In Business 2021 by IrishPost

IN BUSINESS irishpost.com SPECIAL EDITION December 2021

SUSAN HOPKINS

The award-winning Irish doctor leading Britain through the pandemic

plus 50 PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

AFTER THE HIATUS COMES A HISTORY-MAKING YEAR A WARM welcome to your In Business magazine 2021. Our unique publication, which is dedicated to the powerful impact Irish business men and women have on their respective industries in Britain, Ireland and further afield, is back and better than ever following a Covid-19 related hiatus in 2020. Where last year came with its fair share of uncertainty and restrictions, thankfully 2021 has seen the wheels of industry well and truly turning once more. As such there is plenty to update you on, not least the impressive strides being made by the men and women of Ireland across the globe who are leaders in their respective fields and industries. Someone who has had a particularly momentous year is Dublin native Vincent Keaveny. The lawyer, now based in London, is a partner in the international business law firm DLA Piper. He made history last month when he became the first Irishman ever to be sworn in as the Lord Mayor of the City of London. That put him at the centre of a ceremony which is one of the oldest traditions that Britain has to offer, full of pomp and pageantry, which was televised to the world. Now, as the dust has settled on the celebrations, the real work begins for the Irishman, as you will find when you read our exclusive interview with Mr Keaveny. Our cover star is Dr Susan Hopkins, the Kildare-born epidemiology expert who is leading Britain’s charge against Covid-19. One of Ireland’s Presidential Distinguished Service Awardwinners for 2021, she shares her inspiring journey into healthcare, giving insight into the pandemic and what’s to come. And you will find many more Irish success stories in the pages ahead, some local and some slightly further away from home. So, sit back, relax and let us introduce you to 50 of the most influential Irish people in business this year.

Fiona Audley

Managing Editor, The Irish Post

IN BUSINESS

IN BUSINESS PEOPLE OF THE YEAR From champions to changemakers and leaders to pioneers, this year’s 50 Irish personalities have been selected for an outstanding achievement in 2021 or because they have changed the way we live, work and think. Part of a global Irish network they have, in one way or another, contributed to the Irish story in Britain and worldwide. As well as those born in Ireland, also included in the list is those with Irish ancestry, those who claim an Irish identity as well as the honorary Irish – those with no Irish connection but who work on or behalf of Ireland and the Irish community.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

Inside IN BUSINESS Page 3 Editor’s Letter - A message from Managing Editor Fiona Audley

Pages 6-7 The Lord Mayor of London Vincent Keaveny on his historic new role, social mobility campaign and plans for the Irish community

Pages 8-53 A-Z Profile Index Artists, Changemakers, Community Champions, Leaders, Pioneers, Innovators, Trailblazers

Page 25-27 COVER STORY: An exclusive interview with leading epidemiologist and Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award winner Dr Susan Hopkins

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ABOUT THE IRISH POST A TRUSTED brand online and in print for over five decades, The Irish Post covers the biggest stories in news, business, travel, entertainment, celebrity and sport. Whether it’s highlighting the issues affecting Irish people or celebrating their success, The Irish Post is at the heart of promoting Irish affairs and Ireland to a wider global audience. For the last 51 years The Irish Post has earned universal respect and continues to champion the ethos of being ‘The Voice of the Irish’. Among The Irish Post’s annual magazines are Building Britain, which promotes the Irish construction industry; Companies100, a guide to the top one hundred Irish companies in Britain; and In Business – the go-to list of Irish business leaders across Britain.

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NEWLY-ELECTED Lord Mayor of the City of London Vincent Keaveny is the first Irish national to hold the title in its 693 year history. For the next year, though based in the Square Mile, the Dublin-born lawyer will be an international ambassador for the UK’s financial and professional services sector. Fresh from the Lord Mayor’s Show and a ceremonial banquet at Guildhall attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he tells SIOBHÁN BREATNACH about plans to tackle social mobility and his desire to reach out to Britain’s Irish community.

actually progress through at the same speed as those coming through from more traditional backgrounds. There is an issue around that. Purpose is about looking at the s and the e. It’s looking at finance and social impact, not forgetting the e, environmental. We’re looking at post COP26 (the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference) and the work we’ve got to do to move on and make sure commitments made on

the finance side are carried through. I hope to host a major event in the city next year, a global impact investment summit, which will look at some of the issues around the purpose element, finance and social impact. Your role covers all of the UK, not just London. How will you embrace this aspect of your work?

Although I’m Lord Mayor of the City of London, a lot of what I do is UK wide, so in my ambassadorial role I

You’ve chosen to promote a theme of People with Purpose during your time as the Lord Mayor. What do you plan to focus on and how will you deliver that?

There are three elements to People with Purpose - investing in a better tomorrow, focusing on future skills for the financial sector and social mobility. On social mobility there’s already a lot of work underway. A task force the Government asked us to set up in the Corporation late last year is looking at the issue of progression for those coming in from non-traditional backgrounds. Lower socio-economic backgrounds is the technical term, though I don’t like that term being used. It’s not only making sure that people can get into the industry but

Lord Mayor of the City of London, Vincent Keaveny and his wife Amanda arrive to attend the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in central London on November 15 (Photo by Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

really represent the UK financial professional services sector. The work we’re doing through the task force, the focus on progression in the financial services industry, is a UK-wide issue. There may be slightly different challenges depending on whether you’re talking about Birmingham, Sheffield or Bournemouth as opposed to London but these are all national challenges. What we’re looking to do is to get employers large and small in the financial services sector really focusing on this issue of social mobility – working to address what is clearly a problem. In some respects almost an invisible problem. Unlike a lot of the other protected characteristics like race or gender… they are largely visible and easier to track and to address in some respects. Something like social background is quite a challenging one. But if you can address that a lot of the other issues get picked up alongside. You can make progress in the serious diversity challenges if you’re also hitting the social mobility challenge. You’re originally from Dublin and have spent the last three decades in Britain, since you arrived in the early 90s. What has your own experience of social mobility been like?

Ireland was quite a different society in that respect back in the 70s and

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80s - pretty much everybody was just one generation away from a farm. Social mobility wasn’t something I thought a great deal about at all until it came to understanding more about London, the UK, the City, the way it worked. Particularly the five or six years I spent as a graduate recruitment partner for my previous firm, when I began to see very clearly some of the challenges for graduate recruitment. You could see there were challenges that the system just wasn’t addressing. As Britain’s first Irish Lord Mayor, how do you hope to engage with the community here?

I can safely say I’m the first Irish national to be Lord Mayor of London, which is pretty amazing as the 693rd Lord Mayor. As Lord Mayor you get handed something very precious. My predecessors over the past years have done an amazing job so the bar is set very high and you’ve got to meet that. On the Irish side, I hope I’ll be able to emphasise and talk about some of the social, family, sporting and

cultural links, all of those things that endure and are really important for Britain and Ireland - irrespective of the politics of the day. The political situation weaves good times and bad times. At the moment the politics are more challenging than they were 10 years ago when the Queen visited Ireland but irrespective of that all these other links continue - and are probably more important when the politics are a little bit tricky. I hope to have one or two events that will have a distinctly Irish flavour here in Mansion House, an opportunity to showcase the great aspects of the relationship of these two countries in the year ahead. It would be great to see some senior Irish politicians and business people coming in to Mansion House as well - creating opportunities for wider engagement outside of the purely political environment that Westminster represents. I think it’s very important for the Irish community to know there’s an Irish Lord Mayor in Mansion House - that itself is an important message for the community here in the UK. For more about the new Lord Mayor of the City of London Vincent Keaveny see page 52

Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes part in the formal arrivals ceremony at Guildhall for the Lord Mayor’s Banquet (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

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ARTISTS

Nicola Coughlan ACTOR, PODCAST CREATOR

enelope Featherington and Clare Devlin couldn’t be any further apart when it comes to fictional TV characters, but the fact they’ve both garnered somewhat of a cult following is testament to the superb talents of actor Nicola Coughlan – star of Bridgerton and Derry Girls. Since her breakthrough role in the Northern Ireland-based comedy, Coughlan’s comic timing, personality and cheeky humour has secured her a place among small screen favourites. She is also fast becoming a style icon (her red carpet looks are always a joy) having just narrated a Channel 4 documentary about Princess Diana’s fashion sense, entitled Diana: Queen of Style. Though no release date has been revealed to date, filming for the much-anticipated third season of Derry Girls, written by creative talent Lisa McGee, is now underway and is expected to air on Channel 4 next year. “Covid has pushed back filming several times which has been so sh**e, but honestly the storylines in this series are the best we’ve ever done so I can’t tell you how worth it the wait will have been,” Coughlan tweeted earlier this year proclaiming season three to be the best yet. On the show’s success, Coughlan was never in any doubt from the moment she read the script for season one. “As soon as I read the line ‘I’m not going to be an individual on my own’ back in 2016 when I first got the audition script, it really stood out. It just bounced off the page,” she said previously. “And even though I didn’t get the part for another six months, I’ve never wanted a job more than I wanted Derry Girls. And then when I sat down and watched it with my family, my phone just exploded. We were trending worldwide. It was just mental. I still can’t believe how successful it’s been.” In October, the Galway actor was presented with the Screen Ireland IFTA Rising Star Award by Star Wars icon Mark Hamill, with Luke Skywalker himself praising not only Coughlan but all the incredible talent in Ireland ‘proving themselves to be world class professionals in their fields’. Nicola said: “I’m so proud to be an Irish actor, I’m so proud to be so proud of that! This is so special because all you really want is people at home to be happy with what you are doing. I was at the BAFTAs when Paul Mescal won and it felt like a win for everybody. So to be recognised at home is really so special, it’s so amazing and I am so grateful.” Coughlan is also co-creator of a comedy audio series set in Ireland, Whistle Through The Shamrocks, with playwright Camilla Whitehill. She’s enlisted a slew of her talented friends to take part including the lovely Jamie Beamish, who played the vile Nigel Berbrooke in Bridgerton. “I’m gonna try to write it into every possible - every job I ever do, that I just want to work with Jamie, because he’s in Derry Girls too, and in Bridgerton,” Coughlan told radiotimes.com. Netflix global superhit Bridgerton, based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels and set in Regency-era Britain, has been renewed for a third and fourth season, with filming taking place in London where Coughlan is based. So here’s hoping we get to see plenty more of the Irish star’s Penelope Featherington and Derry’s Miss Devlin in 2022 and beyond.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

ADRIAN DUNBAR

Actor, Director, Screenwriter

‘Mother of God’, if it isn’t the gaffer himself - the all-round legend of the one-liner, not to mention star of the big screen, TV and stage. This past decade Adrian Dunbar may be better known to many as Superintendent Ted Hastings - the policeman on a mission to wipe out corruption in the BBC smash hit Line of Duty - but this Irishman has a stellar career spanning over 40 years. Dunbar says he approached his now-iconic role, one that’s spurned countless memes, as a composite of Scottish actor Fulton Mackay and Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson, telling the Belfast Telegraph in 2015 that Hastings was ‘a model disciplinarian who’s hard and administrative, but also fair and compassionate.’ When the Co. Fermanagh actor’s not entertaining millions on the small screen, he can be found threading the boards from the Abbey to the Royal Court Theatres - and most recently on the London stage alongside The Good Wife alumni Cush Jumbo in Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Young Vic. It’s been quite the year for the Enniskillen thespian, now 63. With

movie credits such as The Crying Game, My Left Foot and The General, Dunbar is a BAFTA and IFTA nominated artist and took home Actor of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year awards in September dedicating the win to his 89-yearold mother Pauline who beat Covid, while thanking Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio and co-stars Vicky McClure and Martin Compston. Having kept audiences on the edge of their seats in the relentless search for the corrupt officer known only as H, LoD’s season six finale was watched by a record-breaking 12.8 million people - peaking to 13.1million - when it aired in May. Not bad for the game-changing crime show that was originally turned down by BBC One, only to be picked up later on BBC Two before moving back to the broadcaster’s main channel in its fourth series. Crime, cops and capers aside, Dunbar is also well-known for his love of Ireland, not to mention a fascination for the great Irish poet Oscar Wilde. The actor embarked on the ultimate love letter to his homeland when his two-part series for Channel 5 aired in the spring, catapulting the country’s breath-taking coastline into the homes across Britain.

(L to R) Adrian Dunbar, Tara Fitzgerald, Cush Jumbo and Joseph Marcell attend the press night performance of Hamlet at The Young Vic in October (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

DID YOU KNOW? Had he not reached acclaim as an actor, Dunbar might have found success in the music industry. With a melodic voice he’s frontman for his band Adie Dunbar and the Jonahs, and describing his music style as ‘country jazz’ revealed in 2019 that he had been approached to record an album.

Mizen Head, Skellig Michael, Listowel, Yeats’ Grave, the Giant’s Causeway and the Mourne Mountains were just some of the stops along the way as was time out with celebrity chef Darina Allen at Ballymaloe and motorcycle star Michael Dunlop. Now we’re sucking

diesel, as Ted Hastings would say! Born into a family whose history features a long line of Catholic tradespeople on his father’s side (his dad worked as a carpenter) and military connections on his mother’s side, Dunbar moved from Enniskillen to Portadown aged 10 as the Trouble broke out. His family roots include an uncle who fought with Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War and a Singapore-born grandfather who was a ceremonial drummer boy for Queen Victoria on her visit to Ireland in 1900. Based in North London, he also studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Adrian is married to Australian actress Anna Nygh and the pair have a daughter Madeleine and stepson Ted.

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EVE HEWSON

Actor

It could be easy to hide behind ‘child of celebrity parents’ status, but Eve Hewson - daughter of Bono and activist wife Ali Hewson - is carving her own identity in the film industry. From her first major role in 2011’s This Must Be The Place to this year’s Netflix psychological thriller Behind Her Eyes, Hewson was nominated as one of IFTA’s Rising Stars and Best Actress – Drama for 2021. Over the last decade, the Dublin-born actor has honed her craft working with directors such as the two great Stevens, Spielberg and Soderbergh, as well as performing alongside greats such as Sean Penn, Frances McDormand and Tom Hanks – playing his daughter in the 2015 thriller Bridge of Spies. A TV debut as Nurse Lucy Elkins in the 2014’s The Knick, followed by BBC series The Luminaries in 2020, led to her taking the lead role of Adele in Behind Her Eyes, which became a number one hit for Netflix when it aired in February. Acting was a natural calling for the U2 progeny, who was never tempted to follow in the musical footsteps of her internationally acclaimed award-winning artist dad. “When I started acting, I realised I could spend all day long going over lines, reading scripts, doing different exercises, and it didn’t feel like work at all. Practising music did,” she told Town & Country magazine earlier in the year.

