The SEAC Board
Vincent Woods
Director of TSEAC’s Board since 06/10/2015
Chairman of TSEAC’s Board since 22/02/2018
Vincent Woods is a writer and broadcaster who has worked extensively with Irish traditional musicians in creating original performance pieces. He has presented many leading arts and current affairs programmes on RTÉ Radio 1 and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4. His plays include ‘At the Black Pig’s Dyke’ (Druid Theatre Company) and ‘A Cry from Heaven’ (Abbey Theatre).Poetry collections are ‘The Colour of Language’ and ‘Lives and Miracles’ and he co-edited ‘The Turning Wave: Poems and Songs of Irish Australia’ and ‘Fermata; Writings Inspired by Music’. Plays for radio include ‘The Leitrim Hotel’ and ‘The Gospels of Aughamore’. He has written several song lyrics set to music by Charlie McGettigan, Aidan Brennan and Mairtín O’Connor and recorded by singers including Mary McPartlan and Colleen Raney. He was a contributor to the highly acclaimed Leitrim Equation stage performance with musicians including Donal Lunny and Eleanor Shanley. He has won several awards as a writer and broadcaster and is a member of Aosdána.
Kevin Proctor
Director of TSEAC’s Board since 14/02/2013
A Fingal resident and an accountant by profession, Kevin worked for almost 30 years in Bostik Industries Limited (formerly Evode Industries Limited) in Swords where he commenced in 1985 as Management Accountant becoming Company Secretary and Financial Controller of the company in 1993. Later in 2006 he became Finance Director with responsibility for the consolidation of the Western Europe activities of the Bostik Group (a subsidiary of Total SA).
He served as a member of the Board of Management of Corduff National School, Lusk from 1998 until 2011. During the period 2007-2011 he served as Chairperson of the school’s BoM, a period which coincided with a major expansion of the school’s buildings and facilities.
He was appointed as Company Secretary of The Seamus Ennis Arts Centre Limited on 29/5/2014.
Rory O’Byrne
Director of TSEAC’s Board since 20/04/2001
Arts Officer, Fingal County Council
A Fingallian by birth, Rory O’Byrne is a graduate of Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design and the National College of Art and Design. As a student he was involved in a wide range of arts in the community initiatives in various communities in Dublin City and later in formal education as a secondary school art teacher. Rory was appointed County Arts Officer, for Fingal County Council in January 1994, the first person to hold the post .The function of the arts officer is to promote and develop the art throughout Fingal; this is achieved through a policy based approach, based on publicly consulted strategic arts development plans. Currently Fingal County Council is half way through the life of their current plan (Fingal Arts Plan 2013-2107). The arts office funds and supports two Arts Centres, Draíocht & the Seamus Ennis Arts Centre. There is also funding for Artists-in–Schools programmes, at primary and second level. Support to professional artists is offered through funding and bursary awards, and the arts office is also responsible for commissioning of public artworks through the percent for arts scheme. He is also a director of the Board of Draíocht.
Eileen Neylon
Director of TSEAC’s Board since 20/04/2001
She previously worked in Fingal County Council in the Finance Department and the Development Department.
Eileen has been active in her local community as a board member and ordinary member of Garristown Community Council.
She is secretary of Garristown Historical Society and a member of Garristown Irish Countrywomen’s Association.
Eileen is also board member of Gormanstown Community Employment scheme.
Joanne Taaffe
Director of TSEAC’s Board since 17th May 2018
A graduate of Dublin City University's BA Gnó & Gaeilge, Joanne has overseen the digital marketing communications at the National Concert Hall since 2009 and was recently appointed Digital Manager at the venue.
She has worked for almost 20 years at the NCH with extensive experience in Box Office Administration, Ticketing & Customer Experience with additional qualifications in Online Marketing & Digital Strategy and Web Design.
Joanne is likely to be found on her phone watching everything that happens in the world of the Internet & Digital but manages to take regular breaks to attend many theatre productions, concerts and ballet performances throughout the year and also spends many evenings taking photos of shows at the NCH.
Growing up in a house where music was always on a radio or record player somewhere in the house, it is not surprising of Joanne's love and appreciation for arts and culture. Maybe some day, she'll pick up the violin and play again!
Séamus O Rócháin
Board Member since January 7 2021
Séamus hails from Milltown Malbay, Co Clare, where he first began playing traditional music. His main instrument has always been the Uilleann Pipes and he regularly plays concerts and traditional music sessions. He recorded a solo album entitled ‘An Buachaill Dreoite’ in 2009, followed by an album with Bríd Ó Donoghue in 2015. He has toured with various musicians both in Europe and the United States.
Séamus has always had a keen interest and involvement in the Irish language. While he completed a degree in Engineering at Trinity College and an MSc in Physics at Queens University, Belfast he decided to leave behind his career in engineering in favour of a career in education. He is now a teacher in an all-Irish secondary school in Dublin. Since 2011 he has been on the organising committee of Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy.
Libby McCrohan
Board Member since February 23 2021
Libby McCrohan is an Irish traditional musician and artist from Fingal. She plays a round back Greek bouzouki. Her approach to accompaniment is sensitive, subtle, and rhythmical, taking inspiration from the reg playing of uilleann pipers. Libby has performed all over Ireland and abroad and has featured on two albums to date - the critically-acclaimed ‘Heard a Long Gone Song’ by Lisa O’Neill (2018) and ‘Not Before Time... 39 Years in the Making’ by Páraic Mac Donnchadha (2018).
Libby is also very interested in visual arts, digital design and crafts. In July 2020, she won a public competition to create artworks on exchange boxes outside the SEAC. The completed works were inspired by Séamus Ennis’ music and his contribution to Ireland’s folklore.
She holds a BA in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from Trinity College Dublin as well as a Higher Diploma in Data Analytics.
Councillor Cathal Boland
Board Member since September 28th 2021
A current member of Fingal County Council, As Cathaoirleach (Mayor) Cathal performed the official opening of the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre in 2001.
He currently serves on DDLETB and related school boards. He is a member of Fingal County Council’s Community Development, Heritage Culture and Creativity Strategic Policy Committee, The County Heritage Forum and the Audit Committee, amongst other bodies.
An active member and former Chairman of the Fingal Old IRA Commemorative Society 1916-1921, he is a well-known public speaker on the period. Recently he scripted, directed and narrated the docudrama “Who Shot Sergeant Kirwan?”
A graduate of the Dublin College of Catering, Cathal worked in the commercial catering sector for over three decades, retiring from the position of General Manager in Northern Ireland from one of the largest contract caterers in Ireland and the UK.
Cathal is a member of The Institute of Directors. He studied and practiced across Transport and Personnel Management, Arbitration and Finance and has wide practical experience across businesses.
