to future success. Our vision to inspire the nation to be active, healthy and to perform through athletics is challenging but I am very proud to lead this group of fantastic people for the next two years to achieve this outcome.”

Biographies of our Board members can be found on this link www.athleticsireland.ie/about/board/board-members/

President	Brid Golden
Deputy President/Chair Finance & Audit	Fintan Reilly
Chair of High Performance	Caroline O’Shea
Chair of Coaching & Development	Seamus Flynn
Chair of Provincial Forum	Evelyn O’Reilly
Chair of Competition Commission	Michael Quinlan
Chair of Governance	David Denieffe
Co-optee	Gillian Browne
Co-optee	Shireen McDonagh
Athletics Northern Ireland Rep	Philip Snoddy
Independent Member	John Riordan