Actress Eve Hewson (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)

Jeremy Irons is set to star in Netflix thriller Munich - The Edge Of War, which airs in January (Photo by Netflix)

Most recently, 30-year-old Hewson has been spotted filming back in her home town of Dublin as part of a new Sharon Horgan show for Apple TV. Set between London and Ireland, showrunner Horgan has also written and stars in the dark comedy drama. With previous hits such as Motherland, Catastrophe and Aisling Bea’s This Way Up for Channel 4, a Horgan-Hewson pairing looks sure to be another success.

JEREMY IRONS

Actor

It won’t be long until Jeremy Irons is back on our screens for the historical Netflix thriller playing a British Prime Minister on the brink of war. Airing from January 21, 2022, the Christian

Schwochow-directed Munich – The Edge of War is based on Robert Harris’ international bestseller and tells the story of the grave emergency meeting which should have prevented the Second World War. Adolf Hitler is preparing to invade Czechoslovakia and Neville Chamberlain’s (played by Irons) British government is desperately trying to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the face of the mounting pressure. Filming took place in Germany and Britain, with author Robert Harris adding: “It’s great to see an actor of Jeremy Irons’ stature playing Neville Chamberlain. This will be the first time a major movie has gone beyond the cult of Winston Churchill and tried to show Chamberlain in a more sympathetic light.” Though Irons was born in the Isle of Wight, he has Irish ancestry, is married to fellow actor Irish woman Sinead Cusack and has spent the best part of the last two decades restoring a 15th Century Castle in West Cork. Kilcoe Castle, purchased on impulse after a creative lull in the late 1990s, has been home to the Englishman and his family ever since – though they split their time between Ireland and Watlington in Oxfordshire. But his affinity for Ireland doesn’t start or stop there, as BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? has revealed. Iron’s grandfather, Henry Sharpe, was born in Dublin in 1870, but moved to England when he was young due to financial hardships. His parents were William and Katherine Sharpe – it was Katherine’s family that was Irish. Her father was Henry

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

Loftie Rutton who had married his wife, Catherine, in 1843, buying land in Gilford, Co. Down, in the north. Catherine’s maiden name was McCreight – a name with connections to Cork that goes back to the start of the 18th century, including possession of a linen mill in Blarney. No wonder the quintessential Englishman was so keen to return home - and not only that he is also a big supporter of local causes. Most recently, the Academy award-winner showed his support for the #BeSensational campaign – an initiative by Sensational Kids to build a National Child Development Centre in Ireland. Around 70,000 children are on public waiting lists for Speech & Language and Occupational Therapy, and the organisation is currently trying to raise over €1million to build a state-of-the-art centre in Kildare Town. Irons’ breakthrough role was his portrayal of Charles Ryder in 1981’s

Sinead Cusack and Jeremy Irons (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

Brideshead Revisited. His Broadway debut followed three years later in The Real Thing alongside Glenn Close. He has won numerous awards over the years for his work on screen and stage, including an Oscar for best actor and a Golden Globe for his role in Reversal of Fortune (1990) and a Best Supporting Actor Emmy and Golden Globe for his role in Elizabeth I in 2006.

Fisherman’s Friends 2. Filmed on location in Cornwall, the movie is the sequal to the 2019 hit, based on the true story of Port Isaac’s Sea Shanty Singing

Fishermen with May playing Aubrey - a famous singer-songwriter looking to escape the world. Born and raised in Dublin’s Liberties, May sings from the soul,

IMELDA MAY

Singer, Songwriter, Poet, Actor

Imelda May channels the modernday heart and spirit of Ireland’s ancient Celtic goddesses. Oozing emotional intelligence, spirituality and intuition, May is an Irish wonder woman of words. Releasing her sixth studio album earlier this year, she became the first female solo artist to top the Irish album charts in almost five years. Entitled 11 Past The Hour, among a string of well-known musicians, it also features contributions from feminist activists such as Gina Martin and Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu. There’s no sign of the Dubliner slowing down in 2022, with May’s British Made to Love tour set for April alongside her acting debut in

stays true to her homeland roots and exudes an authentic love of storytelling. It’s no wonder she counts the likes of Ronnie Wood, Noel Gallagher, Bob Dylan and Bono amongst her fans and has duetted with artists such as Lou Reed, Sinead O’Connor, Jack Savoretti and Elvis Costello. “I always write with meaning and from my heart as that’s the reason I write, to connect with my own story at each particular moment and I hope therefore I connect with others during theirs,” she says. Discovered by Jules Holland, Imelda’s 2008 album Love Tattoo set the seeds for her growth as an artist and over the years she has explored rock, folk, soul, gospel and the blues – all with a nod to her own life and experiences. “I’d like to think I can put into words and music what we all feel sometimes,” she adds. “We all laugh, sing, love, cry, dance, kiss, care. We all experience lust, anger, joy, worry, sorrow and hope. “Sometimes we stay silent and hold it all in and sometimes we dance and throw it all to the wind with abandon, but one thing is for sure is we are in this life together.” This year also marked Imelda’s

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debut poetry collection. A Lick and a Promise follows the release last year of her first poetry EP Slip Of The Tongue, and includes her poem You Don’t Get to be Racist and Irish. The powerful piece was written in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and used by the Rethink Ireland campaign after it went viral on social media in 2021. “Poetry is good for my soul and fills my heart and mind with colour and scent. It’s intoxicating,” May says. “I dive into my beloved books and my days are infinitely better for that. One poem can stay a lifetime, one line can change a view. A Lick and a Promise is how my mother described a hurried wash and it’s often how I read poetry when time is scarce.”

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Imelda May performs live on stage ahead of The Who at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2019. (Photo by Jim Bennett/Getty Images)

JOANNE MCNALLY

Comedian, Podcast Creator

Described as the most exciting thing to happen to Irish comedy in years, Joanne McNally is the hilarious gift that keeps on giving. The comedian has been taking Britain by storm in recent years having been a favourite in Ireland since debuting on RTÉ 2’s flagship comedy show Republic of Telly. With an irreverent stand-up style and a personality as big as her hearty laugh, McNally’s most appealing asset is sharing genuine life moments and personal experiences with a comedy cherry plonked on top. A regular face on chat and game shows, she’s had sell-out tours and runs in the likes of Edinburgh and Soho Theatre and has performed alongside long-established names such as Dara O Briain, John Bishop and Michael McIntyre. This year, teaming up with her long-time best friend presenter and DJ Vogue Williams, Dubliner McNally launched a new podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me, which topped the Spotify charts earlier in the summer. Inspired by those cringe-worthy real life scenarios where people just disappear and stop taking your calls or messages, the Killiney native was literally ghosted by her own therapist and so set about finding out why … cue the podcast sharing thought on life in London from the point of view of two 30-something year old Irish women. McNally also contributes regularly to mainstream radio and TV, such as the Sarah Brett show on BBC 5 Live and has won fans through appearances on the likes of The Late Late Show and The Tommy Tiernan Chat Show. She tours Britain and Ireland in 2022 with The Prosecco Express tour – where she’s talking about all the important things in life - like when a man on a dating app identifies as ‘spiritual’, is it safe to assume he has the personality of a spoon? – and says she is on a mission to solve absolutely nothing. We’re bubbling up with excitement!

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

PAUL MESCAL

Actor

Paul Mescal obsession has been a thing ever since he burst broodingly onto screens as Connell in the 2020 BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People. Playing the complex but lovable boy next door was a role that literally changed the 25-year-old’s life overnight. Fast forward to June this year and the Kildare native was announced as BAFTA’s Leading Actor winner. Not bad going for a first-time nominee. A former Maynooth GAA player and the face of a TV sausage advert back home, Mescal began his acting career at Ireland’s Lir Academy graduating with a Bachelor in Acting in 2017. Fluent in Irish, and a keen sports fan, he’s been credited with making GAA shorts fashionable again when papped out and about in his O’Neills in the aftermath of his Normal People fame. From a musical family, his younger sister Nell is an up-andcoming singer, Mescal performed a series of spoken word pieces alongside the sensational Dermot Kennedy as part of the singer’s

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record-breaking livestream at London’s Natural History Museum. Kennedy told GQ magazine: “When Normal People was at its peak craziness and everyone in the world was watching it, I randomly sent him a message on Instagram because I saw he was following me. I always think, Ireland is small and the arts is a small community, so why not reach out, look out for each other? I asked him if he was having a good time instead of being caught up in the madness and then I suggested we meet up some time. He wrote back a lovely message and said he’d been a fan for a long time as well.” Mescal has had a busy year since he was last seen on screen opposite Daisy Edgar Jones. There’s the new Irish crime podcast Black Alley, for which he also recorded a song … though a career change is not on the cards. “I released a song as part of a podcast, but I’m an actor, so that’s the focus,” he told the BBC. He’s also been working on psychological drama God’s Creatures in Donegal off the back of filming a modern-day reimagining of the iconic opera Carmen in Australia. Looks like Mescal-mania is set for a return in 2022.

Paul Mescal in the Winners Room at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards 2021 (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images)

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

CHANGEMAKERS

Conor Burns MP MINISTER OF STATE AT THE NORTHERN IRELAND OFFICE

elfast-born politician Conor Burns was appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office in September by Prime Minister Boris Johnson – making the Conservative MP a key figure in matters relating to the North and its future. Self-professed as someone who has gained a reputation for ‘speaking their mind’, Burns did just that in response to a tweet by US President Joe Biden recently. President Biden wrote: ‘We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit. Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.’ To which Burns replied: ‘Hey @joebiden would you like to discuss the Good Friday agreement? It is also called the Belfast Agreement so it doesn’t offend both traditions. Did you actually know that? I was born in NI and I’m a Catholic and a Unionist. Here if you need help.’ Though born on the island of Ireland, Burns grew up in Hertfordshire attending St Columba’s College in St Albans. A degree in Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton followed by a stint as Councillor on Southampton City Council in 1999 led to him being chosen as a Parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh in 2001 and 2005. A former public relations executive and Brexit supporter, he has served as Member of Parliament for Bournemouth West since 2010.

WHAT HAPPENS AWAY FROM POLITICS... According to his biography, Burns is an avid cook and snooker fan, often attending the World Championship final at the Crucible in Sheffield and the Masters in London. He’s also a huge fan of long-running ITV soap Coronation Street.

Conor Burns and former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage at a ‘Leave Means Leave’ rally’ in 2018 (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

EMMA DABIRI

Presenter, Writer, Social Historian

What White People Can Do Next became a Sunday Times and Irish Times bestseller for author and academic Emma Dabiri this year. The Irish-Nigerian writer’s second book followed her 2019 critically acclaimed collection of essays Don’t Touch my Hair. Described as an ‘alliance building, shame removing look at race, Emma is once-in-a generation clever’ said Caitlin Moran of the author and her debut book, which draws on years

of research and Dabiri’s own experiences. The book is a clever deconstruction of the mainstream conversation around anti-racism, urging the reader to root their understanding of race in the multiple and complex histories of class, capitalism, and colonialism. Having spent some of her earliest years in America, Dabiri grew up in Dublin’s Rialto in the 1980s. Her father was born to Nigerian parents in Ireland and her mother was born in Trinidad to Irish parents – they meet in Ireland at university. “I grew up in a very white environment and my hair texture was a big deal, so the beginning of this was that, and isolation I experienced as a result of racial difference – but that was mostly represented through my hair,” she told journal.ie previously. Dabiri’s latest book comes at a time of increased focus on police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement and the high profile murder of the George Floyd in the US. As well as her tomes, Dabiri is a teaching fellow at SOAS University of London and works across African Studies, sociology, history and the arts.

Mollie King, Emma Dabiri, Annie Mac, Joy Crookes, Sinead Burke and Aisling Bea attend an International Women’s Day brunch, hosted by Annie Mac in March 2020 in London (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images for The London EDITION)

With an incredible sense of style, she also regularly features in fashion bible Vogue. A well-known presenter in Britain, she was listed as one of the BBC’s broadcasting stars of the future and has presented a number of programmes including Britain’s Lost Masterpieces and Journeys into Afro-futurism on BBC4 and Virtually History on YouTube Originals. She has presented Back in Time for Brixton and the Back in Time

Confectioners series on BBC Two. A trustee of Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery, Dabiri also sits on various boards including the Wellcome Trust Anti-Racism Expert Advisory Group. A member of the British Council’s New Arts and Creative Economy Advisory Group, Dabiri was a judge at the Merky Books New Writers’ Prize 2020-2021 founded by Stormzy to discover unpublished, under-represented writers aged 16-30 from Britain and Ireland.

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

SIR BOB GELDOF

Entrepreneur, Activist, Musician

… or surprises

A former Irish Post Lifetime Achievement Award-winner, Bob Geldof turned 70 in October this year. To celebrate his milestone birthday, here are seven things about the internationally renowned musician and activist who is one of Ireland’s most successful exports.

Geldof was left shocked when Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy surprised the star recently for his 70th birthday. The singer and campaigner believed he was only on the show to perform with his band the Boomtown Rats. But Tubridy revealed he was really there for a Late Late special to mark his birthday. “F****** hell, this is mortifying!” said a shocked Geldof. Family and friends paid tribute to the singer on Friday night’s programme, where he was joined by daughters Pixie and Tiger, sister Lynn and wife Jeanne Marine. In a letter read out by Tubridy, President Michael D Higgins described Geldof as “a champion for the poor, the homeless and the marginalised”. Asked how he felt about becoming a septuagenarian, Geldof joked: “I’m looking forward to decrepitude, impotence [and] senility.”

