The Team

The Director of the RDSU, Ciaran Lynch, is Development Manager at Tipperary Institute. He has a background in social studies and physical planning, having worked for over twenty years as a town planner with a number of Local Authorities. Ciaran was the Chief Planner for 13 years with Clare County Council and was very involved in community planning and project development as well as strategic planning.  More recently he has been involved in a variety of projects at national, regional and local level as well as teaching on the Institute’s degree programmes. He has a particular interest in decision-making processes that use participative and collaborative methods and in strategic management within the public and community and voluntary sectors. He was the Project Manager for the first Regional Planning Guideline process in the Mid West Region and managed the SEA processes for the new guidelines. Ciaran was Director of the Irish Leader Support Unit under LEADER+.

Paula Briody is responsible for event management within the Rural Development Support Unit. Paula has substantial experience in this area as a senior administrator with Tipperary Institute and in her work in Dublin, London and the Netherlands. With an annual conference, seminars and workshops scheduled over the coming year, Paula will become a familiar contact point for all National Rural Network participants.