The Council is the governing body of the Society. Its role is to uphold the Foundation objectives of the Society and monitor progress on achieving these. It provides leadership and strategic direction and oversees management of the Society’s activities and resources. It has a duty to ensure that the Society conducts its affairs in an ethical, legal and responsible manner and it reports to the Members on stewardship and performance.
The membership of the Council consists of the Honorary Officers (the President and the Vice-President), the Honorary Members of the Council (Past-Presidents) and 36 elected Council Members.
On election new Members of the Council are appointed by the Council to serve on one of the five Standing Committees or the Membership Committee of Council.
There are three Sections of the Council:
- Agricultural Section – usually comprising appointed Members of the Committee of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Equestrian Committee;
- Section for Science and its Industrial Applications – usually comprising appointed Members of the Committee of Science and Technology and the Committee of Industry and Commerce;
- Section for the General Purposes of the Society – usually comprising appointed Members of the Committee of Arts and the Membership Committee of Council.
Each Section has twelve elected members.
The Council normally meets five times a year. Meetings are chaired by the President.
The current members of the Council are:
President
Mr Martin Alphonsus (Fonsie) Mealy
Vice-President
Mr Matthew Dempsey
Mr Denis Byrne
Mr Thomas P. Cannon
Mrs Marian Condren
Mr John Dardis
Kyra Donnelly
Mr Michael J. (Jim) Flanagan
Mrs Kate Horgan
Mr Angus McDonnell
Mr Harold McGahern
Mrs Susanne Macken
Mrs Mary C. Redmond
Mr David Wilkinson
Section for Science and its Industrial Applications
Dr Catherine Adley
Professor John R. (Ray) Bates
Ms Marianne Beasley Barnes
Dr John Corcoran
Mr David Markey
Mr Pierce Martin
Mr David Murnaghan
Ms Claire Murphy
Professor Fionn Murtagh
Mr Pat Nolan
Dr Con O’Rourke
Mr Roderick R. Ryan
Mrs Jane D’Arcy Collins
Mrs Ida Delamer
Mr Ian Fox
Mr John R. Holohan
The Rev. Dr Robert MacCarthy
Mr David Horkan
Dr Antonia Lehane
Mr Joseph Lynch
Ms Geraldine O'Connor
Mr Dermot Scott
Ms Anne Marie Stynes
Mrs Geraldine Tennyson
Honorary Members of the Council
Mr Liam Connellan
Professor Dervilla Donnelly
Mr Michael D. Jacob
Dr Austin Mescal
Dr F. J. O'Reilly
Col. William A. Ringrose
Dr Tony Scott
For further information, please contact:
Eileen Byrne
Registrar
RDS
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
Tel: +353 (0) 1 240 7221
Fax: +353 (0) 1 660 4014
Email: registrar@rds.ie