He’s a big fan of Yeats

In 2018 Geldof released the A Fanatic Heart: Bob Geldof on W.B Yeats where he delved into the life story of the man he believes to have invented and laid the foundational stones of modern Ireland. “This guy became a monstrous hero and genius not just of course for Ireland but the poetry is for the ages and the music is universal,” Geldof said. “I think he is the central revolutionary character in the genesis of a modern Ireland. I think he is to Ireland what Shakespeare is to the English language and to Britain. He is a clear Irish voice, but people elsewhere hear it in their own voice. That is achieved by a vast intellect.” He doesn’t like Mondays …

Geldof shot to fame as the lead singer of the Boomtown Rats and was a major player in the 70s punk rock movement and enjoyed over a decade of hits between 1975 and 1986, including Rat Trap, I Don’t Like Mondays and Up All Night.

He knows how to raise a few quid

In 1984 Geldof was watching the news one night when he was horrified by a report on the famine in Ethiopia. As we all now know, he got on the phone. The result was the all-star band aid and the song he co-wrote with Midge Ure – Do They Know it’s Christmas? Six months later, on July 13, 1985, came Live Aid and $200 million was raised for the starving and the dying in Ethiopia. Geldof established and

continues to be the chairman of the Band Aid trust, which operates in eight African countries. Seven is his lucky number

Geldof has made seven albums as a solo artist alongside the seven Boomtown Rats albums. There’s not a lot of room on his mantlepiece

Bob Geldof has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize eight times, more than any living nominee, and was honoured with a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. He received the Nobel Man of Peace award from

Mikhail Gorbachev and was awarded The North-South human rights award in Portugal. He’s also been awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. His numerous TV and music awards include The Ivor Novello Awards, The BRIT Awards, BAFTAs and The Royal Society, Peabody and Royal Geographical Society awards. He’s also a free man in London

Geldof was awarded Freedom of the City of London in 2013 in recognition of his services to music and his charitably work.

The Boomtown Rats and Bob Geldof (Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

DR SUSAN HOPKINS

Clinical & Public Health Transition Lead, Chief Medical Advisor for UK Health Security Agency

In October 2021, Dr Susan Hopkins became Clinical & Public Health Transition Lead and Chief Medical Advisor for UK Health Security Agency – the newly formed body set up in the pandemic by the UK government to tackle infectious diseases, external hazards and improve preparedness for epidemics and pandemics. Previously she was the Interim Chief Medical Advisor at NHS Test and Trace and the Strategic Response Director for Covid-19 in PHE. She led the division of healthcare-associated infections

and antimicrobial resistance in PHE from 2017 to 2021. She was appointed in 2006 as a consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at the Royal Free London and continues to practice clinically, and has academic appointments with UCL, Oxford and Imperial. Hopkins trained in Trinity College Dublin and was one of the first Infectious Diseases trainees in Ireland, working in Hospitals in Dublin and Wexford before periods abroad in Seattle, Paris and London. She holds current research funding of approximately £25million with research partners across the UK and has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications related to infectious diseases.

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PROFESSOR FRANK JOSEPH Dam Health Medical Director, Consultant Physician in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Internal Medicine – Countess of Chester

During the pandemic, Professor Frank Joseph has looked after a wide variety of Covid patients, from severely ill in-patients to outpatients with long term conditions made worse by Covid infections. Last Christmas he realised there was a problem for many of his patients wanting to fly home, but with tests costing £300-£400 for many this was unobtainable. His patients, who come from all walks of life including business and industry, cited the lack of rapid testing significantly impacting their work. He understood there was a gap in the process for people needing officially ratified, fast and accurate results for them to travel, work and socialise, and also an ever growing desire for tests made in a safe clinical environment instead of at home. In December 2020 Professor Joseph became the medical director at DAM Health, working to solve testing challenges for a variety of sectors damaged by the pandemic across the UK and internationally, from travel and mass gatherings to sporting events and life occasions. Since then DAM Health has grown into the UK’s leading in-clinic testing company with over 100 clinics across the UK and internationally. The Professor’s other leadership roles have included Divisional

Medical Director for Urgent Care at the Countess of Chester Hospital. He was also previously the Acute Care Fellow and later the Future Hospital Officer at the Royal College of Physicians, London. What will be the biggest challenge in the health industry as we emerge from the pandemic?

“During the pandemic a lot of scheduled interventions were adversely affected. We are already seeing the challenges of getting elective operations back on track and are also seeing an increase in activity across the board in primary care as well as acute medical services including ambulance services and acute hospitals across the country. Whilst the number of seriously ill patients with Covid and those dying from Covid has improved significantly, the impact of Covid is in the logistics of trying to deliver health care when we are trying to keep infection rates under control. “This significantly impacts bed occupancy and outpatient services as well, with a lot of pressure on very overstretched and demoralised NHS staff. We are also possibly yet to see the full impact of the loss of regular, rigorous monitoring of long term physical and mental health conditions during the pandemic. While we fire-fight to get back on track we have to do this with one eye on the future by ensuring that we are prepared for future pandemics and also being proactive in our focus on early detection and

early intervention for medical conditions ranging from the likes of obesity or diabetes to cancer. If the pandemic has taught us one thing it is to build a healthier population through a more aggressive prevention strategy to keep us safe.”

Wicklow, he was crowned Britain’s Celebrity MasterChef champion in 2020 after impressing the judges with his show-stopping culinary creations - beating 19 other well-known faces to victory. This quick-witted powerhouse is best known for fronting the ground-breaking BBC documentary series Queer Britain. Most recently, Khalaf hosted the official BBC podcast to accompany smash hit Normal People and the award-nominated Radio 1 comedy podcast Unexpected Fluids. The latter also has had sold-out live performances at Edinburgh Fringe Festival for two years running. Khalaf’s viral videos including celebrity interviews, documentaries and comedy skits, have been viewed over 50million times and been featured on CNN, BBC, Channel 4, The Guardian and Vanity Fair to name a few. His debut book titled Yay! You’re Gay! Now What? was released worldwide in 2019 and became a number one bestseller. This lead to Khalaf to being named as one of London’s ‘50 most inspirational people’ by Bumble Biz.

RIYADH KHALAF

Broadcaster, Author, LGBTQ+ Activist

Riyadh Khalaf is a TV and radio broadcaster, author, online video creator, podcast host, public speaker and LGBTQ+ activist. Originally from Bray, in Co.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

MEGAN NOLAN

Author, Journalist, Essayist

When Megan Nolan’s debut novel Acts of Desperation was published in March this year it catapulted her to a new literary status and won rave reviews in the process. Acts of Desperation, which took three years to write and has been translated into eight languages, is a story of toxic love where an unnamed young woman’s relationship with a man called Ciaran quickly descends into one of abuse. “It’s sort of an attempt to psychologically investigate that dynamic of a woman obliterating herself to be with a man who, from the outside, is very much not worth her time,” Nolan told The Irish Times. Based in London, the 31-year-old Waterford-born writer has been a source of thought-provoking essays,

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fiction and reviews for a number of years now, having been published internationally in respected publications such as The New York Times, The White Review, The Sunday Times, The Village Voice and The Guardian amongst others. She writes on a variety of topics from body image, alcohol culture and British-Irish relations. Nolan, whose father is playwright Jim Nolan, writes a fortnightly column for the New Statesman and has previously been commissioned to read or perform at the likes of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Goldsmiths Lit Live, Cubitt Gallery, and the South London Gallery. Internationally, her work has also appeared at Hyper Local Festival in Buenos Aires and the Sandberg Institute’s Wandering School in Milan. Publisher Jonathan Cape signed Nolan as part of a two-book deal … watch this space.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

Laura Brocklebank SENIOR MARKET ADVISOR, ENTERPRISE IRELAND

aura Brocklebank joined Enterprise Ireland in 2019 as a Senior Market Advisor, heading up their second Britishbased office in Manchester. With responsibility for leading on Local Authorities and Pharma Manufacturing, Brocklebank is part of a team of 20 Market Advisors providing industry knowledge, access and network required to accelerate the export growth and scale of Irish companies in Britain. Originally from Dublin, she started her career in Pearse Trust, an independent advisor on corporate and trust structures, followed by a Marketing Executive role in the software industry for QMS Software. In 2006 she moved to London and spent several years working with retailers, fashion, jewellery and accessory designers as a UK Key Account Manager for global fashion company Swarovski. She relocated to Manchester in 2013, where she joined a menswear online and wholesale start-up and led the launch of three menswear brands as their Sales & Business Development Manager. With strong commercial awareness and a pro-active approach to building and managing key relationships, she enjoys a challenging and busy work environment that is ever changing. A big sports fan, she goes to watch live sport with her husband and two children and enjoys running and meeting up with friends.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

WHAT REGIONAL ENTERPRISES ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW? “Irish companies have inherently strong innovation capability and they have the ambition to make a global impact. With the UK very often being their first market to grow and scale, Irish companies deliver solutions to global challenges and thrive in a competitive environment. I have the privilege of working with so many innovative Irish companies, it’s very hard to only mention just a couple but the companies to watch are those delivering exciting data and machine learning solutions and companies who are supporting the net zero and sustainability agenda.”

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

DENISE HANRAHAN

Consul General of Ireland, Cardiff

Denise Hanrahan is from Dublin and moved to Cardiff to re-establish Ireland’s Consulate General there in April 2019, and is delighted to have re-established this important connection point between Ireland and Wales. Ireland is Wales’ fourth largest trading partner and there are around 85 Irish companies with a presence in Wales, employing in the region of 5,500 people. Hanrahan has over 15 years’ experience working as a diplomat in Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs. Her previous assignments include being deputy Head of Mission at Ireland’s Embassies in Portugal and in Mozambique. Her roles in DFA in Dublin have included diaspora policy and support, Middle East policy, and corporate governance, as well as a two-year secondment to the Department of the Taoiseach working on Ireland’s EU policy. Prior to joining DFA, Denise worked for several years in France and with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. She studied International

Relations in DCU, and is very interested in languages, with a degree in Linguistics and French from University College Dublin. Speaking in Cardiff, the Ambassador of Ireland to the UK, Mr. Adrian O’Neill, previously welcomed the re-opening of the Consulate General of Ireland in Wales. The re-opening of the Consulate in 2019 by Ambassador O’Neill was part of Ireland’s expansion of its diplomatic network under the

‘Global Ireland’ initiative. “We are connected at many levels - historic, economic, cultural, academic, sporting and governmental - and there is clear potential to grow these connections even more,” Hanrahan said at the time. In October this year, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney made a special trip to Wales to officially reopen its Consulate General.

Its re-establishment in came under the Global Ireland 2025 programme but the formal reopening of the venue was postponed until now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The re-establishment of the Consulate is testament to Ireland’s commitment to increasing cooperation and collaboration with Wales across the business, arts, sporting and community sectors,” Minister Coveney said.

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

JIM O’HARA

Academic & Director, Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith

Jim O’Hara will receive one of 2021’s Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad this month for his charitable works in Britain. Instrumental in the redevelopment of London’s Irish Cultural Centre, the Belfast-born academic – who studied at both Queen’s University and Queen Mary College, London University - has been a stalwart of the Irish community in the capital. Originally from Ardoyne, he has been a history lecturer in various universities in Britain and in 1989 established and became director of a new Irish Studies Centre at St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham offering students the opportunity to take a degree in Irish Studies. He is a founder member of the British Association for Irish Studies, as well as the European Federation of Centres for Irish Studies. He became Chairman of the Irish Youth Foundation in the United Kingdom for three years in the 1990s and was also appointed a member of the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Committee (formerly DION). He has lectured and written extensively on Irish History and Politics with articles in a number of journals and has had several books published. In 2009 he became Chairman of the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith and set up a new Board of Directors with charitable status. In 2012 he negotiated with the local council to buy the site and the building and, with help from the Irish Government, succeeded in raising the necessary finance to

WHAT ‘S BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OVER THE PAST YEAR? Enjoying the wonderful atmosphere in the Irish Cultural Centre upon its reopening after a year’s closure due to Covid and being present at Landsdowne Road to watch Ireland’s recent victory over the All Blacks.

people and clients include the likes of Murphy, Bennett, Glenman Corporation and Culena London. Leahy grew up on a dairy farm between Listowel and Athea on the Kerry-Limerick border. “I’m a proud Kerry man,” he says. “I worked in construction or on the farm during my holidays so I was around machinery and plant from a very early age and it suited me.” Graduating in Quantity Surveying from Limerick Institute of Technology in 2004, Leahy has previously worked for many of the industry’s big players including BAM - where he was part of a team on the £185million redevelopment of Cork Airport – as well as Loftus Civil Engineering, Galldris and J Reddington. With a background typical of many groundworks and concrete contractors, Leahy moved to London in 2009, when the recession was hitting its peak in Ireland. “I had done work experience for a year in London previously so I knew my way around,” he says. “I cut my teeth with a couple of large subcontractors before setting up my

complete the purchase of the freehold. He then oversaw the demolition of the old Centre in 2014 and the construction of a new multi storey building with apartments and a brand new Irish Centre and subsequently led the fundraising campaign to fit out the new Centre, which reopened in late 2018. He has a long involvement with London Irish Rugby Football Club, having played with the club for many years, and served as its Secretary in the 1980’s and subsequently as a member of the Board of Directors, and later appointed a Vice President of the Club. He has a great love of traditional Irish music and was a member of the traditional group, Tristram Shandy, who played and toured extensively in Ireland, Britain and France over many years. He is married to Hazel and has two sons and lives in Richmond, Surrey.

DAN LEAHY

Managing Director, Roskerry Building Services

Dan Leahy is the Managing Director of Roskerry Building Services Limited, a north London-based Groundworks, RC Frames, Basements, Structural Alterations, Specialist Cutting and Demolition company. Founded in 2013, it employs 75

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

company with a friend in 2013. “From there it’s been a challenge to grow and make things work,” he adds. “We’ve been hit with Brexit and a pandemic. My business partner also had to leave the company so it’s been an interesting few years. I enjoy the challenge and I believe by having a positive attitude you can keep moving forward.” When he’s not on site, Leahy is a big fan of Kerry GAA as well as Munster and Ireland rugby. “I’m generally into all sports,” the Arsenal fan says. “I’m taking golf lessons and my aim is to get around the course without losing 10 balls some day!” As to his philosophy in business, and life in general, he adds: “I’m a firm believer in trying to live your best life and not to regret not doing something. I like pushing myself and others into new territory and finding how much ability we have. “I hate looking back wishing I should have done something. I’d rather try it and see. If it does not work at least you know. It’s not failed me badly so far other than the odd hiccup!”

