Druid Staff

Garry Hynes co-founded Druid in 1975 and has worked as its Artistic Director from 1975 to 1991 and from 1995 to date. From 1991 to 1994 she was Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin.

Garry has also worked with the Gate Theatre (Ireland); the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court (UK); Center Theatre Group, Second Stage, Signature Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, the Kennedy Center, the Mark Taper Forum and the Spoleto Festival (USA).

Awards include: a Tony Award for Direction for The Beauty Queen of Leenane; the Joe A. Callaway Award (New York) for Outstanding Directing for The Cripple of Inishmaan; Irish Times/ESB Irish Theatre Awards for Best Director for DruidShakespeare: Richard II, Henry IV (Pts 1&2), Henry V, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Waiting for Godot and a Special Tribute Award in 2005 for her contribution to Irish Theatre. Garry received the Freedom of the City of Galway in 2006 and the President’s Award from Galway Chamber for her contribution to the business life of Galway in 2022. She was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2022. She has received Honorary Doctorates from University College Dublin, University of Dublin, the National University of Ireland and the National Council for Education Awards. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, and a member of the Honorary Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy (HRHA). In 2011, Garry was appointed Adjunct Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies at University of Galway.

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.