As part of Dublin Central’s Vocational Service commitment, the club supports the cultural activities of the International Puppet Festival Ireland by providing four Rotarians to serve on the festival’s board of directors, providing specific business skills to the festival.
Patricia McColgan
Along with her colleagues Jane Magnier & Marina Finn, Patricia McColgan is Director and part owner of the Abbey Group – Ireland’s largest privately owned incoming Tour Operator.
Patricia joined Abbey Tours in 1981 and has since been involved in all aspects of Irish Tourism. The company has gone from strength to strength and in 2010 took care of arrangements for over 75,000 people from fifty-two countries.
Patricia has overall responsibility for the Abbey Conference & Corporate division and has overseen the management of all the company’s major international conference & events for the past twenty years.
Martin G Molony
Martin Molony is a lecturer in communications, journalism and public relations at Dublin City University and a consultant in the corporate and voluntary sectors.
Based at DCU’s School of Communications, Martin is a former Programme Director of the BA in Communication Studies and of the BA in Journalism. Martin is responsible for DCU’s new “performance” stream in the BA in Communication Studies, which includes a module on puppetry. He also teaches communication courses at DCU Business School’s Centre for Executive Education and provides communication training to DCU’s MBA students.
Martin has extensive business experience, having held directorships in several companies and been the proprietor of several enterprises, including retailing, journalism / media, communications and IT consultancy.
Martin Molony has also been very active in the voluntary sector, particularly within Rotary International. He served as District Governor for Rotary in Ireland in 2005/06 and has held a variety of international positions within Rotary International and in Rotary International Britain & Ireland. He was also a Director of Northside Citizens Information Centres from 1999 to 2001 and is a former Chairman of the DCU Graduate Association.
Martin was co-founder and director of the Moon and Sixpence Puppet Theatre, which toured Irish schools with marionette productions from 1983 to 1986. He has maintained his interest in puppetry since then and has been researching the 300-year history of the puppet theatre in Ireland since 2006 which is the subject of his PhD studies at Trinity College Dublin.
Michael O’Reilly
Michael is the Finance Director of DDFH&B Ltd., Ireland’s largest advertising agency; and Finance Director of Mindshare Media Ireland Ltd, Ireland’s leading media buying and planning agency. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA) and Past President of the Leinster Society of Certified Accountants.
Michael brings wealth of experience in finance and advertising / media communications. He has previously held senior financial positions with Sheridan Developments (Property development company), Ticketmaster (Ticket agents). NCB (Stockbrokers).
Monica Robertson
Monica Robertson is a fellow of The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, having qualified in 1988. She commenced and continues her career with Phelan Prescott + Co Chartered Accountants where as Practice Administrator she has gained experience in a broad area of business related practice compliance, and regulation.
Monica is a member of the Irish Region Council of The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators and served as president from 2005 to 2007. She is actively involved in Rotary International and served as Club President of Dublin Central Rotary Club for 2007/08.
International Puppet Festival Ireland: www.puppetfest.ie