Dan Leahy of Roskerry Building Services

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? The last five years have proven that perhaps it’s a fruitless exercise to try to put a plan together for the next five years. Nevertheless, we have to drive forward through all the issues being thrown at us and trust that the world will settle sometime soon. There are definite opportunities out there for companies who embrace change. If we can modernise our systems, use e-systems, less paper and more cloud, then we could possibly attract a younger generation into the industry. We are also being pushed to be a greener industry so if we can get a hold of that correctly we can be a leader. This is a difficult industry to reduce carbon footprints but there will be opportunities to show we are ahead of the game on this.

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

SARAH MANGAN

Consul General for the North of England

A career diplomat with over 22 years of experience with the Irish Foreign Service, Sarah Mangan has served in a number of roles since joining the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1999, both at home and abroad, including postings at Ireland’s Embassies to Australia, Mexico, and India, and at the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations in Geneva. She took up post as Ireland’s first Consul General for the North of England, based in Manchester, in July 2021. The Consulate General was officially opened by Minister Simon Coveney in October of this year and represents Ireland in the English regions of the North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The Consulate will work alongside and in partnership with the city’s branch of Enterprise Ireland - which was established in April 2019 to support the growth of Irish businesses and trade. “The opening of a Consulate General in Manchester is a concrete example of the Irish Government’s enduring commitment to the British-Irish relationship, and to the Irish community in Britain, and Irish businesses operating here. “Building on the work of the Irish Embassy in London, and in close cooperation with Enterprise Ireland and

JANE MCCULLOCH

Consul General of Ireland to Scotland

Jane McCulloch is the Consul General of Ireland in Edinburgh, having taken up her post in July 2019. A career diplomat originally from Co. Meath, she has served Ireland at home and abroad for more than 14 years. She has served abroad as Deputy Head of Mission and Consul at the Embassies of Ireland in Warsaw and Copenhagen, and at home in various roles across the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Passport Service, in Irish Aid, and in the department’s Protocol Division. Before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, Jane worked in the events industry, delivering major outdoor public events. She is a graduate of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Since arriving in Scotland, McCulloch has delved into the many links between Scotland and Ireland. “In a number of ways, even before I took up this role, I am one of these links. I arrived across the short sea that joins us,

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other State Agencies, the Consulate General team will work to promote Irish interests in the North of England,” Mangan said, describing her new role as an honour and a privilege. A graduate of University College Dublin, Mangan is married to Hari Gupta and they have three children. She is joined by Vice Consul Carina O’Brien at the Consulate General. “The links between Ireland and this part of the world are profound, and uplifting, and have been built over generations,” Minister Coveney said. “There are few facets of life where connections cannot be found and my hope is that with the opening of this new diplomatic mission we will strengthen existing partnerships, and forge new ones, across every sector and area of activity.” In his meetings with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Steve Rotheram and Wendy Morton MP, Minister for Europe and Americas at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Minister Coveney discussed the Ireland-North of England relationship, and opportunities in the community, economic, trade and cultural sectors. An official visit to Ireland led by Mayor Burnham and Mayor Rotheram is expected to take place in early 2022.

on a route already familiar to me,” she told the Irish Voice. “I first came to Scotland 22 years ago, to study at the University of St Andrews, on that same short route across the sea. “There are Grays and McIntoshes and no doubt other Scottish names in my family tree. One of the great pleasures of being in Scotland is having my own name - McCulloch - correctly pronounced,” she joked.

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

18/06/2021 14:49

PHYLLIS MORGAN-FANN

MICHAEL WALSH

Activist, Campaigner, Outreach Coordinator

Managing Director, Allied World

Phyllis Morgan-Fann has been honoured with Ireland’s Presidential Distinguished Service Award for 2021 for her charitable works over the past six decades. The London-based Irish woman has worked tirelessly as an activist and campaigner for justice for the survivors of Ireland’s institutions now living in Britain. She has also spent many years leading support groups to help those who attended care institutions in Ireland between the 1930s and 1990s. Earlier this year, the 77-year-old called for an Irish State apology following the publication of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes Report. Morgan is campaigning for victims to be compensated directly, rather than redress funds being distributed via organisations or centres. She has also called for every Irish survivor in Britain to be entitled to a full Irish pension and free travel when they visit Ireland. The publication of the Commission’s report revealed the horrific truth about the barbaric treatment of women and girls who were forced to take up a place in mother and baby homes. It also confirms around 9,000 children born within them died and that there is no known burial site for many of these. Morgan was the co-founder of the not-for-profit Irish Women Survivors Support Network (IWSSN), set up in 2001 with Sally Mulready. She has supported over 5,000 survivors living in Britain, helping them to move on from their pasts. Before her role at IWSSN, for 30 years she was a licensee and ran various pubs across London. Born in St Patrick’s Mother and Baby home in Dublin’s Navan Road in 1944, Morgan was separated from her mother at the age of four, when she was transferred from St Patrick’s to St Philomena’s Convent in Stillorgan. They managed to keep in touch and were reunited in later life when Phyllis was eventually able to bring her mother, Eleanor Wall, to live with her in London. Morgan herself moved to England in the early 1960s, when she was 19 years old. The mother-of-two now runs the Cairde support group in Kentish Town, north London.

Michael Walsh is Managing Director at global insurance company Allied World, which trades within the Lloyd’s of London marketplace. The Kilkenny man became Freeman of the City of London in November of this year and was awarded a prestigious insurance industry honour. Originally from Keatingstown, Hugginstown, Walsh was honoured by The Worshipful Company of Insurers, the City of London’s livery company for the UK Insurance industry, and invited to become a Freeman of the City of London. The accolade recognises his work across insurance over many years in addition to fundraising efforts for a number of charitable causes. “I am thrilled to have been part of such a prestigious event which forms part of the City’s rich history,” he said. “My award is tribute to all those who came before me and as a proud Kilkenny man it’s a huge privilege.” Walsh, who has lived in the English capital since 2003, is a Business Studies graduate from the Waterford Institute of Technology and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He regularly returns to Ireland to see his parents and maintains strong connections with friends and family across the county. He is married to Louise and has two daughters, Saoirse and Aoife. The Freeman of the City ceremony was followed by a clothing ceremony at the Saddler’s Hall held by the Worshipful Company of Insurers. Festivities concluded with a procession through the streets of London and a thanksgiving service at the Church of St Lawrence Jewry, which dates from Medieval times. The Freemanship of London is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence, it is believed to have first been presented in 1237, allowing a freeman to carry out his trade. Some of the original privileges associated with the Freedom continue to exist including the right to herd sheep over London Bridge.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

Northern-Irish born Margaret Keenan is applauded by staff as she returns to her ward after becoming the first person in Britain to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine on December 8, 2020 in Coventry, (Photo by Jacob King/Getty Images)

SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH OF A NATION As Chief Medical Advisor for the UK Health Security Agency, Professor Susan Hopkins has helped lead Britain’s charge against Covid-19 since a global pandemic was declared in 2020. This year, the epidemiology expert, originally from Kildare, was honoured with a Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad in tribute to her remarkable contribution to science, technology and innovation. As the fight against coronavirus continues, she tells SIOBHÁN BREATNACH what we can expect next. What has been the biggest challenge for you in your career to date?

I’m not sure I would say it was a challenge, but I never wanted a conventional career. I loved infectious diseases (treating individual patients with infections) so when I started in St. James’ Hospital, I diagnosed some individuals with early syphilis which was really unusual and did my first epidemiologic study (studying the patterns of disease and the impact of interventions), I already wanted to combine the two. Then, when I did lab work in Microbiology in St. Vincent’s Hospital, I wanted to incorporate it too but there was no training programme at the time where you could incorporate all three. So I set off creating my own. I completed a Masters in Epidemiology by distance learning while doing my Infectious Diseases training to become a

consultant doctor. After completing my infectious diseases training, I spent two years training in Microbiology so that I could do that too. I have my ideal job now doing all three and supporting others who want to have diverse skills. How do you embrace technology in the course of your work?

My job involves technology every day, from medical science to data science. I have always enjoyed analysing data and learnt to write statistical programs in order to analyse epidemiological studies. I spend far too much time on my computer, whether that be on calls, analysing data, writing presentations, grants, papers, tweeting, answering emails, which isn’t great example when I try to get my teenage son off his PS4! What health-related research are you most excited by right now?

I am the chief investigator for the SIREN (SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation) study, which I planned based on some initial studies we did studying healthcare workers infection and immunity to Covid-19 in early 2020. It is the largest cohort study of healthcare workers globally with almost 50,000 participants who have a nose swab every two weeks and a blood

Dr Susan Hopkins (Photo by Andy Lane)

Continued over >

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

Street art painted by Thomas Llewelyn reminding people passing by that the battle against Coronavirus is still ongoing and to wear masks on January 22, 2021 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)

sample every month. It was initially designed to look at whether infection could protect you from future infections but with vaccine roll-out we moved to study the response to vaccines too. My group went from designing the study to recruiting the first participant in under six weeks – unheard of in normal times. We have shown that immunity lasts at least a year and provides robust protection from re-infection at least in the pre-Delta wave of the pandemic and has also demonstrated the effectiveness of vaccines. We have also worked with immunologists to find the parts of the immune response that prevent infections after vaccination showing both the effect of the antibodies but also other components of the immune response called T cells response to the vaccines. It is a brilliant study for engaging with doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers who see how their participation in research can provide insights and help drive medicine and policy forward. I receive messages almost every day from participants and research teams highlighting how it has raised the importance of medical research – so important for years to come.

What’s next for the world in its Covid journey from a public health point of view?

I think we will have a difficult few months as we continue to see high levels of infection in many countries and try and balance the health and socioeconomic impacts of this infection. With more normal levels

of mixing than we have seen for a couple of years, we will expect to see other respiratory viruses, especially flu, start to circulate and spread which will put added pressure on the health services. Healthcare workers are tired. People are tired of restrictions. But we have some months to go before we can relax.

In your view, how does the pandemic end?

A whimper rather than a roar, I hope. As we vaccinate more and more of the population and immunity is gained globally, I hope that the impact of Covid-19 on the health and also society reduces in impact so that it becomes another part of

Britain’s first vaccine recipient Margaret Keenan (Photo by Getty Images)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

the seasonal respiratory viruses that circulate. But even more than that, with the advances in medical sciences with new drugs and vaccines rapidly developed during the pandemic, I hope that we can impact on other infectious diseases and learn from this pandemic to reduce their impact too.

A pedestrian wears a facemask as he walks along Westminster Bridge in central London on October 20, 2021 (Photo by Tolga Akmen/AFP)

What has been your biggest challenge during the pandemic?

Like the vast majority, physical and social isolation were the biggest challenge for me. I saw almost no-one for the first few months and didn’t see my parents and family in Ireland for more than 20 months. I spent my time worrying about my parents (who are 88 and 77 years old – they won’t thank me for that!) terrified they would catch Covid. The day they got their first vaccinations felt like the beginning of the future and we were delighted to meet up in August 2021 with the whole family vaccinated! What was your personal experience of Covid?

It has been the hardest couple of years of my life but also extremely rewarding. I have worked with public health and infectious diseases professionals across the UK and globally. We have all worked so hard together to share data and insights, develop science and methods to understand Covid-19 better and I have through all of this hard work made some fantastic new friends and colleagues. Home life has been tricky as my husband is a respiratory and ICU doctor so has been working long hours in his hospital. Thankfully, we had an amazing German au pair that stayed with us throughout and was a great friend to my son. My son had to grow up quickly as we both worked very long hours and I think he has done great, though like many, I worry that the pandemic may have longer term consequences on young people. What is your response to those who are vaccine hesitant or anti-vaccination?

I understand people being hesitant about new technology and vaccines are no different. However, the research on these vaccines has been performed to the highest ethical standards in many countries – all showing the same thing – these vaccines are safe and highly

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effective, especially at preventing severe disease, hospitalisation and death. Almost eight billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally to nearly 3.5billion individuals. And of course there are some side effects but they are extremely rare. More than five million people are confirmed to have died from this terrible illness – and this is likely to be an under-estimate. Much better to get vaccinated than be admitted to hospital, requiring oxygen, losing strength and potentially never recovering to fully normal life. And for young healthy people, it can still cause long term problems especially with fatigue.

What’s been your proudest moment to date?

doing. My parents are delighted too!

Winning the Presidential Award – without doubt! It was completely unexpected. I thought the Ambassador wanted to speak to me about Covid-19 so was completely shocked when he told me why he was calling. It was so lovely to think that Irish colleagues nominated me for my work on Covid and infectious diseases over the years and that they were interested in what I was

Tell us something about yourself that we can’t read on the internet.

I have a crazy cockapoo called Luna (after Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter). My son was Potter mad at the time and we tried out all the Harry Potter names for dogs by wandering around our local park shouting all the characters names one weekend – final decision Albus for a boy and Luna for a girl … and a girl she was!

Tell us a little bit about your life growing up in Ireland and journey to Britain?

I grew up in Kildare, a farmer’s daughter. I always wanted to be a doctor, for no good clear reason but I liked science, talking and solving problems - and that isn’t a bad combination for a doctor. I trained in Trinity College Dublin and then did the majority of my specialist training in Dublin hospitals – the old Meath and Adelaide hospitals, just before they moved to Tallaght, as well as St James’ and St Vincent’s with some time spent in Wexford General (with evenings spent eating crab claws by the beach!). After leaving Dublin, I did some research in syphilis in Seattle and then worked in Paris treating individuals with HIV. I did my last year of training in London, having managed to find a post that would work to allow me to complete my training from Ireland. Just as I was thinking about returning to Ireland, I met a Londoner … and the rest is history!

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INNOVATORS

Jason Coyle FOOD INNOVATOR, MR. CRUMB & INVISIBLE CHEF

ondon-based Jason Coyle is the founder of Mr. Crumb & Invisible Chef, handmade in his native village of Finea, Co. Westmeath, where the business is based. Mr. Crumb makes award winning Irish Traditional Stuffing and Invisible Chef is a range of Hot Food to Go sold throughout UK in Retail & Foodservice. A lot of the company’s products are sold under private label in supermarkets so there is a good chance that you’ve already eaten one of his delicious creations. The company was voted Business All Stars Innovative Company of the Year 2020 & 2021.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS BEING THE BIGGEST FUTURE TRENDS IN FOOD? The cost of food will continue to increase into 2022 as general inflation rises unfortunately. The rise in plant-based foods as the costs and environmental impact of meat increases although this will be slow steady growth. West African food has been waiting to explode and could become as beloved in the UK as Indian food.

