The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) announced Tuesday that they would be appointing Clare Duignan to their board of directors. Duignan currently sits on the boards of Fáilte Ireland, The Irish Times DAC, The Chester Beatty Library, Business to Arts, and The Institute of Banking. She has plenty of experience on boards across the arts, private, public and not-for-profit sectors. She will work as a non-executive external director on IMRO's Board.

Speaking on her appointment, Duignan said: "I am delighted to be joining the board of IMRO at this exciting time. The Irish music industry accounts for over 13,000 jobs and contributes more than €700 million annually to the economy. It's a crucial sector for Ireland, both economically and culturally."

Duignan has previously served on the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, The Dublin International Film Festival, and The Arts Council, and she chaired the Advisory Board of ShinAwil Film and Television. "I hope to use my experience in broadcasting and film, the arts and business to support IMRO in delivering the best possible opportunities for songwriters, composers and music publishers," Duignan says.

IMRO has a board of 15 non-executive directors, seven of whom are writers and five of whom are publishers. They are all directly elected by the membership. The external directors are not members of IMRO and are appointed by the board because of their expertise, and the skills they can bring to the board.

Eleanor McEvoy, chair of IMRO, said: "We are thrilled to welcome Clare Duignan to the board. Her extensive experience across the public and private sectors, and her passion for the arts and culture, make her a huge asset to IMRO...This appointment comes at an important time for IMRO as the vital EU Copyright Directive is due to be transposed into Irish law next year. This directive will modernise copyright legislation and protect songwriters, artists, and creators by ensuring they are paid fairly for their hard and importand work."