We are delighted to announce the appointment of Eimear Hurley, our Head of PR, to the Board of Carr Communications. Eimear joins Tony Hughes, MD, Donal Cronin, Director, and Eddie Shaw, Chairman, on the Board – Eimear will be Director of Strategic Communications.
A Limerick native (which she never lets us forget!), Eimear joined Carr Communications as an Account Executive 15 years ago. She was appointed Head of PR in 2017. Since then, under Eimear’s leadership, our PR Division has gone from strength to strength. Our PR team has doubled in size, and our service offering has diversified. In addition to retaining some of our most important clients in a very competitive industry, Eimear has overseen growth of our client base here in Ireland, in the EU, and internationally. The company’s EU business is now a highly specialised unit with multi-partner, multi-disciplinary projects in areas such as sustainability, technology, pandemic preparedness, crisis response and healthcare. This is in addition to our expanding international business where we work on major projects in the healthcare and finance sectors.
The expansion of our PR business has led to many internal promotions, continuing our commitment to developing and nurturing the talent on our team. In addition to our core PR services, the team now brings a range of diverse skills to our work with clients including ESG strategy development, reputation audits, Employee Generated Content (EGC) coaching, podcast production, journalism, website development and content creation.
In her new role, Eimear’s focus will be on the continued growth of our PR business, broadening our service offering and making the company an even better place to work. She is particularly passionate about social impact communications, women in leadership, and creating a thoughtful, inclusive workplace. When she’s not telling everyone in the office about Munster’s resurgence or trying to find the perfect coffee (Hatch and Perch are top of the list), she’s mum to Sam and Evie, who she calls her greatest achievement.
Our Mission
To do great work and deliver outstanding results for people and organisations we love working with and whose values are in line with our own. To make a difference.
Our People
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John Dunphy
Senior Consultant -
Stephen Walker
Head of Design -
Gillian Arigho
Account Executive -
Maryia Rohava
Account Manager (EU Projects) -
Eddie Shaw
Non-Executive Chairman -
Deirdre Farrelly
Account Manager -
Deirdre Fitzgerald
Account Executive -
Sophie Popplewell
Account Executive -
Alan Hall
Financial Controller -
Cristina Rogoz
Accounts Assistant -
Alison Hand
Head of Learning and Development Solutions -
Johnny Fallon
Strategy Director -
Donal Cronin
Director -
Eimear Hurley
Director of Strategic Communications -
Laura Daly
Account Executive -
Tony Hughes
Managing Director -
Linda Henriksson
Senior Project Manager -
Oisin McQuerins
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Rory McGlynn
Creative & Digital Consultant -
Pearse Corcoran
Account Manager -
Dawn Lonergan
Account Manager -
Frank Sweeney
Senior Consultant -
David Curtin
Media/Public Affairs Consultant -
Iseult O’Doherty
Head of Business and Management Development
John Dunphy
Senior Consultant
John is a Senior Communications Consultant delivering training in the areas of Leadership, Resilience, Self-management, Presentation skills, Careers and Personal Development. Also a practising Sport Psychology Consultant, John works with sports teams and individuals at both international and local levels in areas such as Teamwork, Leadership, Communications, Focus, Goal Setting, Anxiety, Mental Toughness and Expertise in Sport.
In his spare time, John is a qualified basketball coach and coaches a number of basketball teams from local underage level, to regional and international feeder teams.
Favourite movie: Inception
Favourite food: Ravioli
Advice he once got that he wished he hadn’t ignored: The importance of incrementally saving
Stephen Walker
Head of Design
Stephen joined the Digital Media Unit of Carr Communications in 2016 as it geared up to expand its operations in 2017. He holds a BSc (Honours) in product design from Dublin Institute of Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma (Honours) in Digital Media from the IACT, Dublin.
Over the years, Stephen has gained a diverse background of experience, developing a broad range of digital media skills, both 2d and 3d. Prior to joining Carr Communications, Stephen spent five years designing merchandise for some of the world’s most iconic brands including Guinness, Lord’s Cricket, Titanic and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai among others. This has given him a keen insight into successful brand strategies and the design that goes into them. He also has extensive freelance experience across multiple sectors including web design, product design, architectural rendering and visual communication.
