Donegal-born producer Siún Ní Raghallaigh has been appointed the new Chief Executive of Ardmore Studios, IFTN can confirm.
Former Managing Director Kevin Moriarty, who has been with the Wicklow-based studio for over 20 years, will retain a Director’s position at the film studio. Ní Raghallaigh however, will oversee the day-to-day activities.
Ní Raghallaigh, who was recently appointed Chairperson of the TG4 Board , is a former director of marketing and development at the Irish-language station. She is also a producer in her own right, having set up her own independent television company, Ikandi Productions, which produced the documentary ‘Off the Beaten Track’ in 2011.
Fresh in her new position at Ardmore, Ní Raghallaigh told IFTN she is looking forward to the challenges ahead, and is planning to hit the ground running by contacting production companies. The former ‘Open House’ producer should have an extensive contacts list, having previously worked for Tyrone Productions, which has created hit shows such as ‘Ros na Rún’ and ‘OMG! Jedward’s Dream Factory’.
Ní Raghallaigh currently sits on the board of the Galway Film Fleadh, which takes place between July 10-15 this year.
Ardmore Studios was established in 1958, and gained international recognition when Jim Sheridan’s ‘My Left Foot’ chose the Bray studio for a filming location in 1989. ‘My Left Foot’ went on to be nominated for six Oscars, with stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker successfully winning two.
Over the past 20 years, the studio has brought in some of the biggest international productions and box office successes, such as ‘Braveheart’ (1995), ‘Veronica Guerin’ (2003), and some of the most popular small screen miniseries’ such as ‘The Tudors’ (2007-2010) and ‘Camelot’ (2011). This year, the studio played host to Oscar-winner Neil Jordan and his upcoming feature ‘Byzantium’, which stars Irish actress Saoirse Ronan (The Host) and British actress Gemma Arterton (St Trinian’s).
All of the said productions were overseen by Moriarty during his time as Managing Director of Ardmore.
Moriarty told IFTN he is not retiring from the film industry, and will remain involved in Ardmore and his other industry projects. He retains positions on the Irish Film Board, the Kerry Screen Commission and the Wicklow Film Commission.
