OurOurPeoplePeople

Theatre | Commencement Date – November 2023

Michelle has worked in the Arts sector and Music industry for twenty years. Television credits include various shows on ABC Television (Australia) and BBC Television & MTV (London).

She has worked on feature films including Intermission (Dir. John Crowley), King Arthur (Dir. Antoine Fuqua) and The Last Duel (Dir. Ridley Scott). She has also worked at The Gaiety Theatre and the Olympia Theatre as part of the respective Production teams and switched over to Event Management in the music industry with Music Promoter Pat Egan, working in Dublin venues such as 3Arena, 3Olympia Theatre, The National Concert Hall, Cork Opera House, Vicar Street and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre.

Founder of Performing Ireland, a campaign created in 2020 during Covid lock-down, this campaign shone a spotlight on all the crew and company members behind the scenes that make Theatre possible. In conjunction with this campaign, Michelle produced her first television advert in 2020 featuring Irish Actor, Colm Meaney.

Michelle holds an H.Dip in Psychology and Counselling (Trinity College, Dublin).
She is currently working at the Gate Theatre as Associate Producer.

Local Politics | Commencement Date – July 2024

Edel McSharry has worked in the health and education sectors as a critical care nurse, Nurse Manager, lecturer in nursing, health and disability studies, researcher, Head of School and Acting President of a third level college. She is a social advocate and a community activist and has been involved in, and on boards of charity and community organisations.

Edel was elected to Sligo County Council as a Fianna Fail Councillor in 2024 and wants to make a difference in the areas of health, wellbeing, education and quality of life for the people of this region. Her interest in the arts and particularly speech and drama started as a child participating in Feisanna, plays and panto, she then encouraged her four children to participate and has seen firsthand the benefit this experience has brought to them as young adults in terms of confidence, public speaking and appreciation of culture and the enjoyment of all creative art forms.

Edel Holds a Doctorate in Education, MSc in Nursing & Education, BSc in General Nursing and a H Dip in Industrial relations and Management.

Governance | Commencement Date – November 2023

Oonagh Monahan lives in Ireland and has worked in the food industry and with food producers there for over 20 years. She mentors food producers from start up through growth and has worked with over 300 individuals businesses in the past 10 years alone! Her first book, Money for Jam, the Essential Guide to Starting our Own Small Food Business"

Finance | Commencement Date – September 2023

John has over 15 years’ experience in practice and industry and is Programme Chair and lecturer on the BA in Accounting at ATU Sligo. He served nine years on ACCA Committees and was ACCA Ireland Chair in 2017. He is chair of the resource oversight committee with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, having previously served five years on the audit and risk committee.

John volunteers on the boards of Hawks Well Theatre, Sligo Tourist Development Association, Sligo Academy of Music, Summerhill College Alumni and was head judge at the Irish Accountancy Awards in 2023 and 2024. He is a strong advocate for the accounting profession, regularly visiting schools in the Northwest and hosting workshops for schools at ATU Sligo. He encourages accountants to update their skills in a fast-changing environment and collaborates with the professional accounting bodies to host professional training and conferences at ATU Sligo to address these needs.

Artistic | Commencement Date – March 2025

Ciarán McCauley is a Sligo-born actor, director and theatre practitioner whose involvement in local theatre began with Sligo Drama Circle and Coolera Dramatic Society. A core member of Blue Raincoat Theatre Company since 1991, his experience spans performance, directing, design and national and international touring, alongside work in film and radio.

Ciarán trained in Dublin, London, New York and France and holds an MA in Drama and Performance from University College Dublin. He lectures at Atlantic Technological University in Sligo across acting, physical theatre, voice, movement and professional practice. A drama facilitator and performance trainer, he has a particular interest in drama in education and inclusive participation. He is a member of the Association of Drama Adjudicators and adjudicated the All-Ireland One-Act Drama Finals in 2023.

Policy, Innovation, Leadership and Theatre | Commencement Date – March 2025

Toby Scott brings extensive experience in creativity, innovation and leadership. Through his work with Knowinnovation, he facilitates collaboration among academics, government, non-governmental organisations and businesses, including international Ideas Labs. His earlier career included adapting and directing work for the BBC and theatre, followed by leadership roles in UK government creativity and innovation, the UK Design Council and the establishment of the Irish Centre for Design Innovation. Toby brings a combination of artistic understanding, strategic thinking and facilitation expertise to Hawk’s Well Theatre, where he chairs the Strategy Committee.

Tourism, Marketing, Management, Governance, Political Representative | Commencement Date – May 2025

Ann has worked in Irish tertiary education for over 30 years, and has lectured in the disciplines of Marketing, Economics, Strategic Management and Tourism. She has held a variety of senior positions in ATU (formerly IT Sligo) including Head of Department of Marketing, Tourism and Sport, and Acting Head of School.

Ann has contributed to regional development initiatives through her membership of several local, regional, & national boards/advisory panels, including Chair of Cranmore Co-op, board member of Sligo Tourism Board, Western Development Committee and National Steering Committee of Campus Engage. She also volunteers in Northwest Hospice and is Chair of the Sligo Relay for Life Committee.

In her current role as ATU Integration Project Manager, she actively contributed to the establishment of ATU, a unique university for a unique region, which acts as a key anchor institution for Sligo and the wider region.

Ann was co-opted as the Labour representative to Sligo County Council in March 25 , where she aims to a positive, ambitious force and vocal advocate for a better and brighter future for the people of Sligo.

The ‘bread and roses’ symbol of the Labour party represents not just workers’ rights, but also the right to enjoy the fruits of their labour such as art, music and culture. Ann believes that The Hawkswell is a vital local cultural institution which provides accessible art and music to all our communities.

Ann holds a Bachelor of Business (Hons) degree and a Masters in Education Management.

Governance | Commencement Date – January 2026

Laura Conway is a Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional with extensive experience in corporate governance, board advisory and company secretarial practice across leading organisations, including Revolut, Dalata, Greencore, and AIB. A law graduate of Griffith College Dublin, Laura holds a postgraduate qualification in Management and Corporate Governance from Ulster University. She has also undertaken specialist studies in music publishing and film scoring at UCLA, and artificial intelligence at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School. Alongside her governance career, Laura is an accomplished musician, songwriter and composer with over two decades of international industry experience. Originally from Sligo, she rose to prominence as a member of The Conway Sisters, who reached the final six of The X Factor in 2005. Her subsequent career includes songwriting credits for international television and film productions, alongside vocal performances for globally recognised video games including League of Legends and Honor of Kings. She has recently achieved Tier 2 membership of the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO). Bringing together professional governance expertise and first-hand experience of the creative industries, Laura is passionate about supporting the arts in her native Sligo. As Chair of the Governance Committee, she is committed to strengthening organisational governance and supporting Hawk’s Well Theatre’s continued development as a vibrant cultural institution.

Chair of Development Subcommittee | Commencement Date – September 2026