Alison Comyn is an IFTA-winning journalist, broadcaster and news anchor, with Independent
newspapers, Newstalk and RTÉ in Ireland and on Sky World News in London. She was also the main
news anchor of Ireland Live, becoming the face of UTV Ireland. A Drogheda native, she has presented
numerous current affairs and entertainment programmes in the UK and Ireland with RTÉ, BBC, Sky
News and Channel 4, as well as covering for Joe Duffy on numerous occasions on Liveline on RTÉ
Radio 1.

Alison has also been a reporter with Sky News Ireland, is a regular contributor on Newstalk’s ‘The
Hard Shoulder’ and ‘Down to Business’, and ‘Today’ on RTE 1, and was shortlisted for Regional
Journalist of the Year at the NNI Awards.

With over 25 years in the media business, she also runs Comyn Communications, training
professionals in communications, media and presentation skills, and personal impact & branding. She
regularly appears as a guest speaker, with topics including Making an Impact, Communicating with Confidence & Personal Branding.

Popular with women’s affairs and gender equality panels, with Alison Comyn as your presenter, chair
or moderator, you get energy and enthusiasm injected into every part of the connecting elements of
your event or conference, while continuing to engage attendees. Alison draws on decades of
broadcasting experience, and is equally at home chairing a business conference, moderating a lively
debate or hosting a glittering ceremony.

Rachael Blackmore has rewritten racing’s history books on a number of occasions throughout her career. In March 2021, Rachael became the first female jockey to ride a winner in the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle at the infamous Cheltenham Festival, where she also became the first female to win the Ruby Walsh Trophy for leading jockey riding an incredible 6 winners across the four days. Less than a month later, she continued to make history, becoming the first female ever to win what is widely regarded as horse racing’s biggest and toughest race, the Aintree Grand National. With 40 riders and 30 fences in the race, Rachael captured the attention of the world as she rode Minella Times home to victory in front of an estimated TV audience of over 600 million, broadcast all over the world. To finish her year of incredible successes, she won a grand slam of awards and accolades including BBC World Sport Star, RTE Sportsperson, Irish Times Sportswoman, Irish Independent Sportsperson, Her Sport Sportswoman and Horse Racing Ireland’s Racing Hero Award.

Blackmore returned to a crowd-filled Cheltenham in March 2022, where not only did she defend the Champion Chase with unbeaten Honeysuckle, she became the first female ever to win one of the most coveted races in National Hunt; The Gold Cup, on A Plus Tard. Rachael’s journey to the pinnacle of her sport is filled with hard-work, determination and resilience. 

Anne Heraty is the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of CPL Resources plc which she established in 1989 and played a key role in developing to become Ireland’s leading employment services company. In 1999, Anne floated CPL Resources, becoming the first female head of an Irish listed company.

Along the way, Anne won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2006, was named Business & Finance “Business Person of the Year 2014,” and CPL was ranked as “Best Place to Work 2020” in the large organisation category.

Last year, the business was acquired by Japanese group Outsourcing for over €300m, and Anne was subsequently chosen as the Irish Times “Business Person of the Year” for 2021.

She sits on the board of IBEC and Kingspan Group plc and previously held a number of other public and private non-executive directorships. She is Chair of the judging panel of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Anne has a keen interest in social and youth affairs, and she is heavily involved in youth education and development. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of LIFT Ireland (Leading Ireland's Future Together), a social enterprise aimed at increasing the level of positive leadership in Ireland, and she also serves on Barretstown’s Board of Directors.

Map & directions

Parking

The CCD has an underground Euro Car Park with 320 spaces. It operates from 7.00am to midnight, 7 days a week.

For more information please call:
Phone: +353 1 8761763