Athletics Ireland Board Members

John Cronin

Brid Golden

President

 Deputy President & Munster Rep

Resides in Tullamore, IT Professional in Pharmaceutical industry. Member of Tullamore Harriers AC since 1983, Glenree (Cranford) AC  1973-1983. Represented Falcarragh Community School 1973 to 1978 and University College Galway 1978 to 1982. National Underage Champion 800, Regional Senior Champion 800m and relays and National Senior Bronze medal relay. Member of Athletics Ireland Board since 2012, Leinster Representative 2012 to 2016, Chair of Competition & Deputy President 2016 to 2021, President 2021 - Present.

First Chair of Athletics Ireland Technical Committee 2010 – 2014, First Chair of Athletics Leinster 1999-2003. Elected to World Athletics Technical Committee 2015. Member of International Technical Officials panel European Athletics 2005-2013 and World Athletics 2013 - Present. Officiated at multiple International events including European Senior Indoor and Outdoor, World Senior Indoor and Outdoor and the Olympic Games.

Brid Golden is the Deputy President of Athletics Ireland. She has been Chairperson of the Coaching and Development Committee since 2018 and was Chairperson of the High Performance Committee for four years prior to this. Brid is a former Irish Senior Heptathlon record holder and has represented Ireland at juvenile, junior and senior level. She is the sprints and jumps coach with Ferrybank AC and has coached several international athletes over the last 25 years. Brid is currently the Chairperson of the Athletics Ireland Governance Committee.

Andrew Lynam

Michael Quinlan
Chair of Competition Chair of Finance & Risk

Andrew is the current Chair of Competition Committee. He has been a member of Trim A.C. since he was a Juvenile having competed in the Throws at County, Regional & National level. Since he was a teenager, he has officiated at County & Regional events. In 2015 he took over the Indoor Secretary role for Leinster bringing in new technology a long the way to the region. Aspirations for the upcoming years are to get more people involve, along with getting more technology in play at all levels of competition.

Professionally Andrew is a Process Engineer in the Food & Beverage Industry having graduated in 2016.

 

Fintan Reilly

Amanda Hynes 
Chair of High Performance Chair of Juvenile

I am a member of Dunleer A.C and was a member of Redeemer A.C and Mountpleasant AC as a juvenile. I am a Board Member since 2016 initially as a co-optee and as Chair of High Performance Committee since 2021. Athletics was a major part of my life as a juvenile and like so many others I drifted from the sport at University and got the love again when my kids became active in the sport. After a short lived comeback, I started coaching at club level and became active at Louth and Leinster Athletics and held the position of Leinster Development Officer for a number of years.

I fell into stadium commentary a number of years ago and haven’t fallen out of it and was honoured to be the on-course commentator at the European cross country championships in Fingal-Dublin in 2021.

Outside of athletics, I work for HSBC Bank, based in Dublin.

After a Doctorate in Biochemistry and a Masters in Nutrition there was a sideways step to a small farm on the Mayo/Sligo border rearing organic Aberdeen Angus calves.

Following my children’s interest in athletics I joined Swinford Athletic Club in 2005 and undertook various coaching and admin roles and still don the vest at local road races and the annual Regional Cross Country fixtures. I was nominated by Connacht to represent them on the Juvenile Committee in 2016 and held the role of Secretary for 4 years before moving to become Track & Field Secretary. As a NTO l I officiate at Juvenile events and have recently forayed into the high-tech world of Photo-Finish and am learning a whole new vocabulary!

Seamus Flynn 

Greg Duggan

Chair of Coaching & Development

Leinster Rep

Seamus was involved in the re-invigoration of Lusk AC in 2009 and is currently a coach within the club. Prior to that Seamus was involved in Round Towers GAA club for about 5 years, where his two children started their sporting activity and later switched their allegiance to Athletics, with him in tow. Seamus currently coaches Pole vault for a group of athletes in the Leinster area and has a keen interest in Long-term athlete development.

Seamus has been secretary of Dublin Athletics for many years where he served his apprenticeship under the tutelage of Aine Pobjoy(RIP) and Pat Hooper(RIP). Seamus was previously a member of the Coaching and Development committee under the guidance of Brid Golden.

Seamus holds Masters in Organisational Psychology and Business Administration and comes from an Engineering background. He has over 30 year experience working for a number of highly regulated businesses.

A Chartered Civil Engineer by profession, after an athletics career spanning 15 years from underage to adult in Dublin, Greg Duggan moved to Mullingar in 1992 and joined Mullingar Harriers in 1995 as a coach and a master athlete. Getting involved with Club administration from early on, he was a regular Westmeath Delegate at Athletics Leinster meetings, before being elected on to the Leinster Executive. He was honoured to be elected the Athletics Leinster Representative on the Board of Athletics Ireland in 2020, taking up the position after the AAI Congress in 2021.