In his free time, Stephen is most likely to be found playing sports, cooking and attempting to learn Spanish.
Favourite Movie: The Intouchables
Favourite Food: Fideuà
Advice he was once given that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Don’t swing backwards on your chair
Gillian Arigho
Account Executive
Gillian is a recent graduate of Dublin City University, where she achieved a BA in Communications Studies. Working alongside the Public Relations and H2020 divisions, Gillian specialises in optimising digital communication strategies across a diverse range of clients. She has a particular interest in community engagement in both online and offline realms. Her day-to-day work sees her develop and implement creative digital content and campaigns to interest a variety of audiences.
Outside of the office, Gillian can be found hiking, journaling, and wondering how the ‘Over 25s’ was a legitimate category on the X-Factor.
Favourite movie: Little Miss Sunshine
Favourite food: Anything brunch-related
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: Indecision is often a decision in itself
Maryia Rohava
Account Manager (EU Projects)
Berliner at heart, Maryia is foremost European. Born and raised in Belarus, she has lived and worked in seven European countries. Prior to settling in Dublin, she worked on her doctoral research project at the University of Oslo, contributed to training and research activities at the European Institute of Public Administration, and has written political analyses for European research centres, think tanks, and international organisations. She holds degrees in Political Sciences and European Studies and knows well the intricacies of East European and Russian politics. She is passionate about research communications and research-based reporting.
Favourite movie: La Dolce Vita
Favourite food: Pommes-Schranke
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: Never introduce a list with ‘like’
Eddie Shaw
Non-Executive Chairman
Eddie is, by a distance, the aging ‘elder lemon’ of Carr Communications as he enters his forty-ninth year of business experience and variety. Thirty years gained primarily in the financial services sector where he held a number of senior positions across general insurance, life insurance, re-insurance, capital markets and fund management in Hibernian Group. He met Carr Communications as a client in 2002, joined in 2006 and came to realise the complementarity of risk management with communications in all of its varieties.
Eddie has provided communications, dissemination, training, and development services to a number of public and private sector organisations in Ireland. Since 2009 he has led an enthusiastic and resilient European Projects Team through eleven EU research projects with responsibility for communication, dissemination and exploitation of project results. These projects covered a broad variety of activities such as Air Travel, Air Security and Safety, Crisis Management and Communications, Smart Manufacturing and the Circular Economy, Radiation Protection for Astronauts in Long Distance Space Travel, and Citizen Engagement in Environmental Research. Such is the scale, skills and experience of projects and people in Carr Communications.
Eddie has a BComm and M.B.A. from University College Dublin and is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
He is married to Mary Pat, has four well grown young adults and three grandchildren. Surviving this life journey, so far, ranks as their greatest achievement.
Favourite Movie/Book: A Man for All Seasons and Castaway
Favourite Food: Mary Pat’s Lemon Soufflé
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: You are the prisoner of everything you write (or say), and the master of everything you don’t.
Deirdre Farrelly
Account Manager
Deirdre is a Communications Professional with over 15 years of experience working in broadcast media at both a national and local level in Ireland. During her time in broadcasting she has held roles as a news editor with Cork’s 96 and 103FM, breakfast news anchor with Q102, and as a senior reporter with the UTV Radio Network. More recently Deirdre has worked as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk and TodayFM, working on programmes such as Newstalk Breakfast, The Hard Shoulder and The Last Word. During her time working as a journalist she has covered several general elections, a number of major court cases and the State visits of Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth the second. Deirdre is also a skilled writer and has extensive experience in writing for the web, press releases, and in media relations.
Favourite Movie: The Lives of Others
Favourite Food: A good cheese board
Advice she once got that she wished she hadn’t ignored: Go with your gut feeling
Deirdre Fitzgerald
Account Executive
Cork to the core, Deirdre is a graduate of Munster Technological University, where she achieved an MA in Public Relations and New Media. She is also a 2020 Bachelor of Business graduate from the University of Limerick. Her experience ranges from PR and Event Management to Marketing and Sales.
Recently Deirdre has discovered a passion for content creation which she intends to pursue alongside her role in Carr. She is also a music fanatic, anything from rock to techno, to Disney or IL Divo, if it can make her heart sing, that’s good enough for her.
