Donegal-based PR and digital media agency Inis Communications has expanded its team by appointing Ardara man Connell Kennedy as Account Director.
The move provides a Dublin presence for the PR agency, as Connell is currently based there.
Inis Communications director, Trish Hegarty, says his appointment “will create exciting new opportunities for our growing business.”
Trish has grown the agency by over 50% since 2018 and has ambitious plans for future growth and innovation.
She said: “With great internet connectivity, and the move to remote working and online meetings, there has never been a better time for Donegal businesses to grow. Our client base has traditionally spanned the island and beyond. But we want to expand and having Connell in Dublin now will boost these plans.”
Connell attracted national attention in The Irish Times for his international career advising clients like the Canadian Tourism Commission and The New Zealander of The Year Awards. He has held senior roles in PR agencies in Dublin, Vancouver, and Auckland.
Connell is a graduate of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, UCD Smurfit Graduate School of Business and the University of Galway. Based between Dublin and Donegal, he has most recently been a consultant to small and medium enterprises in tourism, health, tech, and entertainment.
“Connell has diverse industry experience spanning government, property, hospitality, food and beverage, sport and more,” says Trish Hegarty.
A former Irish Times and BBC journalist, Trish founded Inis Communications in 2004. She’s originally from Stranorlar and is now based outside Greencastle, in Inishowen.
In 2020, she was a participant in the EMPOWER women entrepreneurs programme, and she’s just secured a place on this year’s AMBITION programme for women founders. Inis Communications has also received both Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and LEADER funding for developing an innovative online PR service, which will be launched next month.
Last year, Trish appointed Greencastle native and ATU media graduate, Beth Reynolds, as Creative Lead/Account Executive at the agency.
“Digital content is a key part of effective PR today, so we spend a lot of time shaping our clients’ online presence,” says Trish. “In addition to quality editorial content, however, most of our clients need online graphics and video content too. Beth’s skillset is essential in meeting these needs. She is our digital media and graphics specialist, and it’s great to be able to recruit graduates with these skills in Donegal.”
Inis Communications’ award-winning work is probably best known in this county for #LoveDonegal Day, which reached global audiences of over 33 million in its first year. Trish and Inis Communications have led PR and marketing projects for the private and public sector on both sides of the border. These include Fáilte Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Atlantic Technical University (ATU), Foyle Port, B&B Ireland, and the ICTU.
Donegal clients currently working with Inis Communications include the Killybegs-based Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) and Spraoi agus Spórt in Inishowen, one of Ireland’s leading social enterprises. The agency also recently secured national news coverage for the funding challenges faced by the child abuse charity, Children at Risk Ireland (CARI).