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

ROBIN GILL

Chef, Restaurateur

It’s not been an easy year or so for most businesses, particularly those working in the hospitality sector. Therefore, it’s hats off to entrepreneurial chef and restaurateur Robin Gill who opened his latest venture Bermondsey Larder near London Bridge in the midst of the pandemic. The new eatery came just months after the closure of Gill’s debut solo venture The Dairy, which first opened in Clapham, in the south of the capital, in 2013. Originally from Sandycove in Dublin, London-based Gill can do no wrong right now when it comes to culinary endeavours. Having worked at some of the world’s top restaurants, his passion for seasonal fare and impeccable cooking style has garnered him a reputation as one of Britain’s best chefs. Along with wife Sarah Gill, the popular pair are mainstays of the London food scene. ‘I was always cooking at home, and two of my good friends were chefs. They suggested I do the same, and I only said yes to make them happy. But the second I got into the kitchen and experience the thrill of service I knew it was for me,” he told greatbritishchefs.com. A judge on Masterchef Ireland, Gill has neighbourhood bistro Sorella and also opened Darby’s at Ballymore’s Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms - inspired by his father’s jazz career with a nod to the elegance of the 1950s and 60s. A former Good Food Guide Chef of the Year, he is also the author of cook book Larder, published by Bloomsbury. Among the restaurants on Gill’s CV are La Stampa in Dublin – where he started his cooking career – Marco Pierre White’s The Oak Room and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons.

Festive Greetings Have a Healthy & Happy New Year

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

EAMONN MCGURK

Owner & Director, The McGurk Group

The McGurk Group was founded in 1963 by the late Eamonn Joseph McGurk who travelled from Newbliss, Co. Monaghan to Gloucester to start a family and a local Haulage and Plant Hire company specialising in Tipper Lorries and Excavation projects. The business has grown substantially to incorporate a diverse portfolio of businesses, from Haulage, Property, Construction, Groundworks, Recycling to Supported Accommodation for people with mental health and learning difficulties as well as domiciliary care in the community. It continues to grow as a family-run business, operating nationally and internationally. Growing up in rural Ireland, Eamonn McGurk Senior, along with his brothers were keen Gaelic footballers who played for their local team Killeevan Sarsfields. The family continue to support the club and there is a stand named after Eamonn. The family is very proud of its Irish heritage. Eamonn McGurk, son of the late Eamonn senior, is the Chairman of the Gloucester Irish Club, with other members of the family assisting many roles within the local Gaelic club St Patrick’s GAA. The Irish Club has strong support, with many members giving their time and dedication to continuing the traditions from music to dance and comedy nights.

The Club was recently awarded a grant from the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Programme to improve the building and build a café. A recent award was also granted to install a lift in the building, further enhancing the club’s ability to support the elderly and those with disabilities. Taking over the family business

More than anything, Eamonn McGurk Senior loved playing his guitar in a local Irish band. A talented musician, he never missed an opportunity to visit Ireland. McGurk has followed in his dad’s footsteps and enjoys relaxing to music and plays the guitar himself. Learning from his father, haulage was firmly in McGurk’s blood by the time he took over the reins at a very early age following his dad’s untimely ill-health. This knowledge and experience enabled him to understand the business, have the skills to negotiate multiple fleet deals with Volvo Trucks, Hitachi and Komatsu Excavators among others. McGurk is committed to reinvesting in the business to make sure it has the most up-to-date, efficient and reliable equipment to ensure clients receive the best possible service and delivery. Eamonn and Brian McGurk are currently leading the McGurk family business, with Haulage, Construction, Property and Plant Hire at the core of the services provided.

An industry powerhouse, as a group the business turns over in excess of £100million per year and employs up to 1,000 staff between the associated businesses. Most recent projects include establishing themselves as market leaders for large span structures for premiere league football clubs. The McGurk offering now expands across many sectors to include education, aviation, manufacturing, EV Infrastructure, warehousing, recycling and aggregate stations. Eamonn himself has previously lived in Co. Louth and West London. He now lives on a farm in Wiltshire. Committed to the next generation

The McGurk Group is committed to investing in people for the future, offering a range of comprehensive apprenticeship schemes whilst supporting the community through charitable organisations including local football clubs and organisations. Being able to give back is a priority. From conception, McGurk Group has been and always will be committed to community involvement, volunteering its time and resources to local and national causes. Preserving long-term relationships has always been at the heart of the McGurk Group, supported by strong family values. To ensure sustainability through challenging times, the company stays ahead of new technologies and changes to the way people

work and live. There are four generations of the 100-strong McGurk family in Gloucester. Eamonn McGurk has owned Gloucester City Football Club since the mid-1990s. It has been through some challenging times. The ground flooded on three occasions, including 2007 when the team had to leave their home ground. Through diligence and hard work, after 13 long years, the team is finally back playing home games on a state-of-the-art AstroTurf pitch, world-class floodlighting and substantial flood defence systems to ensure it’s safe from future flooding. As a business, McGurk takes an active role in the communities they work and live. As part of their community support, Eamonn McGurk is also a member of the local Rotary club, raising funds for charity. The business takes part in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Pride carnivals in Gloucester, London and Ireland and is a member of the British & Irish Trade Association. Other memberships include The Canal Trust and The London Irish Construction Network, TLICN. McGurk was also awarded the Freedom of The City of London in recent years and has attended the Queen’s Garden Party. With head offices in Gloucester and Swindon, works are carried out in Cheltenham, Bristol, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Southampton, Kent, London and Manchester.

Eamonn McGurk (left) with Noel Byrne, when they both received the Freedom of London Award.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

BRENDAN MALONEY

Co-founder & CEO, Skillko.com

Brendan Maloney co-founded Skillko in late 2018 with the goal of simplifying resource training compliance and staff/contractor onboarding for the construction and utility industries. Fast forward three years and Skillko is working with some of the largest companies in the UK and Ireland. Clients include Toureen Group, Gallagher Group, Keltbray Group, Roadbridge & PJ Hegarty & Sons. “Working in the HSEQ sector for over 12 years, I repeatedly witnessed gaps and time wasted in resource training compliance,” Maloney says. “Excel sheets for managing staff training, staff folders saved on a server or hard copies stuck in a site file or vehicle. There was always the elephant in the room question how do we actually know that our staff are trained to complete the work they are employed to do?” In 2012 Maloney joined one of the largest power utility contractors in the UK where he started off as the transmission manager for clients such as ENWL, SSE, Scottish Power & UKPN. As this was an operations role, he soon saw the problems operational staff have with training and resource management. “With numerous staff, either direct or contractors, arriving to site each day across multiple projects, it was extremely difficult to determine who was inducted or if they had the training required to do the job. “It took up two hours a day for each operations manager in the team to ensure they had a compliant workforce. Like all managers, this was a major pain point as it affected productivity daily.” In 2015, Maloney founded Westbel Utilities Limited, which he successfully exited in 2019. Westbel built and maintained Overhead Powerline networks. This was the final piece of the puzzle for him to know there was a problem to solve. “From looking at resource training and onboarding compliance as an employer, you see an overview of all of the different aspects rather than approaching the issue with one specific viewpoint. “From a time and cost perspective, the inefficiencies that are ongoing in each department, HSEQ, Operations and Tendering teams soon become apparent with each department requiring the same information but everyone

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duplicating works. “From a compliance perspective, how concerning is it to think you have staff on a project not trained to complete the works they are employed to do? “The implications it could have from a person getting injured to claims to the business, ‘ said Brendan. Maloney, along with his co-founder and COO, Dermot O’Connor, launched Skillko Compliance in late 2018 to firstly ensure smarter resource training compliance and remove the duplication of works. In 2020, Skillko launched Skillko Trainer, a product to remove training administration for training providers in the same industries and also sell their training courses to Skillko’s existing client base via the Skillko Marketplace. In 2021, Skillko launched, Skillko Learn to digitise and streamline staff and contractors onboarding and inductions procedures. Skillko’s HQ is in Westport, Co. Mayo, home to a 15-strong team and looking to grow to 25 in 2022. “Although it’s a SaaS based business, our team is everything to us,” Maloney adds. What disruptive technology is impressing you right now?

“Procore. They are changing and leading the way companies manage projects, along with the quality of those projects. We will be integrating with Procure in the first quarter of 2022. We think it will be an excellent partnership and will benefit existing and potential clients.”

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What will be the biggest barriers to retaining talent in a postpandemic environment?

“Construction and utilities industries are going through unprecedented times with labour shortages. Our industry is always moving fast, so much so, we sometimes don’t take the time to realise how we can make our business more efficient - not just for the business but more for the people who make the business. A lot of the time, people leave companies due to monotonous tasks that are usually not seen within a senior management team. Tasks can be removed by implementing software, which in turn allows staff to get their time back to do what they love doing. This will boost morale, maintain a positive work culture and reduce the possibility of staff members leaving.”

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EDDIE MCGILLYCUDDY

Managing Director, Glencar Construction

Kerry-born Eddie McGillycuddy is the founder and Managing Director of one of Europe’s fastest growing companies, Glencar Construction. Having grown up in Harrow where his parents moved when he was young, Eddie graduated in 2002 with a degree in Construction Management. He joined McLaren Construction as an Assistant Engineer, working his way through the ranks to become Divisional Director, responsible for multiple schemes across various sectors with an annual turnover in excess of £150million. In 2016 he established Glencar Construction along with his business partner Chris Gleave. Spotting an opportunity in the booming industrial and logistics sector, they made this their focus, quickly establishing an excellent reputation for the build, refurbishment and repositioning of warehousing and industrial developments across Britain. By 2020, turnover had reached about £100million and Glencar was awarded the top spot in the annual Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table, which ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales. Glencar had grown sales by an impressive 441 per cent a year over three years, a record for the table over its 24 years. Soon after this the company was ranked fourth in the FT1000 league table which charts the 1,000 companies in Europe that have achieved the highest percentage growth in revenues over the past 12 months. Glencar established a strong customer community with high rate of repeat business from customers including Ocado, Prologis, PLP, Aberdeen Standard, Segro and Valor Real Estate. In the last two years, this list has expanded to include Amazon, Baytree, GLP, Goodman, UPS and St. Modwen. The company has also expanded into other related sectors including pharmaceuticals and automotive. The award of the contract to construct Britain’s first dedicated vaccines manufacturing facility at VMIC in Oxfordshire assumed national importance in early 2020 with the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. With a team of some 220 people and offices in St Albans, Birmingham, Manchester and Co. Kerry, McGillycuddy is an enthusiastic advocate for careers in construction and developing and retaining talent remains a key priority. A Glencar graduate scheme is now in place and the business has a high percentage of trainees, with structured schemes in place for workplace learning. Based on high quality delivery, first class service and an enjoyable customer experience the turnover forecast for 2021-22 is circa £400million.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

SEAN O’DRISCOLL

CEO, Galldris Group

London-based Sean O’Driscoll has almost three decades experience in the construction industry. In 1998, along with business partner Donal Gallagher, he co-founded the Galldris Group. The company started off specialising in tunnelling projects but quickly diversified into basement construction, groundworks, concrete structures and infrastructure works, enabling Galldris to offer their clients a one-stop shop service. Galldris deliver these services across several different sectors including rail, residential, commercial, retail, leisure, industrial, air and health - working predominantly in London and the home counties. To date the company has been involved in the delivery of a number of high-profile projects including Crossrail’s New Old Oak Common Depot, King’s Cross Station redevelopment, Google’s new London HQ, Royal Wharf and Royal Albert Dock among others. In recent years, Galldris has not only delivered for main contractors but has also acted as principal contractor for Greystar, Oxley,

Argent, TFL and British Land. With a reputation as an agile, flexible and pro-active contractor that self-delivers through collaboration, Galldris is known for its open book approach to managing risk and giving clients visibility of costs. When not in the office, you’re likely to find Sean in the gym or indulging in his passion for vintage cars. Married to Co. Fermanagh native Ann Marie, the couple have three children, Caolan, Ava and Shauna. As a company, Galldris is proud of its Irish roots and lends its support to a number of British and Irish charity groups and organisations. These include Macmillan Cancer Support, Royal Free Charity, Acton Homeless Concern, Blesma, British Heart Foundation, Keech Hospice Care, Lymphoma Action, Alzheimer’s Society, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund, Shine, Prudential RideLondon to name but a few. At its annual Golf Day at the Grove in September, Galldris raised over £20,000 for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Barnet - a local charity close to the company’s heart. Galldris is now also working on HS2.

WHAT WILL BE THE BIGGEST DISRUPTOR IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT DECADE?

The Galldris Group were the 2018 winners of The Irish Post Building Britain Award. Here are co-founders Sean O’Driscoll, and Donal Gallagher, receiving their prize from Aoife Ní Thuairisg of TG4 and Award sponsor, Brendan Morahan of Invennt

The biggest disruptor will be staff shortages due to Brexit. We are very lucky to have built a great team around us over the last 23 years. At the end of the day you’re only ever as good as the people around you! We’re also looking to introduce off site manufacturing to our sites where appropriate, using precast concrete products and prefabricated steel reinforcement cages. Our main agenda for 2021 onwards is to help reduce embodied carbon in the built environment. We are working to achieve this, for example, by using low carbon concrete and reducing slab thicknesses.

