About Us

Festival Team

Board of Directors

Dr Mark Garry, Chairperson

Appointed 2023, chairperson since 2024

Mark Garry is an Irish educator. artist, educator, writer and occasional musician. Previously Mark has served on the Board of The Model home of the Niland collection Sligo and Circa Art Magazine. Mark is a full-time lecturer at TU Dublin School of Creative Arts and external examiner for MTU Crawford College of Art & Design Cork. He has previously taught at NCAD Dublin, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, UWE, Bristol and IADT Dun Laoghaire. Previously Mark Worked as a curator at The Mattress factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh, the Goethe Institute, Dublin, Dublin Fringe Festival and as an independent curator at 4 Gallery Dublin, Draiocht Arts Centre, The Dock and the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.

As an artist Mark has held exhibitions at museums and art venues in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia and was one of the artists who represented Ireland at the 2005 Venice Biennale. He has published five books and released six musical recordings. Mark’s Art work is in the collection of the Arts Council of Ireland, Limerick City Gallery, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Foundation to Life, the Arthur and Carol Kaufman Goldberg collection New York.

Mark Willis, Company Secretary

Appointed 2024, Secretary since 2024

An experienced HR, Training and Recruitment professional, Mark has a background working in Banking, Education and Community Development and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Studies from UCD. Recent roles have included working with local development organisations in the areas of Career Mentorship, Youth Development, Community integration and Supported Employment for people with disabilities.

Mark is also an experienced artist manager and cultural producer and as the founder of independent Irish record label Bluestack Records, has over 15 years experience in Ireland’s independent music scene. He has programmed and produced music events for a wide range of organisations, including Earagail Arts Festival, Sligo Live, Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, and has served on the board of Spilt Milk Festival. Mark also performs as one half of the DJ duo Turn It On

Jennifer Donovan (Appointed 2023)

Jennifer has worked in the non-profit fundraising sector for almost 20 years, with over 10 years’ experience at a senior executive level and as a fundraising consultant for 5 years. Some of her previous posts included fundraising for Dublin Simon Community, Coolmine Therapeutic Community, The Model, hpme of the Niland collection, Suas Educational Development and Aiséirí. Her work includes all aspects of fundraising with a strong focus on strategic development through relationship building. Jennifer holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management for the Community and Public Sector and guest lectures on Fundraising and Philanthropy. When not working Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family in the West of Ireland where she lives.

Niall Henry (Appointed 2018)

Niall trained in theatre in the 80s with Corrine Soum of Theatre de L’Ange fou and the International School of Corporeal Mime and Marcel Marceau in Paris. He co-founded Blue Raincoat Theatre Company in 1990 in the west of Ireland and works as the company director. From its base, The Factory Performance Space, the company has created work that has toured nationally and internationally for over thirty years. Niall was also a co-founder of County Sligo Youth Theatre, Cairde Sligo Arts Festival and Tread Softly all based in Sligo.

Lucia Macari (Appointed 2023)

Lucia is a Sligo-based technology leader, strategist, and mum with many years of experience in operations and building high-performing teams. She is Director of Operations for Bed Bath & Beyond in Ireland and has been central to building and expanding the company’s European technology hub in Sligo. 

Passionate about creativity and community, Lucia has been involved in initiatives that connect people with opportunities in technology and education.  

As a Cairde Festival board member, she brings her leadership experience, strategic skills, and commitment to strengthening community life in Sligo.

Elske Rahill (Appointed 2024)

Elske Rahill is a Dublin-born novelist and short story writer. She is the author of the novels Between Dog and Wolf and An Unravelling and the short story collection In White Ink. Her debut was listed by the Irish Times as one of ‘The Best Books by Women of the 20th Century’. Her work has appeared in many literary journals and anthologies including The Stinging Fly, Agni, The Dublin Review, The Tangerine, Winter Papers, and The Faber Anthology of New Irish Short Stories.  She teaches on the Writing and Literature programme at Atlantic Technology University in Sligo, where she lives with her husband and four children.