Stephen McNamara / CEO – Chief Executive Officer
Stephen joined Paralympics Ireland as CEO in February 2023 from the Irish Rugby Football Union, where he was Director of Communications from 2012. During his time with the IRFU, Stephen helped to ensure that rugby continued to grow in popularity, while working with multiple stakeholders to ensure that the IRFU remained one of the country’s most respected and popular sports organisations, with digital reach and engagement levels fitting of one of the country’s strongest brands.
In his previous role with Ryanair, Stephen helped the ambitious airline grow across the ultra-competitive aviation market throughout Europe. Stephen worked with the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary, to grow the Ryanair brand globally.
Stephen started his career as a qualified tax consultant with KPMG, and, more recently, completed an MBA from UCD Smurfit Business School.
Neasa Russell / COO – Chief Operations Officer
Neasa took up the position of Sports Director in April 2021. Prior to this, Neasa was the Head of Talent Development in Sport England, developing a world leading talent identification system. Neasa was also the Lead Performance Pathway Scientist for UK Sport, having also worked in GB Rowing Team and Rowing Ireland.
The Galway native also led Team Ireland to the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as Chef de Mission.
James Nolan / Head of Paralympic Athletics / Sport Department
James became Head of Paralympic Athletics in April 2010 after enjoying a distinguished International athletics career, winning 1500m silver at the European Indoor Championships in 2000 and competing at two Olympic Games (Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004).
James is a graduate of UCD in Sports Management, an IAAF level IV athletics coach. As Para Athletics team manager at 15 major Championships’s (WPA European, World Championships and Paralympic Games) he has led the team to 58 podium finishes over the last decade.
Derek Kinnevey / Corporate Affairs Director
Derek has more than a decades experience in Sports Communications and Marketing. Having qualified with a Master Degree in Public Relations from Dublin Institute of Technology he took the role of Marketing and Events Executive in the Football Association of Ireland. After transferring into the Communications Department of the FAI he then accepted the role of PR and Media Manager with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association. Derek held the post with the LGFA for 5 years overseeing unprecedented growth and popularity in the sport before joining Paralympics Ireland in 2017. Derek has led the communications department for two games cycles at Tokyo and Paris and has also added the leadership of the Commercial and Sponsorship programmes since 2023 as the Director of Corporate Affairs.
Fiona Scally / Corporate Affairs Executive / Communications
Fiona joined Paralympics Ireland in September 2022. A University of Limerick alumni, she holds an undergraduate degree in New Media & English along with a Masters in Sports Journalism.
Marisa Kennedy / Corporate Affairs Executive / Commercial
Marisa joined Paralympics Ireland in November 2023 to complete the Corporate Affairs Department. She joins the team from W-Sport, a broadcast channel dedicated to showcasing women’s sport from around the globe. Previous to her role at W-Sport she spent five years as a digital journalist and partnerships manager with Pundit Arena, a role which saw her cover the Tokyo Paralympic Games. She holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and New Media from the University of Limerick and a M.Sc. in Sport Management at University College Dublin.
Natalie O’Callaghan / Finance & Resources Manager / Administration Department
Natalie joined Paralympics Ireland in August 2018 as Executive Assistant, having previously worked in the financial services for 13 years from positions as secretary up to Supervisor in Transfer Agency. In this time Natalie completed courses in Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering and Investment Funds. In March 2019 with her financial background, Natalie changed positions to Paralympics Irelands Finance Administrator.
Sarah Hurley / Para Swimming Manager / Sport Department
Sarah Hurley joined the Performance Operations team in Paralympics Ireland in December 2020 through the Sport Ireland ASPIRE Graduate Programme. Sarah plays an essential operational role for Team Ireland in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport & Exercise Management from University College Dublin. She is a sport enthusiast who also carries experience in the business world through her previous roles. Sarah currently takes part in swimming, and volunteers as a kickboxing coach as she holds a black belt status.