(Photo by Malcolm McNally)

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

ED SHEERAN

Singer, Songwriter

A global success story, Ed Sheeran is fiercely proud of his Irish roots, which stretch back to his paternal grandparents who come from Derry and Wexford and now live in Gorey, Co. Wexford. A patron of the London Irish Centre, he is an active supporter of the Irish community in Britain. In an interview with The Irish Examiner in 2011 he spoke of how his family “used to go over three or four times a year. We have loads of Irish cousins.” He has also admitted to being inspired to pick up the guitar after watching a Damien Rice concert in Dublin when he was just 11 years old. Sheenan has history sporting GAA colours - he made a brief cameo in a GAA shirt in hit comedy film Bridget Jones’s Baby and did the same while playing a concert at a sold-out Croke Park in front of a 80,000 bumper crowd in 2015. Musically innovative, he has been described as an era-defining artist and this year continued his epic reign of the music industry. Sheeran is a four time Grammy award-winner with his music and lyrics resonating with fans across the world. His previous four criticallyacclaimed albums were multiplatinum - + (2011), x (2014), ÷ (2017) and No.6 Collaborations Project (2019). Sheeran has amassed more than 60 billion streams and sold over 50million albums to date. He is also one of only six artists to have three songs - Thinking Out Loud, Perfect

and Shape Of You - earn RIAA Diamond-certification, for sales exceeding 10 million in the US alone. This year Sheeran debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with his latest album =. Written and recorded across Suffolk, London, Sweden and LA, it’s highlighted by the charttopping, lead single Bad Habits and follow-up Shivers. Its artwork is a collage of butterfly imagery symbolising the albums’ thread of new life and is backdropped by one of Sheeran’s own abstract paintings. Sheeran was recently recognised with a raft of award show nominations, including an American Music Awards nomination for Favorite Male Pop Artist, a pair of People’s Choice Awards nominations for Male Artist of 2021 and Song of 2021 (Bad Habits), and five MTV EMA nominations including Best Artist and Best Song and Best Video, also for Bad Habits. Fun fact … Sheeran starting out busking in Galway. The then 14-year-old used to hone his craft by busking on the streets of the city of the tribes. Shop Street in Galway is famed for featuring in Sheeran’s music video for his 2015 single Photograph. – a hit single her wrote with Northern Irishman and Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

ROSITA WESTROPP-BENNETT

Vice Chair & Group Finance Director, Kelly Group

Rosita Westropp-Bennett was born in Limerick and studied accountancy at The School of Professional Studies in Limerick City. She moved to London in 1989 to pursue her career. As a qualified accountant, Rosita joined Kelly Group in 1995 as its Management Accountant. She was appointed to the Main Board of Directors as the Groups Finance Director in 2002 and was promoted to Kelly Group Vice Chair in 2020. Previous posts include various accounting roles with House of Fraser and Harrods in London and EDS. As Vice Chair & Group Finance Director, she is responsible for all aspects of Kelly Group’s finances, including managing the group’s 16 subsidiary and associate companies. As a trusted support to Kelly Group’s Chairman Tim Kelly, she has been instrumental in Kelly Group’s success. Demonstrating exceptional leadership and support she has implemented strategic growth within the business across many sectors including Telecommunications, Utility, Rail and Energy. With Westropp-Bennett’s direction Kelly Group currently employs more than 3,500 staff and operates a fleet of over 2,500 vehicles from its 40+ national operation centres including the group headquarters, based in Wembley, London and their 4.5-acre depot in Enfield, which also houses the groups new state-of-the-art national training centre. She is an advocate for corporate social responsibility and is passionate about providing a

positive impact on society and the local communities Kelly Group serve. She has spearheaded innovation investment opportunities in smart technology, from electronic planning and reporting tools to the company’s ultra-low emission and EV fleet, to video conferencing technology in assisting to mitigate the impact on the environment. As a woman in business, she has always encouraged gender equality and diversity within the group, including support of the recent 2021 Women in Engineering Day. Rosita believes her success is achieved by developing a very dedicated, hard-working and loyal team, who in turn deliver a quality service. When work and family commitments permit she enjoys walking, the theatre, reading and going to the gym. What do you look for when it comes to future talent?

“Talent is our key challenge at Kelly Group. Good people are key to what we provide to our clients and at present the UK labour market is highly competitive. We have had a long tradition of promoting within the group and are proud of the fact that over 80 per cent of our Board have over 20 years’ experience in the company often starting on the tools. This is a real asset, but we recognise we need to blend that experience with training, new ideas, innovation and encouraging young talented recruits to the group. In order to do that we will be increasingly looking to bring in a wider range of skills and competencies from a diverse set of new hires. We have

engaged new digital-led recruitment and training platforms to reach this more diverse pool of potential hires.” Share something people might not know about you …

“My mother bred Davy Lad the 1977 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner. My family still resides in Ireland. My grandfather Thomas WestroppBennett was Chairman of the Irish Senate from 1922 to 1936, which included other very well know Irish people such as W.B. Yeats, and my cousin is renowned Irish artist Robert Ballagh, credited with the introduction of Pop Art to Ireland.” Greatest achievements to date?

“In terms of business having been honoured by Tim Kelly and the Kelly Group with the promotion to Vice Chair in 2020. On a personal level my greatest achievement is my family - my husband Tim Lane R.I.P and our children James and Tara. James is pursuing a career in Investment Management in London and Tara is studying Math & Economics in Trinity College Dublin - I’m so proud of them.”

A good year in 2021

2021 has been an exciting time for telecommunications contractor, Kelly Group. The UK is undergoing a rapid build-out of its Fibre network looking to go from two in 10 premises having access to Full Fibre to the Home, to nine in 10 homes by the end of the decade. This is fuelled by over £30billion investment from the private and public sector. Kelly Group is at the centre of this Fibre gold rush working, as it has done for many years, for key players such as BT Openreach and Virgin Media O2. In 2021 and recent years the group also won business for some of the innovative alternative challenger networks such as City Fibre and Community Fibre. With other opportunities emerging in 2021 from new sectors such as the EV charging market, it looks to be a great future for the group. The Kelly Group is also committed to giving back and supports a number of Irish, London Irish and UK charities including the London Irish Ward Appeal at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital.

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

LEADERS

Joe Biden 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

resident Biden represented Delaware for 36 years in the U.S. Senate before becoming the 47th Vice President of the United States. He has been hailed as the most Irish-American US President since John F Kennedy and has spoken frequently of his family ties to Ireland, which can be traced by to Co. Mayo and Co. Louth. Biden’s great-great grandfather Patrick Blewitt was born in Ballina in Co. Mayo back in 1932. He left Ireland in the autumn of 1850 and headed off to America. The Blewitts eventually settled in Scranton, Pennsylvania where Patrick had a son, Edward F Blewitt, who was born in New Orleans in 1859 and would go on to train as a civil engineer before embarking on a career in politics that saw him elected to the Senate in 1907. Blewitt married Mary Ellen Stanton. They had four children together - two boys and two girls - named Patrick, Arthur, Gertrude and Geraldine. Geraldine later married Ambrose Finnegan and together they had a daughter called Jean, who was born in 1917. Catherine Eugenia ‘Jean’ Finnegan would go on to marry Joseph Robinette Biden Sr. They had four children together Valerie, Francis, James and Joe Biden Jr, the latter of whom would go on to become President. Biden’s other great-great grandfather was a man by the name of Owen Finnegan, who hailed from the Cooley Peninsula in Co. Louth. He married Jean Boyle in 1839 and together they had four children including James Finnegan in 1840 – Biden’s great grandfather. Biden considers himself Irish and by heritage, is roughly five-eighths so. The President also has several distant family members who live in his ancestral home of Ballina, where a mural has been painted in the town’s Market Square in his honour. At age 29, President Biden became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. Just weeks later, tragedy struck the Biden family when his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed, and sons Hunter and Beau were critically injured, in a car accident. Biden married Jill Jacobs in 1977, and in 1980, their family was complete with the birth of Ashley Blazer Biden. Beau Biden, Attorney General of Delaware and Joe Biden’s eldest son, passed away in 2015 after battling brain cancer. His fight with cancer inspires the mission of President Biden’s life ending cancer as we know it. As Chairman or Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for 12 years, Biden played a pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy. He was at the forefront of issues and legislation related to terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, post-Cold War Europe, the Middle East, Southwest Asia, and ending apartheid. As Vice President, Biden helped President Obama pass and then oversaw the implementation of the Recovery Act — an economic recovery plan and commitment to clean energy. In April 2019, Biden announced his candidacy for President of the United States. His inauguration ceremony took place on January 20, 2021.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

MARTIN FRASER

Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, AmbassadorDesignate of Ireland to the United Kingdom

Martin Fraser will take up his new post as Ireland’s Ambassador in Britain in the latter half of 2022 – taking over the helm at the Irish Embassy in London from current Ambassador Adrian O’Neill. From Dublin, he joined the civil service aged 16 and worked in the Department of Social Welfare for 10 years. He later worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, before joining the Department of the Taoiseach in 1999. He has served as Secretary General to the Government and Secretary General of the Department of the

FRANK O’HARE

Founder Member & Director TLICN

Growing up in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, Frank O’Hare moved to London in 1972 where he has been involved in construction and property development ever since. “I come from a farming background in Co. Cavan and still consider myself a Cavan man, I love to visit family and friends there when possible,” he says. “Myself and my wife Kathleen live in north London and have three grown up children, three grandchildren, which we are actively involved with.” In 2009 O’Hare met a number of other businessmen while commuting between Ireland and London for work and the idea for The London Irish Construction Network (TLICN) was born. It launched at The Irish Club in Blackfriars later that year with key support from Con O’Sullivan, Niall O’Dowd, Sean Daly and Mary Pottinger. “The network has gone from strength to strength over the years and I am very proud of what has been achieved by all at TLICN. Recent highlights have included an evening cruise on the River Thames and our annual Christmas drinks event at The Rotunda bar & Restaurant near Kings Cross, which were both a great success for our members and

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Taoiseach for over 10 years. In that role, he has been closely involved in the response to the global economic crisis, Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as social reforms such as the referendums on marriage equality and the repeal of the 8th amendment. He has been involved in developing British-Irish relations for nearly 20 years - working on the Northern Ireland peace process since 2004, as well as the State Visits of the Queen to Ireland and of the President to Britain, and the Decade of Centenaries. He is an avid follower of sport, including football, GAA, rugby, golf and cricket. He follows Liverpool, the Republic of Ireland and the Dubs, and is a regular attender at games. He is also interested in arts, culture and reading, especially history.

sponsors alike.“ Supported by Evans Mockler, Galliard Homes and Ardent Tide, the network hosts high-profile events each year. In the 12 years since its foundation, TLICN has had some fantastic keynote speakers – including former Chief Executive of Wates Group Paul Drechsler CBE, former Transport for London commissioner Mike Brown and former Mayor Ken Livingstone - from various sectors of the construction, corporate and political arenas in London. “Following all the disruption due to Covid-19 I look forward to TLICN re-starting our normal events where we invite speakers to address our members on a variety of topics connected to the construction industry,” O’Hare adds.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW? Over the years in construction I have always been interested in the latest technology both in the office and on site. I have been delighted to watch recent developments in electric-powered machinery taking over on sites especially the JCB range that are in big demand from some of our members cutting out pollution and noise.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

BERNARD LOONEY

Chief Executive Officer, BP

Kerry native Bernard Looney is leading bp through the most far-reaching transformation in its 112-year history. He joined bp in 1991 from university as a drilling engineer and has held a number of operational and managerial positions, including in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, Vietnam and the UK North Sea. He is a long-time advocate for improving people’s mental health and is committed to creating a respectful, inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can be their best selves. Looney says he is focused on bp performing for shareholders today while transforming for tomorrow. Since he became chief executive in February 2020, bp has announced a new corporate purpose – to reimagine energy for people and our planet – and its ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner while also helping the world to net zero. It has also launched a new strategy that will pivot bp from international oil company to integrated energy company. Previously, Looney spent 11 years

as part of bp’s upstream leadership team where, as upstream chief executive from 2016 onwards, he oversaw significant improvements in safety and performance. The Irishman is a member of the steering committee for the Council of Inclusive Capitalism, a member of the UK Government’s Build Back Better Business Council, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Energy Institute. He is also a mentor in the FTSE 100 Cross-Company Mentoring Executive Programme and an ambassador for 25 x 25, an initiative aimed at improving the gender balance among the leadership of FTSE companies. He was elected a director of Rosneft in June 2020. Looney has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from University College Dublin and a masters in management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. One of five siblings, he grew up on a small dairy farm near Kenmare in Co. Kerry.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO CREATING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES? If the world is going to hit net zero, sectors like energy, transport and industry – which account for 70 per cent of emissions today – have to be transformed. That’s why one of the most significant things people can do is to support ‘greening’ companies - companies that have a net zero ambition, near-term targets and a coherent plan to get there.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

DEIRDRE MCPARTLIN

UK Manager, Enterprise Ireland

Deirdre McPartlin is UK Director for Enterprise Ireland leading teams in London and Manchester. Her previous experience with Enterprise Ireland includes 18 months in the Brexit Unit following the UK referendum in 2016, where she was part of a small lead leading

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the development of Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit supports and response. She also spent three years in the Engineering Department in Dublin as a Senior Development Advisor and five years as Director of the DACH region - Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A graduate of Trinity College

Dublin, she loves reading, travel and learning new languages. Irish in business in Britain

In September this year, Enterprise Ireland client companies ESB Energy, Zipp Mobility, ESS Modular, Aico, Serosep, Over-C and I3PT announced new deals and expansions in Britain, with 67

EI-supported companies having established a new presence in the British market in the last 18 months. Irish companies are employing over 125,000 people in UK, according to latest CSO figures, across sectors such as digital technology, life sciences, construction, fintech, energy and transport.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

AMBASSADOR ADRIAN O’NEILL

Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom

Ambassador Adrian O’Neill has been Ireland’s Ambassador to Britain since 2017, overseeing one of Ireland’s largest diplomatic Missions. Prior to his appointment to London, the Ambassador was Second Secretary General in Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Ireland, Britain and Americas Division. A Trinity College Dublin graduate, he previously held the role of Secretary General to President Mary McAleese and President Michael D.

Higgins, working on both the State Visit of Queen Elizabeth to Ireland in May 2011 and the return State Visit of President Higgins to Britain in April 2014. As well as having served in a number of senior positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Head of the Corporate Services Division and Director General of Anglo-Irish Division (2009-10), the Ambassador has been posted to Madrid, Boston and Washington. Praise for frontline workers and community groups

During the pandemic, Ambassador O’Neill has been a

leading voice, commending the Irish effort in Britain in the fight against Covid. Speaking earlier this year, he paid tribute to the 14,000 Irish men and women working in the NHS as well as those organisations who have been supporting those older and more vulnerable. “We cannot understate the difficulties faced by our communities in the last year, nor the illnesses endured and the sad fatalities sustained,” he said. “However, neither can we fail to notice the ingenuity, adaptability and generosity of spirit of Irish community organisations across Great Britain in responding to this

terrible pandemic. “I have been deeply impressed with the dedication of those who, over the past 12 months, have shown such togetherness, creativity, and goodwill in adapting to the new normal,” he added. “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, community organisations have risen to the challenge and evolved their services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community. “In their tireless efforts, these organisations have once again emphasised the positive contributions that the Irish community makes to the UK.”

