Governance
Esker Arts is governed by a Board comprising of Offaly County Council staff, local representatives, as well as national creative experts and practitioners.
Esker Arts' Board Members
Conor Brady, Joe Caslin, Ann Dillon, Linda Dowling, Cllr Declan Harvey, Eugene O’Brien, Cllr Sean O’Brien, Ger Relph, Cliodhna Shaffrey, Fiona Millane, Maeve Mulrennan, and Cllr Shane Murray.
The registered trading office of the centre is High Street, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Esker Arts is a company limited by guarantee not having a share capital, registered in Offaly, Ireland with registered company number 715990.
Biographies
Conor Brady
Conor Brady became chair of Esker Arts CLG on the formation of the company in 2021. His childhood was in Tullamore and he was educated at St Columba’s, Tullamore, Cistercian College Roscrea and UCD. He joined The Irish Times in 1969 and was appointed editor from 1986 to 2002, overseeing significant expansion in coverage of the arts, culture and literature during this time. He was also president of the Paris-based World Editors’ Forum, Visiting Professor at City University of New York (2003-2005), Senior Teaching Fellow at the Smurfit Business School UCD, Chair of the British-Irish Association, and served on a number of State boards and commissions including as Chair of the Governments Top Level Appointments Committee. Conor is also the author of 7 books, including the Joe Swallow Victorian crime series, set in 19th century Dublin. He now lives in Co Galway.
Joe Caslin
Joe Caslin is an Irish street artist, art teacher and activist. Best known for his beautifully rendered pencil drawings, which manifest as towering pieces of street art. His highly accessible work engages directly with the social issues of modern Ireland. Caslin confronts the subjects of suicide, drug addiction, economic marginalisation, marriage equality, stigma in mental health, direct provision, institutional power, consent, the effects of the Covid19 pandemic on young people and most recently, diverse perspectives in Northern Ireland. The monochrome drawings he creates live with us and against many of us for some time before washing away. They hold a mirror up to the kind of society that we are, whilst asking us individually what kind of society we want to be a part of.
Linda Dowling
Linda Dowling, a native of Prosperous, Co. Kildare, has lived and worked in Tullamore for over 40 years. She is a retired primary school principal of St Joseph’s National School, Arden View, Tullamore. Linda has a keen interest in both music and drama, and regularly attends concerts and events around the country. As an educator she believes that it is important to nurture an interest and love of the Arts in young children. She is delighted to be involved in Tullamore Arts Centre and looks forward to enjoying performances there for years to come.
Ann Dillon
Ann Dillon joined Offaly County Council in 2000 as a Community & Enterprise Development Officer and has worked across a number of Local Government services including Corporate Services, Human Resources, Housing, Planning, Regeneration, and Economic Development. She joined the Management Team of Offaly County Council as a Director of Services in 2022 and currently has responsibility for Community & Cultural services including Arts and Libraries, Corporate Services, Fire & Emergency Services and the Municipal District of Birr. She joined the board of Esker Arts in December 2023 and holds the role of Company Secretary.
Cllr Declan Harvey
Declan Harvey has been a Councillor since being first elected Tullamore Town Council in 2009. Born and raised in Healy Street, he is now married to his wife Sandra Harvey and is father to their two children. A painter and decorator by trade. Declan has been passionate about the Arts Centre in Tullamore since being elected, having served on the board of the former Tullamore Community Arts Centre and being heavily involved with Esker Arts Centre at every stage of its development. He has also previously served as Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District from 2017 – 2018, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council from 2021 – 2022, and is heavily involved in the Tullamore Local Community Development Committee, Tullamore Youth Centre, Accessible Counselling Tullamore, and Tullamore Christmas Lights Committee.
