Stephen McNamara

Stephen McNamara has been Director of Communications at the Irish Rugby Football Union since 2013, where he has helped transform the organization’s communication across multiple platforms. The IRFU is now one of Ireland’s most respected organisations with digital reach and engagement levels fitting of one of the countries strongest brands.

In his previous role with Ryanair, Stephen helped the ambitious airline grow its share of voice in the ultra-competitive aviation market across Europe. With no budget and an insatiable appetite for publicity, Stephen worked with the airline’s charismatic CEO to maximize exposure across media globally. During his time with Ryanair Stephen developed a strong symbiotic relationship with media.

A qualified tax consultant, Stephen’s media career began by penning ‘how to’ responses to financial queries for readers of a Sunday newspaper. An MA in Public Relations from DIT assisted in a successful career change into the world of media and communications.