Pictured outside the Irish Embassy are Julian Evans, Vice-Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Irish Ambassador Adrian O’Neill and his wife Aisling (Photo by Malcolm McNally)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

JULIE WAKLEY

Head of Great Britain, Tourism Ireland

As we emerge from the shadows of the pandemic, there is renewed optimism when it comes to travel and tourism. Leading the charge of promoting the Emerald Isle in Britain is Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s Head of Great Britain. Four years into her leadership role, Wakley joined Tourism Ireland in 2016 as Deputy Head of Great Britain - Consumer Marketing before being appointed to the top job. A snapshot of the travel industry, released by the Central Statistics Office in October this year, showed Ireland’s tourism industry was on the verge of near collapse in 2020. Just 8.3million passengers passed through the country’s main airports, a decrease of 78 per cent on the previous year. A total of 4.5million overseas passengers arrived and departed – a massive drop when compared to 2019 when more than 20million passengers both arrived and departed. The most popular destination to and from Ireland was LondonHeathrow with 581,900 passengers travelling on this route. Wakley’s role - developing and delivering innovative marketing campaigns and establishing strong relationships with key stakeholders, in Britain and around the island of Ireland – is arguably more pivotal now than ever. Her previous senior managerial experience will no doubt be put to good use. She is a former marketing manager for BBC Politics & Current Affairs, where she led the marketing activity on TV, radio and online around the Scottish Referendum and the 2015 General Election. She was also part of the team responsible for the UK Government’s ‘GREAT Britain’ campaign, promoting trade and tourism in international markets to maximise economic benefits during 2012, the year of the

Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and the Paralympic Games. It was this experience of working with key tourism bodies, including

VisitBritain, VisitScotland and English Heritage, that sparked her interest in the tourism sector. She also worked as account director at the Central Office of Information (COI), the UK Government’s marketing and communication agency, for five years, developing and delivering campaigns to change consumer behaviour for the Department of Health and the Department for Education, among others. How to market Ireland in Britain

Chef Clodagh McKenna

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Celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna recently showcased Ireland as part of a Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland supported food and travel mini-series, which aired on ITV.

Around two million people were expected to watch each episode of Clodagh’s Ireland, which included one live segment broadcast from Blarney Castle on This Morning and John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen. Clodagh also visited Dick Mack’s and Pax House in Dingle and went seaweed foraging while in Kerry. The mini-series will include a cookery segment from Derrynane Beach. Cork’s English Market, Shandon Sweets, Midleton Farmers’ Market and Ballymaloe Cookery School also featured. “It’s a great way to shine a spotlight on our wonderful culinary offering and spectacular scenery, as well as our fantastic outdoor activities,” Julie Wakley said.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

PIONEERS

Tom O’Brien GROUP CHAIRMAN, O’HALLORAN & O’BRIEN

or O’Halloran & O’Brien forging strong relationships and providing a high quality service go hand-inhand. With projects ranging from £500k to over £40million, the company thrives on repeat work and is a trusted name within the industry. Having arrived in Britain in the mid-1960s from the west of Ireland, Group Chairman Tom O’Brien now leads one of the country’s most respected building contractors, civil engineering and concrete frames firms. “Everybody at that time, all my class had emigrated to England or America,” O’Brien says of his decision to leave home. “There was very little work in the west of Ireland at the time and it was the obvious choice.” Having grown up between Kerry and Mayo, he co-founded OHOB in London with long-time friend Billy O’Halloran. Today, the company operates a number of other family-run businesses including Riverdale Developments Ltd and B&T Plant Hire. Since 1995, B&T has offered a B2B construction equipment hire service across the south east of England. Today is supplies over 2,000 machines to some of largest building

contractors from depots in Morden and Kent. An OHOB subsidiary, Riverdale Developments Ltd is an apartment and housing development company

in south London, Surrey and Sussex. Having begun his working life as a farm labourer and later a carpenter, Tom O’Brien spotted an opportunity to build something of his own when he met Billy O’Halloran. With the two

sharing a similar work ethic and ethos they worked together for over 30 years before O’Halloran’s retirement in 2003. OHOB now works with an impressive client list including firms such as Ballymore, Berkeley, Barratt Homes, Canary Wharf Contractors, Careys and Taylor Wimpey to name but a few. The group puts major emphasis on health and safety, education and training for its workforce. It has also supported an initiative funded by The Mayor of London’s Construction Academy to create jobs for unemployed Londoners. With a workforce of around 2,300 people, over 750 of OHOB’s operatives are also currently studying NVQs in areas such as construction operations, plant operations, steel fixing, formworks and lifting operations. With a head office in Morden, OHOB is very much a family business involving his three children. OHOB has enjoyed year-on-year growth since it was founded, testament to its leadership team. O’Brien’s daughter Louise is a sales director for the company’s housing division, while his son Tom is managing director in the plant hire business. Out of the office, O’Brien likes to spend time back in Ireland where he has homes in Mayo and Malahide, Dublin. He’s also a keen rugby fan and supporter of Connacht Rugby Club.

NEW ENDEAVOURS In 2020 and into this year, the firm started new company Keady - a design and build contractor. Keady has already secured some large contracts and is growing well. In 2021, O’Halloran & O’Brien’s housing development company Riverdale also achieved the best success in its history by building over 100 houses. It currently has 800 units going through planning meaning Riverdale is set for great growth. O’Halloran & O’Brien’s main charity is local organisation St Raphael’s Hospice and The Lighthouse Club. The company also sponsors a number of local sports clubs and teams in England and Ireland.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

RICHARD CORRIGAN

Chef, Entrepreneur

One of the true pioneers of Irish food in Britain, Richard Corrigan is one of the most passionate and colourful chefs in the country. Corrigan has opened numerous restaurants, and gained a Michelin star along the way, during his career to date. Chef-patron of Corrigan’s Mayfair and Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill and newest addition Daffodil Mulligans in London, Corrigan’s enthusiasm for seasonal fare and locally sourced ingredients has elevated his reputation among critics and customers alike. His first Michelin star was awarded to him when he was head chef of Stephen Bull in Fulham in 1994 after which he went on to open Lindsay House in Soho, London, and won a Michelin star there in 1997. In 2014 Corrigan bought the 150 acre estate the Virginia Park Lodge in Co. Cavan, where he married his wife Maria 28 years before. Corrigan, who is a George Orwell fan, has been crowned winner of the Great British menu three times and also won the Great British Waste Menu special, airing to over seven million people on BBC 1. A published author, his book The Clatter of Forks and Spoons is a personal history of growing up in Ireland and recipes inspired by his rural upbringing. Recently, speaking on Simon Rimmer’s podcast Grilling, Corrigan spoke about the sneaky way he once guaranteed a great review from formidable food critic Fay Maschler and how he dealt with nightly scuffles with drug dealers outside his first restaurant. Sounds like stories worth hearing!

Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes with Chef Richard Corrigan at the opening of London eatery Daffodil Mulligan. The night was hosted by Richard Corrigan, John Nugent (Green & Fortune) and Tony Gibney (Gibney’s of Malahide) in 2019 (Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images)

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

JOHN DIVINEY

Managing Director, Ground Construction Holdings Ltd

John Diviney grew up in Kilburn, London where his parents, Sean from Carrickburn, Co. Wexford and Kathleen from Culdaff, Co. Donegal managed The Prince of Wales Pub, Willesden Lane for over 20 years. Preferring to be on the other side of the counter, he chose the construction industry as his career. Beginning as a trainee Surveyor at the age of 18 and now with over 30 years working in predominantly the Groundworks and Reinforced Concrete Frames sector. Initially Diviney worked in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Not a long thought-out plan but he mistook his employers Cork accent and thought he said the next project was in Harringay, London. Seeing an opportunity he packed his bags and moved. “Sometimes you have to change plans and adapt, which is integral part of the construction industry,” Diviney says. As a Quantity Surveyor Diviney eventually joined GCL in 2001 up with his brother Trevor at Ground Construction Holdings Group (GCH), which includes Ground Construction Limited (GCL), and now resides as Managing Director.

As acknowledged by Construction News GCL is one of the UK’s top 10 Reinforced Concrete Frame Contractors. Despite the growing size it is important to maintain that family feel within the business, which is reinforced by having his brother, two sons and two nephews who all work in the business. As with most businesses the staff are a key factor in any success and this has been recognised by GCL who have recently entered an Employee Ownership Trust, passing ownership over to the employees. Construction is a complex industry for which there is a wide range of different skills required. To deal with these complexities GCL looks for candidates that have a willingness to learn, problem solving and communication skills with an internal drive to see tasks through. GCL provide training and a learning environment which builds on the employees’ inherent talents. This has been recognised with GCL receiving the Gold awarded for Investors in People. Diviney is a great believer in learning and qualified as a member of the Chartered Institute of Building, collecting a silver and two bronze awards in the process throughout his studies. He went back to his studies in his 40s and

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

gained a Masters Degree in Construction Management. GCL contributes to a number of charities and sponsors local teams including Father Murphy’s Youth Team and Hendon RFC, which John and his brother Trevor both played for. Now sport is in the form of the occasional marathon, trying to raise a bit of money for charity in the process, and golf, with Ballyliffin in Donegal being his favourite course.

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

TREVOR DIVINEY

Founder & Executive Chairman, Ground Construction Holdings Ltd

Trevor Diviney founded in 1997 the start of the Ground Construction Holdings Group (GCH) which includes Ground Construction Limited (GCL) who today are one of the largest groundworks and concrete frame companies in the UK. GCL achieved the prestigious Irish Post Building Britain award in 2017 and Diviney is very proud of his deep-rooted Irish connections with his father being a Wexford man and his mother coming from Donegal. GCL are very supportive of the Irish community in London and have been a long-standing sponsor of the Fr Murphy’s and Wexford Association and in the last few years has extended that sponsorship into the Fr Murphy’s Academy of hurling for age groups up to 16 years old which is growing in status year on year. The GCL corporate golf day this year raised £58,000 in support of a newly formed charity namely A-Step Forward, of which Diviney is a founding member of. The charity helps homeless people to get back on their feet and into society by providing temporary accommodation, administration assistance and job opportunities.

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The Group has recently entered into an Employee Ownership Trust. “The EOT route will enable us to transition the ownership structure without the potential disruption a sale to new owners might involve, thereby maintaining continuity of culture. It is also an opportunity for us to recognise and reward the contribution our staff make to the development and continued success of the Group,” said Diviney. The Group has an established Board of Directors which includes Trevor’s brother John who is Managing Director for the Group. There is a recognised set of values which the Board abide by and is focused on the company’s core activities with projects ranging from £10m to £80m. Notable recent projects being Prince of Wales Drive Battersea, Beaufort Park Hendon, London Dock, Oval and Lampton Road Hounslow. The Group’s Head Office is based in Welwyn Garden City with regional bases in Luton for the concrete precast factory and Elstree for TCUK. Turnover for the businesses exceeds £150m with over 1,000 operatives being deployed. Within the Group the fast growing Tower Cranes UK Ltd (TCUK) is developing a very respectable reputation supplying tower cranes nationwide with over 40 cranes in its fleet including what was the tallest free standing crane erected in London.

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

DANNY O’SULLIVAN

Founder, Danny Sullivan Group

Kerry native Danny O’Sullivan was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 2019 and, having been postponed due to the pandemic, this September was finally able to walk a flock of sheep across London Bridge in celebration. Born in April 1954 in Glenbeigh Co Kerry, Danny moved to London in 1971 when he was just 16 years old and took his first steps into the construction world with his famous Kerry neighbours, John Murphy & Sons. In 1981, Danny married his beloved wife, Sheila O’Leary, a fellow South Kerry native, in Dollis Hill, London, and they have five children together: Caroline, Daniel, Tim, Patsy and Julie. In 1986, shortly after embarking on his entrepreneurial journey, Danny founded what has become the Danny Sullivan Group, which now employs over 1,850 people and is one of the largest suppliers of skilled labour to the construction, civil engineering, rail and transportation sectors in the UK. Danny is known for his charitable nature and as a huge supporter of the Irish in Britain. A man who has never forgotten his roots, he has been recognised down through the years for his business and charity work on both sides of the Irish Sea, receiving prestigious awards such as 2004 London Kerry Person of the year, 2015 Dublin Kerry Person of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award 2017 British and Irish Trading Alliance, Outstanding Contribution to the Community Irish Post Award 2017 and Lifetime Business Achievement Award Irish World 2017. In 2011, Danny handed over the day-to-day running of the company to his son Tim and now splits his time between London and his home in Kerry where he indulges in two of his greatest passions - spending time with family and friends, and farming. His legacy continues however, as the Danny Sullivan Group goes from strength to strength. Evidenced none more so than by the company’s recent successes in securing contracts to work on all sections of HS2, Europe’s largest infrastructure project.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO YOUR 16 YEAR OLD SELF? Trust your instincts in life and in business. Work hard, but have fun and sing a few songs along the way. Always do right by people, help others whenever you can, treat people like you would like to treated yourself and never forget your faith, it sustains you throughout.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

NOEL O’SULLIVAN

President of the Provincial Council of Great Britain

Born in Killarney, Noel O’Sullivan moved to London in the early 70s and has been one of British GAA’s most fervent advocates and supporters ever since. This year he was elected new Provisional Council of Britain President – the latest in a long line of leadership roles that have seen the Kerry native help develop Ireland’s national sports in Britain. A former player himself, O’Sullivan lined out and donned the jersey with the Geraldines Gaelic Football Club North London between 1972 and 1986. Subsequently, was a founding member of the Holloway Gaels Juvenile Club in 1987 and is currently a member of St. Kiernan’s. In 1992, he became Chairman of the London Minor Board and held that position for many years. There have also been various positions within the London Senior Board and O’Sullivan became Chairman in 2012. He took on the role of Vice President of the Provincial Council of Great Britain in 2018, before being elected President of the Provincial Council of Great Britain in 2021. Under this new remit, O’Sullivan will oversee the scores of GAA clubs in Scotland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Warwickshire, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire and London. A believer in developing the game and nurturing sporting talent

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from a young age, he will also take responsibility for how hurling and football is played in primary and secondary schools as well as universities in Britain. O’Sullivan has also been the deserving recipient of a number of accolades over the years. He was honoured as the Kerry London Person of the Year in 2010 for his work with the GAA and also the London Rose of Tralee Centre. What will be the biggest challenge for the GAA over the coming years?

