Harry McCalmont (Chairman)

Harry became a member of the Turf Club in 1985 and of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee in 2015. He is a well-known breeder, owner and vendor of thoroughbreds. He has been chairman of the European Breeders Fund, Gowran Park racecourse and Longines Irish Champions Weekend. He has also served on Turf Club Finance Committee, as well as serving on the Curragh and Licensing Committees.

Harry is also Senior Steward of the Turf Club and was originally appointed a director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Company Limited by Guarantee when the company was set up in 2018.

Mr John Byrne

John became a member of the Turf Club in 2008 and of the INHSC in 2013.  He has served on the Curragh Committee and in 2014 became a Steward of the Turf Club.  During this time he served on the board of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and he was Chairman of the project board for the Curragh Re-Development.  He is currently a Turf Club/IHRB representative on the board of Curragh Racecourse Ltd and is an owner/breeder.

Philip McLernon

Philip became a member of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee in 2012 and of the Turf Club in 2013. He has acted as Chairman of the Point-to-Point Committee and has also served as a member of the Referrals Committee and the Stewarding Committee. He recently completed his term as Chairman of Stewards at Limerick and Cork.

Philip is also a steward of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee.  Philip was appointed a director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Company Limited by Guarantee on 1^st January 2020.

Martin O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)

Martin became a member of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee in 2005 and of the Turf Club in 2009. He has served on various in-house Committees including the Compliance and Regulations and Stewarding Committees and the Appeals Body. He has also acted as Chairman of the Finance Committee and the Point to Point Committee. He is an owner / breeder and is a former holder of a restricted trainer’s licence and also rode in Point to Points.

Martin is a Chartered Valuation Surveyor by profession. He is also Senior Steward of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee and was originally appointed a director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Company Limited by Guarantee when the company was set up in 2018.

J.J. Power

John became a member of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee in 1989 and of the Turf Club in 2016. He is a former member of the Board of Horse Racing Ireland.

John is currently a member of the Council of the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners. A solicitor by profession John is the Senior Partner in Maurice Power, Solicitors. John is also a steward of the Turf Club. John was appointed as a director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Company Limited by Guarantee when the company was set up in 2018.

David McCorkell

David became a member of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee and the Turf Club in 2017. He has been involved in racing as an owner and previously was a committee member at Down Royal Racecourse. He had an extensive career in Investment Management with Brewin Dolphin Holdings plc and retired from the board in 2012.

David is also a steward of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee. David was appointed a director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Company Limited by Guarantee on 1^st January 2020.

Denis Egan
(Chief Executive)

Denis Egan is the Chief Executive of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Company Limited by Guarantee since it was set up on 1^st January 2018. He was previously Chief Executive of the Irish Turf Club since 2001. An accountant by profession, Denis joined the Turf Club in 1995 as financial controller. He was a member of the Safety Review Committee which was set up in 2003 to review all aspects of safety on the racecourse following the deaths of two jockeys as a result of race-riding accidents.

Denis is chairman of the European Medical Officers Group, and the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys. He is also a member of the Executive Council of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the committee for the International Harmonisation of Raceday Rules Committee, The European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation Rules Committee and the European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee.

Anne Bergin
(Financial Accountant)

Anne is the Financial Accountant. She joined the Turf Club in 2002 having previously worked in the finance department of a service industry for over 15 years.

Anne is a qualified accountant and is responsible for the management of the finance department where she is assisted by a small dedicated team. She is also responsible for budget and account preparation for the various divisions of the IHRB.

Niall Cronin
(Communications Manager)

Niall has been the Communications Manager of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board since April 2019 and is also licensed as a Clerk of the Scales.

Niall’s current role as Communications Manager within the IHRB includes daily updates from the racecourses, dealing with media queries, internal communications and building the IHRB’s social media platforms.

Previously to joining the IHRB, Niall was a racing journalist for 13 years and was racing correspondent for The Herald newspaper and he also previously held a Jockeys Agent licence.

