Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh appointed Chairperson of the ESRI Council

Today, 29 May 2026, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has announced the appointment of Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh as Chairperson of the Institute’s Council.

Professor Ó hÓgartaigh succeeds Mr Sean O’Driscoll, who has served as Chairperson of the Council following his appointment in May 2020.

The Council is the Institute’s governing body and board of directors. It supports the work of the ESRI by setting and overseeing the Institute’s strategic direction, while respecting the Institute’s full academic independence in relation to research outputs. The Institute maintains strong governance and accountability through adherence to the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016).

Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh joined the Council of the ESRI in September 2021 and was appointed Chairperson in May 2026. He served as the 13th President of Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway from 2018 to 2024, where his vision was for a university with values, a university for the public good. Previously, he was Professor of Accounting and Dean of Business (including the UCD Quinn and Smurfit Schools) at UCD. He is an experienced board member in both the private and public sectors having served, for example, on the board of Avolon, one of the largest aircraft leasing companies in the world. A Chartered Accountant, he trained with Arthur Andersen, holds a PhD in Accounting from the University of Leeds, was a Fulbright Scholar at Northeastern University and has published widely in financial reporting and in accounting history. 

He previously chaired the ESRI’s Audit and Risk Committee and the Audit Committee at, for example, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and was also a member of the Audit Committee at the Department of Finance. He is on the editorial board of Studies. Scríobhann sé alt as Gaeilge ó am go chéile don Irish Times. 

In 2026, he was appointed to the Council of State by President Catherine Connolly.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Ó hÓgartaigh said:

“I am honoured to have been elected Chair of the ESRI Council. The ESRI consistently provides evidence-based, high-quality, independent, economic and social research for Ireland, informing policy-makers and public debate in areas essential to social progress and economic well-being. Research of this calibre is of increasing importance in an ever-changing world where Ireland faces new challenges as a country. In this context, the role of the ESRI in providing policymakers with robust, objective evidence that informs and transforms sustainable and effective policies is paramount and will continue to be robustly supported by its Council and by me as its Chair”.

The Institute wishes to express its sincere appreciation to Mr Sean O’Driscoll for his leadership and dedicated service during his tenure as Chairperson. His strong engagement with stakeholders across the public, private and non-profit sectors was instrumental in supporting and sustaining the Institute’s research agenda. His commitment to advancing the Institute’s vision of being a world-class research organisation, and to promoting a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable Ireland, has been invaluable.