She prides herself in not knowing exactly what her future holds, it’s open and exciting and Carr Communications is an important and formative part of that experience.
Favourite movie: The Blind Side
Favourite food: Prosecco is a food group right?
Advice you once got that you wish you hadn’t ignored: “Don’t mind what anyone else is at”
Sophie Popplewell
Account Executive
Sophie is a 2021 graduate of Dublin City University, where she earned an MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications. She is also a 2018 BA of Communications graduate from the same college. During her studies, Crisis Communications emerged as a subject of interest, and during her Master’s programme she wrote a thesis titled: “Best Practice Crisis Communications for Airlines in the Present Digital Environment”.
Her experience ranges from PR and Event Management to Content Creation and Copywriting.
Outside of the office, Sophie can be found blogging, in the gym, or playing tag rugby as the worst show of athleticism the Blackrock rugby pitch has ever seen.
Favourite movie: Oasis Knebworth 1996
Favourite food: Carbs
Advice she once got that she wishes he hadn’t ignored: “Never worry about what other people say or think. Do the right. Have a clear conscience and roam about happily”.
Alan Hall
Financial Controller
Alan is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate from UCD and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2007. He has management experience in practice, banking and industry. In 2014, he completed an MBA in Trinity College which involved working with the senior management team of a number of companies with different challenges and in different stages of their development.
Outside work, Alan still valiantly attempts to play league football and has various other interests including scuba diving, music, Irish history and the odd bit of gardening in the spring.
Favourite movie: Liverpool FC: The Story Of The Kop Stand (only available in VHS)
Favourite food: Sausages
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Anything my mother said for the first 21 years of his life
Cristina Rogoz
Accounts Assistant
Alison Hand
Head of Learning and Development Solutions
Alison is an organisational development consultant, facilitator and executive coach with experience nationally and internationally. She holds a degree in Social Science, a diploma in Executive Coaching and a diploma in HRM.
She is a keen tennis player and when not on court she can be found wandering around art galleries or rummaging in record stores to feed her very expensive 2nd hand vinyl habit. An experienced broadcaster, she has presented and produced radio programmes for Dublin City FM and Tokyo’s largest FM station J-Wave.
Favourite Movie: Casablanca
Favourite Food: Indian/Moroccan/Korean and anything that goes well with 160 gram vinyl
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: “Whatever you say, say nothing.”
Johnny Fallon
Strategy Director
A proud Longford man Johnny has worked in PR and Public Affairs for over 20 years. With a focus on strategic and crisis communication he has advised clients in the public and private sector and is much sought after as a trainer for media and presentation skills. He has written a number of books and academic papers on Irish politics and is a regular contributor to TV and radio. He is an avid user of social media for which he has won awards and been listed as a policy influencer.
For some still unexplained reason he thought it was a good idea to write his autobiography aged 30 and claims the dubious credit of being one of the few people outside of premier league footballers to do so. He is married to Annette and has two children who say he talks ‘a lot of boring stuff’.
Favourite movie: Star Wars
Favourite food: Is wine a food?
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Grow up
Donal Cronin
Director
Donal is one of the most recognised communications and training experts in Ireland. He has led the development of our Behavioural Economics based offers providing clients with proven, tested and added-value approaches to communication by applying a scientific understanding of human behaviour.
Over the last 30 years plus Donal has provided strategic communications consultancy and training to the country’s leading organisations including Irish Life, Bank of Ireland, EPA, SEAI and AIB.
Favourite movie: Blade Runner
Favourite food: Caviston’s chocolate cake
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Use good hair products
Twitter: @donalcronin
Eimear Hurley
Director of Strategic Communications
Eimear has worked with Carr Communications since 2007 and was appointed the company’s Head of PR in 2017. With almost fifteen years’ experience in PR, Eimear leads a team of consultants in the delivery of high-impact communications strategies to a range of clients in the public and private sector. In her role, Eimear works closely with Senior Management teams to scope, develop and deliver a strategic approach to communications.
She is also on the Board of the Dublin City Volunteer Centre which helps individuals to find meaningful opportunities to volunteer and to build the capacity for not-for-profit organisations to involve volunteers in their work.