Cliodhna Guy
(Head of Licensing and Legal and Compliance)

Cliodhna is the Head of Licensing and Legal and Compliance and was appointed in February 2017. She is a qualified lawyer who has focused her career path in the sports industry. She qualified as a solicitor in Byrne Wallace, one of Ireland's top commercial firms and went on to gain significant experience, both nationally and internationally, as Legal Manager in the Football Association of Ireland and subsequently as Legal Director for the International Boxing Association.

Cliodhna has a Masters in Sports Law from De Montfort University in Leicester. She has strong international connections in the sports law industry and an in-depth knowledge of integrity, disciplinary and governance matters.

Dr Lynn Hillyer
(Chief Veterinary Officer/Head of Anti-Doping)

Lynn took on the new roles of Chief Veterinary Officer/Head of Anti-Doping for the IHRB in September 2016 and is responsible for developing and managing the Board’s activity in these areas alongside her team of Veterinary Officers, Assistants and Administrators. Lynn was in large animal practice before specialising in equine medicine and then joining the British Horseracing Authority where she had held the position of Veterinary Adviser whilst continuing to work on the racecourse as Veterinary Officer since 2005.

Lynn has now been an internationally recognised equine regulatory veterinarian for over a decade and is Chairman of the International Group of Specialist Racing Veterinarians. She sits on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA)’s Advisory Council on Prohibited Substances and Practices, the IFHA International Movement of Horses Committee, the IFHA Welfare Committee and held the position of Chairman of the European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee Chief Veterinary Officer Working Party for the maximum of three terms.

Alan McCormack
(IT Manager)

Alan McCormack is the IT Manager.  He joined the Turf Club in June 2002 having previously worked as a Developer and Systems Engineer in the Engineering Sector. A Computer Science and Software Engineering graduate, Alan also holds numerous professional certifications including CCNA, MCSA, CEH, CSTA, CSTP, CSWA and Prince2.

Alan is responsible for managing the IHRB’s IT Department encompassing Application Development, Network Design and Support, development and implementation of Security Policies, managing third party vendors and consultants and is responsible for the delivery of all IT projects. He is also a member of the HRI/IHRB IT Steering Committee.

A keen security enthusiast, Alan is currently pursuing a Masters in Cyber Security incorporating both CISM/CISO Certifications.

Dr Jennifer Pugh
(Senior Medical Officer)

Jennifer is the Senior Medical Officer and was appointed in January 2019. She qualified as a medical doctor in 2003 from Queen’s University Belfast.  Following an internship in Belfast, she completed her post graduate training in St James’s Hospital Dublin and the Midlands hospitals and has been working as a GP since 2010.

Originally from Co Down, she has been based in Kildare for the last 15 years.

Her equine interests span back to life on the family farm, ponies quickly replaced by racehorses and summer jobs on stud farms and racing yards.  She held her Qualified Riders License from 1999 to 2012 riding a few winners along the way and becoming Lady Champion Point to Point Rider in 08/09 season.

She has been working as Medical Officer at Point to Points since she graduated and progressed to Racecourse Doctor for the IHRB in 2012.  She took over as Senior Medical Officer of the IHRB in January 2019 following the retirement of Dr Adrian McGoldrick, a role which allows her to continue her work as a doctor alongside her passion for horseracing.

Ann Whelan
(Club/Regulatory Administrator)

Ann is the Club/Regulatory Administrator. She joined the Turf Club in 1991. She is an experienced administrator and provides specialized regulatory and administrative support to the CEO, Directors, Stewards and is also responsible for Club membership services.

Ann plays a key role in supporting company operations by developing and maintaining office systems, rosters and facilities coupled with office staff co-ordination and oversight.

Paul Murtagh
(INHSC Registrar/Head of Raceday Operations)

Paul is the Registrar of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee and the Head of Raceday Operations. Paul was appointed Registrar in May 2019, having previously been appointed Head of Raceday Operations in April 2017

Paul joined the Turf Club in 2005 as a racing official. He worked in various roles on the racecourse and at Point to Points including those of Stipendiary Steward, Judge, Veterinary Assistant and Clerk of the Scales. He also presented many of the Appeals and Referrals hearings on behalf of the Turf Club, thus giving him a unique insight into almost all regulatory matters.

