Our Board
We are the largest independent conservation organisation in Ireland. The primary objective of BirdWatch Ireland is the protection of wild birds and their habitats in Ireland. Governance of BirdWatch Ireland is overseen by our Board:
Alan Mulligan
Chairperson
Alan retired as Head of HR in An Garda Síochána in 2021, having previously worked as a civil servant in the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Justice. He has been a keen birdwatcher since he was a teenager. Alan was delighted to join the board of BirdWatch Ireland in 2022 and hopes to use his HR and governance experience for the benefit of the organisation. Alan is married to Noreen and they have two sons and a daughter.
Jonathan Taylor
Secretary
Jonathan was born in Dublin. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1981, and his career was in the accountancy profession, both in Ireland and overseas, and in the field of education. He is a long-term member of BirdWatch Ireland with an abiding interest in nature and in gardening, especially gardening to encourage wildlife. Other interests include travel, art and cooking. He is married to Jean, with three daughters (and, latterly, four grandchildren).
Lorraine Benson
Board Member
Lorraine lives in Kildare and is an active member of the Kildare Branch of BirdWatch Ireland. She holds a PhD and a Masters in Applied Environmental Science. Following many years in the public service, she now works as Consultant Ecologist on Environmental Impact Assessments and Biodiversity Plans. As a volunteer, she has participated in I-WeBS and national Merlin and Hen Harrier surveys over many years. Lorraine is a licenced bird ringer and has volunteered in Bird Observatories in Britain, the Channel Islands and at our own Bird Observatory on Cape Clear Island, Co Cork.
Yvonne Kelly
Board Member
Yvonne qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and is a legal practitioner in the local government sector. Prior to working in the public sector, she worked for 20 years in the private sector in retail management and has been interested in nature, the outdoors and in particular birds since she was 15 years old. Yvonne is married to Derek and has three children and four grandchildren. Based and working full time in Dublin, she takes the opportunity whenever she can to spend time in Cork and Kerry. She is bringing her experience in governance and management to BirdWatch Ireland.
Congella McGuire
Board Member
Congella McGuire is from Co. Clare and has worked as the Clare County Council Heritage Officer for more than 20 years. As Heritage Officer, she has long-term experience in community development, public consultation, budget management, as well as environmental assessment, planning and development. She previously worked with the National Parks & Wildlife Service and with BirdWatch Ireland and has a passion for birdlife and for bird conservation. She is a keen birdwatcher, having taken part in many BirdWatch Ireland bird surveys over the years.
Micheál Ó Briain
Board Member
Micheál Ó Briain has been actively involved in Irish and EU nature conservation over the past 50 years. Following his studies of Brent Geese in Ireland and Canada for his PhD at UCD, he worked for BirdWatch Ireland, initially as its first Conservation Officer, then as National Director. He then spent 30 years working for the European Commission on EU and international nature and biodiversity policies, including overseeing implementation of the Birds Directive. Since retiring, he is mainly based on Achill Island and continues to support conservation initiatives, including as member of the Independent Advisory Committee on Nature Restoration.
Conor O'Brien
Board Member
Conor O’Brien is a long-time member of BirdWatch Ireland and a firm believer in its mission. He has a keen interest in natural history and conservation, being the author of two books, Ireland Through Birds: Journeys in Search of a Wild Nation and Life in Ireland: A Short History of a Long Time, both of which sought to draw attention to the plight facing Ireland’s wildlife. He has made appearances on numerous radio programmes such as Mooney Goes Wild on RTE Radio 1, as well as Morning Ireland on Virgin Media. In his spare time, he is also an accomplished wildlife photographer.
Eugene O'Brien
Board Member
Eugene O’Brien is a Civil Engineer and a professor in UCD. He has worked on some projects dealing with the conflicts between transport infrastructure and wildlife but, for most of his career, he has worked on bridges and roads. For BirdWatch Ireland, he will be working on the Audit and Risk Committee and hopes to bring something from many years bidding for and managing engineering projects in Ireland and at European level.
Governance Committees
The Governance Committees assist the Board in fulfilling its responsibility to BirdWatch Ireland to provide good corporate governance.