A proud Limerick and Munster woman, married to Simon and living in Dun Laoghaire, she’s mammy to two small children, Sam (4) and Evie (6 months). They are her best achievement yet.
Favourite movie: Munster the Brave and the Faithful 2006 Heineken Cup Final, Official Commemorative DVD
Favourite food: Eggs Benedict from Harry’s Café in Dun Laoghaire
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: Wash tan off after three hours (circa early 2000s. She has embraced her paleness since then.)
Laura Daly
Account Executive
A Westmeath native but living in Dublin, Laura is a recent graduate of Dublin City University where she achieved a BA in Communication Studies and a first-class honours degree in the MSc in Public Relations & Strategic Communications. Throughout her study years, she gained experience working in marketing, events and project management which has enabled her to develop a high-level of communications skills with a wide range of stakeholders. Over time, she has grown a keen interest in behavioural change campaigns. Laura works across the Public Relations and H2020 teams supporting clients in creating and delivering high-impact communications activity.
In her free time, Laura enjoys running, coffee and sharing her Spotify playlists with whoever will listen!
Favourite Movie: Shutter Island
Favourite Food: Almond croissants
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: Say yes and do it anyway, you can learn how to do it along the way!
Tony Hughes
Managing Director
Tony Hughes oversees the development of the business and supports the delivery of major projects. Tony has particular expertise in the management of complex human resource environments and supporting organisations through periods of significant change. As a consequence, he is fascinated by the potential application and impact of behavioural science-based interventions.
Tony provides consultancy services for many organisations and he has added value to, and led, many European and National projects. He has successfully advised many Chief Executives on how to develop their organisations to improve overall performance and these interventions are increasingly being based on the core principles of behavioural economics.
Favourite movie: The God Father Part 2
Favourite food: Sashimi
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Once you stop playing rugby you will regret it forever
Linda Henriksson
Senior Project Manager
Linda joined Carr Communications’ European Projects Team in 2016. In her role as Senior Account Executive, she deals with communication and dissemination activities in EU funded research and innovation projects. On a day-to-day basis, Linda works directly with Carr Communications’ partners and engages with key stakeholders in Horizon 2020 projects. She creates and distributes communications materials, works with social media and online communications and monitors relevant media coverage and policy developments. She contributes to the development and implementation of communications and dissemination strategies designed to achieve far-reaching impact.
Prior to joining Carr Communications, Linda worked in and with the European institutions in Brussels. She has several years of experience in EU communications, first in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation and subsequently in Europe Direct, the central information service of the EU. In her role as EU Affairs Communications Officer, she communicated with the public and interacted with multiple stakeholders in an international environment, explaining EU laws, policies, programmes and funding opportunities. She has a background in translation and communications, and she has also worked in the literature and publishing sector and in tech.
Linda holds both a BA and an MA with honours in English Translation Studies and European Studies from the University of Turku, Finland. She is passionate about languages and has a proven track record of working in multilingual environments.
She has a particular interest in science communication and the popularisation of science, discourse analysis and media relations.
Commuting to work on her vintage bike in any weather, she proudly embraces the stereotype of the bicycle-riding Nordic in functional but hopelessly unfashionable rain gear.
Oisin McQuerins
A native of Lusk in North County Dublin, Oisin recently completed a Masters in Digital Marketing in DCU before going into communications with Rowing Ireland for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Before this, Oisin’s focus was sports journalism, working for media publications such as Pundit Arena and Off the Ball. He also tied his love for media and sport together setting up podcasts about Irish football and his beloved Leeds United. Outside of work Oisin can be found playing the drums and making a show of himself at five-a-side football.
Favourite movie: Dead Poet’s Society
Favourite food : Pizza
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Never let a clock tell you what you’ve got time for
Rory McGlynn
Creative & Digital Consultant
Rory joined the company in early 2016 initially as an Executive Administrators behind the scenes in our Business & Management and Careers Units, before making the switch to the Digital Unit as a consultant. Rory has an excellent knowledge of information systems and quickly adapts to working with new hardware and software packages. In his various roles, Rory has used this ability to good effect, developing bespoke solutions that have subsequently been adopted as standard application for use within the environments concerned.