Brendan McDaid

Marion McEvilly 

Ulster Rep

Connacht Rep

I am a member of Letterkenny Athletic Club and have been since I competed as a juvenile from 1972 to 1976 with some success underage. National underage medals, silver 800m and Bronze 1500m. National bronze Community Games 800m.

I played Intermediate soccer for Letterkenny Rovers from 1976 to 1991 and returned to competitive athletics again. I competed as a senior and then as a master.

Within the club of Letterkenny AC, I held roles of club captain and Chairperson in the club for several years and remain actively involved in all aspects of the club.

I got involved at county and provincial level as an administrator and competition official with roles such as Competition Secretary Donegal Athletics, Treasure, Ulster athletics and race director for road events.

I then moved on to national level officiating and I hold NTO level 5. In 2008, I was elected as chair of Competition committee and completed two terms, I represented Ulster on the board for the following term and again in 2021

I am currently Chair of Ulster Athletic Council and an elected regional rep on the Athletics Ireland Board and appointed Athletics Ireland Rep to the Athletics Northern Ireland Board.

I have served on the LOC as Event Presentation manager at European Athletics events hosted by AAI in 2009, 2013 and 2021.

I am married and live in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. I founded North West Chip Timing business in 2015 and was formerly employed as an After Sales Manager in a Main Ford Dealership.

I have been involved in Athletics for over 15 years, when the first of my 4 children began their athletics journeys, starting as the mum sitting in the carpark and rapidly moving on to coaching and gaining lots of knowledge through training courses.

I currently coach U8 and U9 athletes which really is a wonderful group of young people to be involved with. I cannot describe the fun and enthusiasm that these groups bring to training each week. The numbers growing constantly.

I have held positions of secretary and chairperson in my local club Craughwell AC and am a trustee. I am actively involved within the club assisting with events and fundraising as we develop our facilities. I have the honour of being the parent of the first athlete in Craughwell AC to gain a scholarship to the USA.

I have held the post of secretary at Galway county board level for a period of one year and am currently chairperson.

I also work as a photofinish operator at County, Regional and National level.

In my professional life I am an RNID working as a Team Leader with persons with an Intellectual Disability in a supported residential setting.

   
Mary Barrett   Laura Brennan
 

Schools Rep

Universities Rep

 

President of Dublin University Harriers and Athletics Club (DUHAC), and the vice-president of the Irish University Athletics Association (IUAA).

Currently working on a data analytics team in a health technology firm in Dublin, while also pursuing a part-time master’s in public health with UCC.

When not working, studying or doing athletics admin, Laura also loves to compete for her club Raheny Shamrocks, with her favourite event being cross country- “the hiller/muddier the better!”.

David Abrahams

Nuala Hunt

Athletics Northern Ireland Rep

Co-optee

David is the Charity & Commercial Manager for Marsh Ltd Belfast - providing Insurance and Risk Management Advice to many commercial organisations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. He is currently a Chair of Athletics NI board.

A member of Glens Runners. Previously he competed for Gloucester AC, Essex Beagles AC and finally Ballymena and Antrim AC.

Back in the early 80's David competed for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in a number of international meetings. The highlights of his career were a 4th place at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games representing England and breaking the British Indoor High Jump record in 1983. One of the most satisfying and unlikely medals won along the way was a silver medal in the Midland Counties AAA Decathlon.

David brings to the board wide management experience, an athlete’s perspective, and diverse background that he believes will help him guide the organisation forward through the many challenges that present themselves.

Nuala Hunt was co-opted to the Board in 2021. She is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland, a Chartered Tax Advisor, a former Chartered Secretary with a first class business degree from UCC. She has extensive business experience across a range of industries as her executive career spanned from Audit Manager with Arthur Andersen to Financial Controller of Paddy Power plc.  Nuala’s boardroom experience includes Company Secretary of Paddy Power plc, Director of the HSE and Governor of Holles Street Hospital.  Nuala has had a love for Athletics from a young age and is currently an active member and coach with Blackrock A.C.

Greta Hickey

Claire Shannon   

Co-optee

Co-optee

As a former international distance athlete, Greta captained Irish teams in World Cross Country and other European and World Road Racing Championships. Greta was also a member of the Dublin City Harriers team, winning back-to-back European Clubs Cross Country Championships in the 1980’s.

Greta has worked for Irish and Multinational companies, primarily in export markets, covering account management, supply chain logistics, while managing compliance in both import / export procedures and financial governance.

Greta is passionate about sport, and what it brings to participants in terms of both enjoyment and personal achievement.

Currently Sports Marketing & Sponsorship Account Director with Wilson Hartnell

Previously Athletics Ireland Marketing and Sponsorship Manager Aug 2015 - Jun 2018

Marketing lead for hugely successful Fingal-Dublin 2021 SPAR European Cross Country Championships.

Experienced marketing and sponsorship specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the sports, public relations and communications industry. Skilled in marketing, sponsorship, event management, strategic planning, sales management, and market research.

Newsletter sign up

Sign-up for the Athletics Ireland E-Zine with exclusive interviews, coaching news and offers!

Which of the following best describes you?