The Heritage Council has appointed a new management board for a five-year period to oversee the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre. The new chair of the Centre is Dr Mary Kelly-Quinn.

Mary is one of Ireland’s leading freshwater ecologists working as Senior Lecturer at the School of Biology & Life Science at

Dr Mary Kelly-Quinn

University College Dublin.  Her research interests include freshwater biodiversity and anthropogenic impacts on Ireland’s rivers. Mary is no stranger to the Data Centre as we have worked together on a number of initiatives in recent years, not least in re-establishing the Annual Freshwater Biologists’ Meeting.  Her academic background allied to her knowledge of the biological recording community in Ireland, makes her well placed to lead the National Biodiversity Data Centre into the next phase of its development.

The other members of the Board are:

Mr Paul Dillon (Principal Officer, Head 0f Sustainability, Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Food)

Dr Matthew Jebb (Director, National Botanic Gardens)

Ms Rachel Kenny (Senior Planner, Fingal County Council)

Mr Alan Lauder (Chief Executive, BirdWatch Ireland)

Dr Peter McLoughlin (Head of Department, Chemical and Life Sciences, Waterford Institute of Technology)

Dr Michael Meharg (Head of Biodiversity, Northern Ireland Environment Agency)

Mr Nigel Monaghan (Keeper, National Museum of Ireland, Natural History)

Dr Micheál O’Cinnéide (Director, Environmental Protection Agency)

Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe (Director, Species Protection Unit, National Parks & Wildlife Service)

Mr Michael Starrett (Chief Executive, The Heritage Council)