Our Board of Directors

A Music and Irish graduate from UCC, Ruth has worked in the arts and culture sector for over 20 years in a variety of fields such as opera, theatre, and festivals including roles with Druid, Galway International Arts Festival, Macnas, Baboró, and Fíbín, often performing roles through English and Irish. As the first Music Development Officer for Music Generation Galway County, Ruth initiated the rollout of new, accessible and inclusive music education programmes for young people in Galway County during its set-up phase. Ruth is Community Development and Events Coordinator with Drumadore Drum School and also performs and teaches group drumming while also working freelance in the Arts in Project Management and Coordination roles. Ruth says, “I am excited to be part of a team that presents work of international excellence in the West of Ireland in an accessible, inclusive, and exciting way.”

James Harrold is a former Arts Officer for Galway City Council and Galway County Council. Previously he was Artistic Director of Wexford Arts Centre and before that he worked in production, performance and communication with Galway Arts Centre, Galway Arts Festival and Macnas. He has served on several boards, including Údarás na hOllscoile, University of Galway; Áras Éanna, the arts centre of the Aran Islands; artsandhealth.ie and Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust. He is a co-founder of the Galway festivals Tulca and Cúirt.

John Caulfield has been a member of MusicConnects’ Artistic Committee since 2014, acting as Chair of the committee since 2017. He has a keen interest in bringing music to new audiences and locations, and enjoys working with MusicConnects to develop new and engaging programmes, commissions and collaborations with performers, cultural organisations and community groups across Galway. Originally from Co. Wexford, John moved to Galway in 2012 to take up the role of Internal Communications Officer at University of Galway. In 2020, he was appointed the University’s Director of Strategy Implementation. He has worked for TG4 and the BBC in the past, and he holds a PhD in Sociolinguistics from Cardiff University. John lives in an Spidéal and is passionate about the Irish language. He is currently co-directing the Aistriú project as part of the Galway 2020 artistic programme. He sings with a number of choirs in the city.

Claire is an experienced solicitor with over 17 years of expertise in conveyancing, probate and family law. Originally from Donegal she studied Arts at the University of Galway before pursuing a career in law. As the principal of MacDermot & Allen Solicitors in Galway Claire has built a strong reputation for providing expert legal advice to individuals, businesses and charitable organisations. Passionate about access to justice Claire has volunteered with FLAC’s legal advice centre. A dedicated supporter of the arts she is an avid fan of music and theatre.

Eithne Egan is the School Manager at UCC School of Film, Music & Theatre. Previously, she held senior roles at Music Generation, Cork Midsummer Festival and Opera 2005 and was the General Manager of MusicConnects, 2015 – 2018. She has extensive experience in event production, operations management and strategic planning. A graduate in Music and Arts Administration from University College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast, she remains an active musician, playing flute with Cork Philharmonic Winds and establishing the UCC Concert Band.