The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) today welcomed the news of the appointment of our new Chair of the Board, Prof Cathal O' Donoghue, by Minister Catherine Martin, T.D. Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media.
Prof O' Donoghue is Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at NUI Galway and Professor of Public and Social Policy. He was first appointed to the Board of NMI in 2021. He brings considerable experience of governance and leadership to his role, particularly within the wider public sector. Our Board and Executive wish to congratulate Prof O' Donoghue on his appointment and look forward to working with him as he steps into his new brief.
The Museum also warmly welcomes the appointment by Minister Martin of two new Board members, Rowena Neville of Blue Line Consulting and Suzanne Costello, CEO of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland. Both members will serve five-year terms and bring significant and diverse experience to the Board.
Prof. Cathal O’Donoghue has been the Established Chair of Social and Public Policy at the University of Galway since 2016. From 2016 to 2020, he was the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences. Prior to this, from 2005, he was Head of Teagasc’s Rural Economy and Development Programme. He was a member of the Fund Council of CGIAR, a $1 billion per year International Agri-Food Research organisation, from 2014 to 2016.
From 2012 to 2014, he was CEO of the Irish Government's Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areaa; Chairman of the Irish Sport Horse Strategy Committee from 2013 to 2015; and President of the International Microsimulation Association from 2011 to 2015. Since 2021, he has been Chair of the Foundation Board of the RDS. He is Chair of Burren Lowlands CLG, and a member of the Board of Music for Galway, Burren Beo and the International Microsimulation Association.
Rowena Neville leads Blue Line Consulting, working with clients across business, public sector, arts and culture, academia, and non-profit sectors. Rowena’s strengths and experience lie in building capacity and devising solutions in strategic planning, community engagement, accessibility and inclusion, public affairs and policy development, sponsorship, communications, crisis management, marketing and diversifying income.
Rowena has worked with organisations locally and internationally to help them tell more compelling stories, and devise and implement solutions to address a range of business challenges including broadening diversity, social inclusion, institutional and organisational sustainability, and measuring impact.
Suzanne Costello is CEO of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland since 2018. Throughout her career, Suzanne has been involved in strategy, communications and policy development work in Ireland and the UK in the not-for-profit and public sectors. Suzanne has a primary degree is in Social Science from University College Dublin, a Master’s in Business Studies, and a Diploma in Strategy, Innovation and Change, from the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, UCD.