“Reaching a consensus in relation to the current discussions on the format of the football Championship, such that the outcome is predicated on negotiation and seeking of common ground. I am confident that this will be the case and see that using the feedback from the players themselves, in these discussions, will support a positive move forward.” What’s been your personal sporting highlight of the year?

“There have to be two! Firstly, the fantastic turnaround by Tyrone from being beaten in Killarney by 16 points, to winning the All-Ireland Final. Secondly, Rachael Blackmore and everything that she has achieved as a female working in a predominately male sport. She is a beacon of inspiration for young people in sport.”

Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

TRAILBALZERS

Rachael Blackmore JOCKEY

Jockey Rachael Blackmore with the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase trophy after winning on Minella Times during Grand National Day at Aintree Racecourse on April 10, 2021 in Liverpool

‘More than a role model, she is a true icon’ is how history-making jockey and all round first lady of racing Rachael Blackmore has been described by her industry peers. It is a title thoroughly deserved considering she is the first woman to ride the winner of the Aintree Grand National and to claim the Leading Jockey Award at Cheltenham Festival. Blackmore, a Tipperary native, will be honoured with the 2021 Irish Racing Hero Award at the annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards in December, capping of what has been a momentous year for the sportswoman. A true trailblazer, she has been celebrated globally for her achievements during what has been a period of unprecedented success for Irish-trained, ridden and bred horses. Leading those tributes was President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, who was among the first to show his appreciation. “My congratulations to Rachael Blackmore on an historic achievement at Aintree,” he tweeted. “Today’s win is both a personal and sporting success, and comes only a month after her groundbreaking wins at Cheltenham.” In March with six winners at Cheltenham, a feat topped only by Ruby Walsh, Blackmore became the first woman to claim the Leading Jockey award. The Killenaule woman dominated on the track before reaching superstar levels a few weeks later at Aintree, winning the iconic Grand National on JP McManusowned Minella Times. “Rachael’s achievements on two of jump racing’s biggest stages are truly historic,” said Suzanne Eade, interim CEO of Horse Racing Ireland. “Not only was she the first woman to ride the winner of a championship race at Cheltenham, but Rachael also became the first woman to win the Leading Jockey award at the festival. It is remarkable that her six winners included five at Grade 1 level. “Her Aintree Grand National victory made headlines all over the world and that accomplishment alone will resonate with so many within the racing industry and beyond. “Rachael has become more than a role model; she is a true icon of our wonderful sport and a most fitting winner of the 2021 Irish Racing Hero Award.” Blackmore, 32, had been recovering from surgery for a fractured ankle and hip injury after a fall in Killarney over the summer but was back in action at Galway in late October.

(Photo by Tim Goode/Getty Images)

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

PROFESSOR ROY FOSTER

Academic, Author

One of 2021’s Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, Roy Foster is Emeritus Professor of Irish History at Oxford and Emeritus Professor of Irish History and Literature at Queen Mary University of London. Born in Waterford, he was educated in Ireland, the US and Trinity College, Dublin. He taught for many years in

Birkbeck College, University of London, before his election as Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, a Chair now named after him. He retired in 2016. He is the author of many

prize-winning books, including Charles Stewart Parnell: the man and his family (1976), Lord Randolph Churchill: a political life (1981), Modern Ireland 1600-1972 (1988), Paddy and Mr Punch (1993), The Irish Story: telling tales and making it up in Ireland (2001), Luck and the Irish: a brief history of change (2007), the two-volume authorised

biography of W.B.Yeats, The Apprentice Mage 1865-1914 (1997), and The Arch-Poet 1915-1939 (2003), Words Alone: Yeats and his inheritances (2011), Vivid Faces: the revolutionary generation in Ireland 1890-1923 (2014), and On Seamus Heaney (2020) which is to be read by Adrian Dunbar as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week this December. The recipient of many honorary degrees and fellowships, he is also a well-known cultural commentator and critic.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF THE PAST YEAR? In personal terms, the high point of 2021 was the birth of my first grandchild, Oisín. As a historian, the biggest shock (though no surprise) was to see this lamentable government treat Ireland, north and south, with the kind of contempt, ignorance, arrogance, opportunism and crass stupidity not seen since the late nineteenth century. Perhaps they will get their come-uppance in 2022.

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

KELLIE ANNE HARRINGTON

Boxer, Olympic Gold Medallist

Ireland has a phenomenal record of achievement in the world of boxing and this summer Kellie Anne Harrington secured her own chapter in that rich history. In August, the Dubliner became women’s light Olympic champion bringing home gold for Ireland in

the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which had been postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. Harrington is the second Irish woman to win gold at the international sporting event following in the footsteps of Katie Taylor who won the women’s lightweight at London 2012. Ireland has a total 32 Olympic medals - half of which have come

from boxing such as Michael Carruth’s gold at Barcelona ‘92 and Kenny Egan’s silver at Beijing 2008. Harrington, competing at her very first Olympics, beat world champion Beatriz Ferreira to add to that medal haul. Turning 32 this December, the Portland Row native’s sporting career has been bubbling towards greatness in recent years.

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

Harrington, who works as a part-time cleaner at Dublin’s St. Vincent’s Hospital, won silver in the light welterweight at the 2016 World Championship before moving down to 60kg and becoming world champion in New Delhi in 2018. A hand injury in 2019 forced her out of competition for seven months, returning in 2020 before qualifying for the Olympics in Paris in June by defeating of world champion Maiva Hamadouche. Returning to Ireland to rapturous victory applause, Harrington received an open-top bus parade in her honour through the streets of Dublin. Speaking immediately following her win and of becoming an Olympic medallist, she said: “I have no words. The hard work, dedication, sacrifice that has gone into this. I’m an Olympic champion but it doesn’t define me as a person. “At home, I’d say it will be a bit mental, but I will be going back to work in two or three weeks. I’ll get home, have a break, eat loads of pizza. I’m sure there will be a little party in work for me and I’ll be bringing my medal there.”

THE VOICE OF THE IRISH IN BRITAIN SINCE 1970

PROFESSOR ADRIAN HILL

Director of the Jenner Institute, Oxford University

Professor Adrian Hill was a key member of the team that designed and developed the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine at the University’s Jenner Institute with the Oxford Vaccine Group. This is not the first time the Irishman has been instrumental in vital medical research that has saved countless lives - in 2014 his group led the first clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. Director of the Jenner Institute and Lakshmi Mittal and Family Professor of Vaccinology, Professor Hill was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List this year, receiving a KBE for services to Science and Public Health, including research into tackling the Coronavirus pandemic. Professor Hill moved from Trinity College, Dublin to Britain in the late 1970s attending Magdalen College as an undergraduate in 1978. Passionate about delivering healthcare that can

better the lives of the poorest people living in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, he began work on immunogenetics in the late 1980s, which has led to the current work in malaria vaccine development. In 1994 he was among a group of scientists who founded the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics. In 2005, he also founded Oxford University’s Jenner Institute, which focuses on designing vaccines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. It is the world’s largest academic vaccine centre with clinical-stage programmes against 16 diseases including emerging pathogens and cancer. In 2020 the Jenner Institute designed and developed what is currently the most widelydistributed vaccine against Covid-19. Professor Hill is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences, the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal Society.

ENCOURAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS - PROFESSOR HILL ON BEING HONOURED BY THE QUEEN FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE PROGRAMME “This recognises not just the extraordinary efforts of those who worked on the Covid vaccine programme, but also a remarkable sequence of talented students, research fellows and senior investigators over the last 25 years. Their efforts in designing, developing and clinically testing vaccines against globally important diseases allowed us to select the most effective vaccine type to address the pandemic. Hopefully, today’s awards will encourage more aspiring scientists to consider a career in vaccinology which has ever widening life-saving applications, as illustrated so well over the last year.”

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Special Edition – 50 influential people to watch for the year ahead

THE LORD MAYOR VINCENT KEAVENY

The Lord Mayor, City of London

Vincent Keaveny made history this year as the first Irishman to hold the title of The Lord Mayor of the City of London – a role made famous by three-time incumbent and inspirer of folk tales Dick Whittington. Born in the Irish capital and having grown up in Ballsbridge, Keaveny is a University College Dublin Law graduate and also has a Master of Letters from Trinity College, Dublin. Having moved to Britain in the late 80s, the 56-year-old’s legal career led him to become partner in DLA Piper an international law firm where he advises on debt capital markets, structured finance and securitisation transactions in the UK and internationally on banking, finance and capital markets transactions.

A legal ‘500’ Hall of Fame honouree, he was International Co-Chair of the Financial Services Sector at DLA Piper until May 2019. As Lord Mayor, he is the head of the City of London Corporation, the Square Mile’s governing body. The role is elected annually, with Keaveny now securing his place in the record books as the 693rd Lord Mayor of the City of London where he will act as a spokesman for the City, leading overseas business delegations to key

international markets on behalf of the UK financial and professional services industry. He has chosen a theme of People with Purpose for his tenure, pledging to champion a purpose-led and people-focused UK Financial and Professional Services sector and driving social mobility at all levels. Keaveny brings a wealth of leadership experience to the role. Between 2014 and 2015 he was President of the City of London Law Society and is an Honorary Bencher of Gray’s Inn. He was elected Alderman for the Ward of Farringdon

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

Within in 2013 and served as Sheriff of the City of London from 2018 to 2019. He is also currently a member of the Policy & Resources Committee and the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Sub-Committee. A Governor of the City of London School, he is co-chair of the HMT & BEIS Socio-Economic Diversity Taskforce. Keaveny and his Galway wife Amanda have now taken up residence in Mansion House. Designed by architect George Dance the Elder, the first stone was laid in 1739 and the house was completed 19 years later in 1758.

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PROFESSOR TERESA LAMBE

Associate Professor at the Jenner Institute, Lead Scientific Investigator, University of Oxford

Honoured with an OBE for services to science and public health this year, Professor Teresa Lambe was part of a team who created the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine. Originally from Kilcullen, Co. Kildare and a University College Dublin pharmacology graduate, Professor Lambe works at the Jenner Institute at Oxford University. It’s from here, using platform technologies, that Lambe and her fellow scientists develop vaccines against numerous infectious disease As well as coronaviruses, Professor Lambe’s group is currently working on ways to defeat Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Lassa virus, Nipah virus, Influenza and Ebolavirus. A principle investigator at the Jenner Institute, Professor Lambe is an immunologist who develops vaccines against emerging and outbreak pathogens from preclinical to clinical assessment. In November, the University of Oxford announced it has started recruiting for a trial to test an Ebola vaccine in humans. “The 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa cost more than 11,000 lives and had a catastrophic effect on healthcare systems,” Professor Lambe said. “Sporadic Ebolavirus outbreaks still occur in affected countries, putting the lives of individuals - especially frontline health workers - at risk. We need more vaccines to tackle this devastating disease.” A further trial for the vaccine is planned to begin in Tanzania by the end of the year. Following Professor Lambe’s OBE award in June, fellow Irish woman and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Professor Louise Richardson, said: “I am absolutely delighted by the recognition of our extraordinary colleagues who have worked so creatively and so tirelessly to develop a vaccine, and therapeutics, to protect us all from Covid. They and the teams that have supported them are saving lives around the world every day. We are all deeply proud of them.”

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Irish urban artist Fin DAC poses next to his mural Magdalena in honor of Mexican painter Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo in Guadalajara Mexico in 2019. (Photo by Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images)

FINBAR NOTTE (FIN DAC)

Artist & Painter of Urban Aesthetics

Finbar Notte is fresh from his first solo show in over six years in London - his only other exhibition having been in Venice Beach, California in 2015. Of his London debut, he says it was a year of ‘almost non-stop work’ that resulted in six different artistic concepts, three of which are

completely new. “Every last bit of it worth it to feel the energy and positivity in the gallery and see the huge smiles on the faces of everyone who attended,” he says. His Afterglow/Undertow show ran for a week at Gallery Different, which he jokes was attended by five muses, countless friends and family and resulted in “one lost voice but zero hangovers … for me anyway”.

Fin DAC pictured with Kevin Ledo in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images)

Hailed in some parts of the British press as the new Banksy, and predicted to make £1miliion from his most recent exhibition, Cork-born Fin DAC - short for Dragon Armoury Creative - is a former digital advertising designer and self-taught painter. Since he quit his career aged 45 and gave himself over to life as an artist, he has created murals in more than 40 countries around the world from the US to Australia and Cambodia to Tahiti. He has also put his creative twist on the London 2021 Olympics and closer to home an An Post stamp. Fans and collectors include the likes of actors Gemma Artherton and Idris Elba and musician Goldie. Fin DAC, real name is Finbarr Notte, says his connections to Britain have always been strong, though his experiences now seem more positive than in his younger years. “My family have always gone back and forth to England,” he told The Irish Examiner’s Marc O’Sullivan Vallig recently. “I’d spent my childhood in the East End of London, so my brother and I had English accents when we moved

The Irish Post – Special Edition: December 2021

back to Cork, and we got bullied a lot in school.” Painting is a form of creative meditation for the Irishman and much of his street art work focuses on women - Asian and Eurasian women in particular. This, he says, is something of an antidote to what he describes as a very macho and male-dominated art scene, preferring instead to portray women in their own strength. His giant murals are an attempt to add beauty to the urban landscape. In 2019 he was commissioned to paint Frieda Kahlo on a 200ft wall in Mexico. Taking 11 days to paint, it’s his biggest to date.

FIN DAC’S AFTERGLOW/ UNDERTOW LONDON SHOW IN NUMBERS 24 large originals 8 extra large one-off prints 24 one-off collages 24 one-off prints 24 one-off sketches 1 bronze bust 1 bronze maquette 1 full length concrete figurine 1 concrete bust 300 show books

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