Eugene O’Brien
Eugene is a full time writer from Edenderry and wrote the play EDEN which debuted at the Abbey theatre in 2001. He has received the Irish times theatre award, the Stewart Parker award and the Rooney prize for literature. Eugene adapted EDEN for the screen, and the film played many festivals around the world. Eugene also wrote PURE MULE, a six part series for RTE, winner of five IFTA awards and a two part follow up PURE MULE- THE LAST WEEKEND. Other work includes the THE NEST, SLOTH and NUMB (nominated for ZEBBIE AWARD) all for RTE radio drama and an adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown trilogy for BBC radio drama. Other work includes film comedy THE FLAG, starring Pat Shortt and co writing credits on famine drama BLACK 47. Eugene’s most recent work was a very successful run of new play HEAVEN at the Dublin theatre festival and a new novel GOING BACK published by Gill in September. TARRAC, a cine 4 Irish language feature film is to be released in 2023.
Cllr Sean O’Brien
Sean is a Member of Tullamore Municipal District Council and Offaly Co. Council. His community activism includes being Secretary of Tullamore St. Patrick's Day Parade, Treasurer of Tullamore Tidy Towns Committee, Secretary of the Irish National Foresters, Secretary of Whitehall/Daingean Road Residents Association, and Tullamore Community Arts Centre. He represents Offaly Co. Council on the Offaly Film Board, the Offaly Joint Policing Committee and the Dublin/Mid Leinster HSE Consultative Forum. He holds a B.A. in European Studies from UL and an MA in Training and Development from University of Sheffield. He worked for many years in Training, Career Coaching and Labour Market Intervention with a number of organisations. Sean is a strong advocate for the arts and he believes that Esker Arts will be a very welcome addition to the development of the arts in many forms. He believes that Esker Arts is the Phoenix rising to herald a new era for the Arts in Tullamore, Offaly and the Midlands.
Ger Relph
Ger Relph was born in Dublin and studied music at Maynooth University, where she was among the first graduates of the new BA(Music) degree, and then moved to Queen’s University in Belfast completing a Masters in 20th Century Music. Ger has worked as a keyboard tutor in Maynooth University, a lecturer in early years music in TU Dublin and joined Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath in 2013 teaching on early years, school, choral and community programmes. In 2019 Ger became the Resource Worker and following the restructuring of Music Generation Offaly/Westmeath, was appointed to the position of Development Officer for Music Generation Offaly in 2023.
Cliodhna Shaffrey
Clíodhna Shaffrey is director of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin (TBG+S). She has worked as an independent curator, producing exhibitions, festivals, public commissions, collaborative research projects and writing. She was Visual Arts Advisor to the Arts Council (2011-2014) and has worked across a diverse range of creative work, policy, arts planning and curation. She was part of the TBG+S Curatorial Team with Michael Hill for Niamh O Malley’s ‘Gather’, representing Ireland at the 59th Biennale di Venezia, 2022.
Fiona Millane
Fiona Millane is a Chartered Accountant and has been working in the local government sector for over twenty years. She was appointed as Director of Finance in Offaly County Council in 2024. Fiona is a regular gig and theatre goer and believes strongly in the value that Esker Arts brings to Tullamore and the wider community, providing entertainment for people of all ages and cultures.
Maeve Mulrennan
Maeve Mulrennan is the Arts Officer for Offaly County Council. She has worked with Cork County Council and Dublin City Council Culture Company. She was a Creative Associate with Creative Schools 2019 – 2020. She was the Head of Visual Art in Galway Arts Centre from 2006 – 2020. She has also completed several independent projects with EVA International, Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Council, and Butler Gallery, amongst others. Maeve is a board member for Arts Disability Ireland and Askeaton Contemporary Arts. She was previously on the Board of Directors for TULCA Festival of Visual Art and Galway Community Circus. She has an MA Vis Arts from IADT Dun Laoghaire, h.Dip Arts Administration from NUI Galway, BA hons. in Fine Art (Painting) from Limerick School of Art and Design, a BA hons in English Literature, Sociology & Politics from NUI Galway and a Diploma in Local Government Studies from the Institute of Public Administration / National University of Ireland.
Cllr Shane Murray
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