Druid appoints Maureen Kennelly as Chief Executive Officer

Maureen is an experienced and accomplished arts leader with a legacy of achievement across various roles and a deep knowledge of the cultural sector. She has held leadership positions in several important arts organisations including Kilkenny Arts Festival, Mermaid Arts Centre, Poetry Ireland and the Arts Council. A native of County Kerry, Maureen has longstanding and close connections with Galway that stem from her time as a student in University of Galway, as well as previous working associations with Druid and the Cúirt International Festival of Literature.

Warmly welcoming the appointment, Druid’s Artistic Director, Garry Hynes said: ‘I am thrilled that Maureen Kennelly will be joining Druid as our Chief Executive Officer and excited to be working with her. I have known Maureen as a colleague in the arts world for many years and I am confident her experience, intelligence and integrity will play a vital role in leading Druid into the future.’

Looking forward to taking up her appointment on 14 October, Maureen Kennelly said: ‘I am delighted and honoured to take on this role. Joining the company at this juncture is especially exciting as it marks 50 years of terrific theatre-making. Since my first engagement with Druid several years ago, I have admired the company and rejoiced in their achievements. Having previously studied, worked and lived in Galway, I look forward to being back in the city and to contributing to its remarkable arts scene.’

On behalf of the Druid Board, its Chair Adrian O’Neill said: ‘This year Druid celebrated its proud record of 50 years of excellence in theatre production. Inspired by that legacy of achievement, we now look to the future and are very pleased that Maureen will in the years ahead strategically lead the organisation to advance Druid’s vision of boldness, authenticity and respect for our community.’

This news of Maureen’s appointment comes shortly after Druid finished a critically acclaimed run of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which played to sold-out houses at Galway International Arts Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival. Druid is now back in the rehearsal room with Beckett’s Endgame which opens in New York later this month. As Druid’s 50th anniversary programme approaches its end, the company looks forward with confidence to 2026 and beyond, and thanks all its partners and supporters for their continued support.