Rory’s main interests lie in areas of Technology, Health & Fitness and Sport. Following on from years as a competitive swimmer, Rory is now the Head Coach of his own competitive swimming club in Dublin and manages a number teams from regional to international levels. He will tell you his sporting days aren’t over… but he is also no spring chicken.
Favourite Movie: Good Will Hunting
Favourite Food: Mexican Food in general
Advice you once got, that you wish you hadn’t ignored: A jack of all trades is a master of none; but is still more powerful than a master of one!
Pearse Corcoran
Account Manager
Born in the States and raised in Ireland, Pearse worked in Media Buying in London before joining Carr Communications at the beginning of 2019. Prior to working in London, he began honing an interest in how the media worked. He was with the Irish Sun and worked in public relations for Teneo PSG.
Known for his sultry tones, Pearse also worked in podcasting, helping present and produce the award winning Gaelic Games podcast ‘GAA Scores’ from 2011 to 2017. His mastermind subject would be All Ireland winners or failing that a run down of the West Wing.
Favourite movie: Michael Collins
Favourite food: A pint of plain is your only man
Advice he once got that he wishes he hadn’t ignored: Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens
Dawn Lonergan
Account Manager
Dawn specialises in social media, website development, and event management at Carr Communications. She has worked across the political and NGO sectors, and has key experience in communicating technical information, and using data insights to drive content creation. Dawn has a BCL degree in Law with Politics from UCD and an MA in Public Affairs and Political Communication from DIT. Her masters research focused on political engagement with social media, post the 2014 Irish Marriage Equality referendum.
From candle making to ukulele playing, Dawn likes to collect hobbies as well as reading books and keeping up to date with public affairs. Her claim to fame is that she was not named after any particular breath-taking sunrise, but after the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner, Dawn Run.
Favourite movie: 500 Days of Summer
Favourite food: Christmas dinner
Advice she once got that she wished she hadn’t ignored: Don’t read late into the night with a torch, you will ruin your eyes.
Frank Sweeney
Senior Consultant
Frank Sweeney joined with Carr Communications in 2000 to deliver training solutions in both interpersonal communications and management, including Personal Effectiveness, Influencing & Persuasion Skills, Performance Management, Negotiation Skills and various Communications Skills programmes, to numerous Government Departments and Agencies, as well as major organisations in the Private and Voluntary Sectors. For our Career Development area he also provides group and individual coaching to both Interviewees and Interview Boards.
Prior to joining Carr Communications Frank spent almost thirty years working in senior management roles with major national and multinational organisations including Bon Secours Health System, the National Training and Development Institute and VHI.
A Graduate of the Marketing Institute of Ireland with a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Market Planning, Frank also has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), as well as a Certificate in Training and Continuing Education from NUI Maynooth and is accredited to work with the Booth Company 360° Assessment Tools.
Favourite Movie: 12 Angry Men
Favourite Food: Churros and Hot Chocolate sitting in Orange Square, Marbella
Advise he once got that he wished he hadn’t ignored: It’s not what you think you are but what you think, you are.
David Curtin
Media/Public Affairs Consultant
With over 30 years in communications, David has written for many national and local newspapers as well as radio and television. He managed the media campaigns for the Smoking Ban in Ireland and the Euro Changeover. David has provided crisis communications advice and assistance to companies in the pharmaceutical, aviation, transport and food sectors.
Renowned for his availability, his mobile phone is off only when he is on a golf course or flying abroad. He has an aversion to jargon, In all his years in communications, he has never seen a national newspaper use it in their stories.
Favourite movie: Green Book
Favourite food: Thai
Advice he once got that he wished he hadn’t ignored: Invest in your work/life balance
Iseult O’Doherty
Head of Business and Management Development
Iseult heads up the Business and Management Development Department. Iseult taught in Dublin’s inner city for 15 years followed by a career in RTE as a reporter and presenter. She has developed a particular expertise in designing a range of business and management training programmes for the private and public sector.
In her spare time she loves very slow running (aka jogging) with her friends, having friends over to dinner and reading anything she can get her hands on.
Favourite food: Sea Food Paella eaten overlooking beach in Fuerteventura
Favourite film: Shawshank Redemption
Advice she once got that she wishes she hadn’t ignored: Just go for it!