Paul’s role as Head of Raceday Operations includes managing the team of Judges, Starters, Clerks of Scales, Clerks of Courses and Handicappers on the racecourse. As Registrar he is now also responsible for all integrity matters relating to National Hunt racing and the administration of Point to Points.

Prior to joining the Turf Club, Paul was an Animal Nutritionist, and he holds a Masters in Agricultural Science (UCD). He also has a Diploma in Sports Law (Law Society of Ireland).

Ray Bergin
(Racing and Point-to-Point Operations Manager)

Ray is the Racing and Point-to-Point Operations Manager having been appointed to this new role in August 2019. He joined the Turf Club in 2003. He completed the English National Stud Breeding Course and graduated with a Diploma in Stud Management in July 1996. Having spent a number of years gaining practical experience at all levels of the thoroughbred industry while working for Kildangan Stud, Ray qualified as an Accounting Technician prior to joining The Turf Club.

Ray has been primarily involved in the administration of Point to Point Racing prior to being appointed to his new role. Ray graduated from the Law Society of Ireland with a Diploma in Sports Law in April 2018.

Chris Gordon
(Head of Security and Investigations)

Chris was appointed Head of Security and Investigations in December 2010 and has responsibility for a team of 20 people based across the country.  His raceday role includes security at stable yards, weigh rooms and jockeys’ rooms at the 27 racecourses.  He also has responsibility for investigations into potential breaches of the Rules of Racing, liaison with betting operators and regulatory bodies such as the British Horseracing Authority, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and the Garda Siochana. 

Prior to joining the IHRB, Chris was with the Garda Siochana for 30 years where he reached the rank of Superintendent.  He served in a variety of roles including head of student training at the Garda College, policy advisor to a Deputy Commissioner on Human Resources, Finance and ICT issues and policing of international soccer and rugby fixtures at Lansdowne Road.  He also led operational units in south Dublin stations dealing with crime and public order matters for several years. 

In 2002 Chris was seconded to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Cyprus where he held a senior role in managing humanitarian affairs on both sides of the divided island.  Chris holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (University College Dublin), an MSc in Public Sector Analysis (Trinity College Dublin) and a Diploma in Executive Leadership (UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School). 

Richard Hayden
(Licensing Department Manager)

Richard is the Licensing Department Manager and was appointed to that role in September 2017. He originally joined the Turf Club in 2001. He has gained a vast amount of experience within the Turf Club/IHRB during his 19 years, as an administrator within our office and also 'in the field' having previously worked as a Stewards Secretary and Photo Finish operative in Point to Points around the country.

Richard holds qualifications in People Management, Business Management and Sports Law. He reports to the Head of the Licensing and Legal and Compliance.

Peter Matthews
(Head of Stewarding)

Peter has been Head of Stewarding in the Turf Club and subsequently the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board since 1999. As well as acting as a Stipendiary Steward on race days, Peter manages the team of IHRB Stipendiary Stewards and also actively liaises with the Stewarding Review Committee and the Compliance and Regulations Committee.

Peter brings a wealth of experience to the role of Head of Stewarding having joined the Turf Club in 1982. He worked for a number of years in the office, before working as a race day official in the role of Stipendiary Steward, Starter, Judge and Clerk of the Scales. In addition to these roles Peter has worked on investigations, stable inspections and appeals and referrals.

Peter is also heavily involved in the organisation of Stewards Seminars and Stewards Training in Ireland.

Donal O’Shea
(Financial Controller)

Donal is the Financial Controller and was appointed in February 2017, having previously worked with Glanbia Plc since 2013.

Donal is an experienced finance executive having held various senior roles within various other industries in Ireland over the past 10 years.

His responsibilities include finance, IT (operation and development), charity’s, pensions and corporate governance.

Hayleigh Ahearne
(HR Manager)

Hayleigh is an experienced HR and Employment Law Consultant who is outsourced from Adare Human Resource Management as the HR Manager for the IHRB.

Hayleigh has a wide variety of practical experience across all areas of Employee Relations, Employment Law and Industrial Relations. She has worked with medium and large organisations across multiple sectors, which has provided significant exposure to best HR practice.

Hayleigh holds a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and is an Associate CIPD Member.