Brian Hughes / Pathway Lead
Brian recently joined Paralympics Ireland in the new role of Pathway Lead in October 2022. He has a background in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well a master’s degree in Sports Directorship from the University of Salford. Prior to taking up the role with Paralympics Ireland, Brian was the Senior Physiologist at Sport Wales supporting multiple sports including Welsh Cycling and Welsh Gymnastics as well as leading the Welsh Institute of Performance Science research and innovation team. He previously worked as a physiologist with the Scottish Institute of Sport supporting Scottish Hockey, Netball and Para-Snowsports GB.
Richard Doyle / Performance Operations Manager
Richard joined Paralympics Ireland in October 2022 taking up the role of Performance Operations Manager. Prior to joining Paralympics Ireland Richard worked for Connacht Rugby overseeing many of the operational elements within the domestic game in the province. As part of his role, Richard also served as Deputy Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, supporting the leadership and delivery of Team Ireland’s campaign. The Wexford native is a graduate of Waterford Institute of Technology (now SETU) and has a Masters Degree in Sports and Exercise Management from University College Dublin.
Hayley Burke / Para Swimming Head Coach / Sport Department
Hayley joined Paralympics Ireland in January of 2023 as Performance Coach & Coach Developer. She previously worked with the team in the role of Para Swimming Manager and as a volunteer coach between 2012-2021 and was part of the swimming team at multiple European Championships, World Championships and three Paralympic Games. She holds a MA in Sport Management and a level 3 coaching license. Hayley is also a qualified Swim Ireland Tutor and brings a new aspect to Paralympics Ireland’s swimming program by introducing a new Coaching Development Program.
Alex Malone / Para Swimming Co-ordinator
Alex has recently graduated from UCD with a BSc Sports and Exercise Management. His thesis focused on children with disabilities in sport and physical activity. Before joining Paralympics Ireland as an Aspire Graduate, he worked with Cricket Ireland and sports sponsorship firm Sport Endorse. He travelled to the 2024 Paralympic Games as the Paris 2024 Operations Administrator for Team Ireland and upon his return was appointed Para Swimming Co-ordinator.
He was a member of the Irish Archery Youth Team at 13 and holds several national records in the Olympic recurve cadet division. His sporting career has taken him on the European circuit where he has won 3 silver medals in Milan and competed at the European Championships in Romania.
Tara Evans / Sports Administrator / Administration Department
Tara joined Paralympics Ireland in April 2023 in a new role of Sports Administrator. With degrees in psychology, science and social care Tara brings a widely varied background to the role. Transitioning from working directly with the disability population in frontline services, Her passion for inclusivity is something she ensures is central to her work in Paralympics.
Jason Smyth / Strategy Manager
Jason Smyth, a six-time Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder in T13 sprinting, joined Paralympics Ireland as Strategy Manager in March 2023. Widely regarded as the fastest Paralympian of all time, Jason brings a wealth of elite performance experience to the role, alongside a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within Para sport.
In his role, Jason focuses on shaping and delivering strategic initiatives that drive the growth, visibility, and long-term development of Para sport across Ireland. He also plays a key role in athlete mentoring, applying insights from his own sporting journey to support and inspire the next generation of high-performance athletes.
Cliona Horan / Para Network Manager / Sports Department
Cliona joined Paralympics Ireland in June 2024. Before joining the team, she worked in various roles within disability sport, including as a Development Officer with IWA Sport and a Sports Inclusion Disability Officer (SIDO) with Cork Local Sports Partnership.
She earned her undergraduate degree in English and Physical Education from the University of Limerick. Additionally, she was awarded an Erasmus Mundus-funded scholarship to complete a master’s in Adapted Physical Activity across three universities: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), the University of Limerick, and the University of Virginia (USA).
Alice Wainwright / Classification Lead / Sports Department
Alice recently joined Paralympics Ireland as Classification Lead, bringing with her over seven years of clinical experience as a physiotherapist. She has worked in a variety of settings, including as a Senior Sports Physiotherapist at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin and at Ability West in Galway.
Alice holds an MSc in Rehabilitation Science (Physiotherapy) from the University of Brighton and a BSc in Sports Science from the University of Exeter.
