The team

Dr Enda Murray – Festival Director

Enda Murray is an award-winning filmmaker and educator. His body of creative and academic work spans his interest in culture, education and social change. Enda is a Drawda man from the banks of the Boyne and a life-long Johnny Cash fan.

Shannon Rooney –  Assistant Director and Short Film Competition Director

Dubliner Shannon Rooney has spent more years than she cares to count as a journalist, sub-editor and practising the Dark Arts of Public Relations. A somewhat frustrated creative, she returned to study in recent years gaining Diplomas in Digital Media and Film and Screen. She accosted Enda at the first ever IFF and is now the Festival Assistant Director. A short-film lover and Producer, Shannon started and runs the Festival Short Film Competition and Screenings.

Ruth Hogan – Social Media Manager

Ruth hails from Ballina on the rugged north west coast of Ireland. With a background in media and journalism, her career path has led her from behind the scenes at TV3 Ireland to in front of the mic at some regional radio stations. She can now be found browsing the supermarket aisles for inspiration for her work as editor of a Sydney trade publication.

Loretta Cosgrove – Board Member

Loretta began her career in the art departments of TV3 and TG4 in Galway. She has worked on a variety of TV drama and feature films as an Art Director. Loretta’s recent work on Redfern Now, Wake in Fright, Mystery Road and feature film Relic have cemented her position as one of Australia’s most sought after Art Directors. Loretta is passionate about film and all things Irish and is also Chairperson of Sydney Queer Irish.

Tomás de Bhaldraithe – Board Member

Tomás is from a Dublin family steeped in the Irish tradition and has been in Sydney since the early 80’s. He is one of the foremost scholars of the Irish language in Australia today. Tomás is an accomplished sailor of the ‘Galway Hooker’, the hand-built wooden sail-boats on the west coast of Ireland.

Éadaoin O’Reilly – Melbourne Co-ordinator

Meath-born Éadaoin has been working in the film industry for over ten years. Éadaoin is passionate about advocating for diversity, inclusion and pay parity in the arts. Éadaoin is keen to share her love of all things Irish – film, language and music with local audiences in Melbourne. In her free time Éadaoin enjoys the great outdoors and watching The Princess Bride on repeat.