John Foley to be the new Chairperson of Sport Ireland

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, and the Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, Thomas Byrne, have today announced the appointment of John Foley as the new Chairperson of Sport Ireland.

Commenting on the appointment, Minister Martin said: 

“I want to congratulate John on his appointment and I wish him well during his term on the board. I believe that he will make a valuable contribution to the work of Sport Ireland and the development of Irish sport over the next 5 years.” 

Minister Byrne said: 

“This is an important and challenging time for sport as it continues to recover from Covid-19. John Foley has demonstrated that he has the skills and expertise to lead Sport Ireland in supporting the recovery and continued growth of the sport sector. I wish him every success during his tenure on the Board.” 

The appointment follows a public call for applications on the State Boards website and an assessment process managed by the Public Appointments Service.

CEO of Sport Ireland Dr Úna May has welcomed the appointment

‘I warmly welcome the appointment of John Foley to the position of Sport Ireland Chairperson. John has a long record of leadership and expertise in the sports industry. I look forward to working closely with John and the entire board of Sport Ireland as we support Sport in Ireland to recover and grow.’

About John Foley

John has over 15 years of experience as Chief Executive Officer of several National Governing Bodies of sport including Athletics Ireland, Cycling Ireland, and Tennis Ireland. He has a wealth of experience in the private sector holding a range of positions including CEO of Waterford Crystal Ltd.