The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has announced two new appointments to the board of the Abbey Theatre. The new members have been named by the Minister for Arts, Heather Humphreys, as James McNally and Loretta Dignam.
The initial reaction that a one-time member of The Pogues had been elevated to a position on the board of the national theatre has, however, been proven incorrect. James McNally is indeed the name of a former Pogue – and he is currently a member of and producer with Afro Celt Sound System. McNally has also worked extensively with Ronan Keating.
However well the musician and composer might be qualified – and indeed there are those who would argue that his experience is highly relevant to where the Abbey should be moving over the coming years – Hot Press understands that the James McNally in question here is, by way of contrast, a partner in the tax services practice of PWC, who specialises in company administration and outsourcing services, encompassing payroll processing.
Loretta Dignam, meanwhile, runs her own marketing company, Loretta Digman Consulting. She formerly worked with the Jacobs Fruitfield group as Technical and Marketing Director and was responsible for the revitalising of some of Ireland’s most iconic brands.

The appointees applied for the positions on the board through www.stateboards.ie and were identified through the Public Appointments Service. Both individuals were found to have the requisite skills requirement for the Abbey Board. The requirements for the vacant positions were: financial management and donor relations skills; and marketing and fundraising skills.
The term of both appointments is three years.