The co-owner of interior design studio La Maison is the new Letterkenny Chamber President.
Claire McDonough was a hugely-popular choice with her fellow members on the board of the local business grouping.
Originally from Greencastle, Claire has been living in Letterkenny since 1999.
She takes over the position from outgoing President Fionnuala Rabbitt.
Claire is married to Daragh and the couple have two children Grace & Finn.
Claire said she was delighted to accept the role.
She said “It is an honour for to be elected as Chamber President by my colleagues in the Chamber Council. I have really enjoyed my role on the Chamber Council over the last number of years working with colleagues in shaping the strategy and future of Letterkenny Chamber.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Fionnuala Rabbitt for her hard work and dedication over the past 12 months. Fionnuala was faced with a health challenge during the year and yet she was still available for all the events during the year. I am committed to carrying out this role with the same enthusiasm, integrity and professionalism”.
Claire hopes to emulate the hard work of successive Past Presidents and continue to develop the relationships with key stakeholders across Donegal and to grow membership and member engagement.
“Having been a member of Letterkenny Chamber since opening our business I have experienced the support network at first hand and understand the important role The Chamber plays in the economic life and ambitions of Letterkenny and the wider North West region.
“Over this last year we have once again grown our membership, have delivered an exciting and successful calendar of events and member engagement is at an all time high. I hope to build on these achievements and continue to engage directly with members as much as possible.”
Claire most recently served as Vice President and has served on the Chamber Council since 2017.
With a Masters in Local & Regional Development she worked in community development in Inishowen before joining Donegal County Council as a Community & Enterprise Development Officer.
Claire always had an interest in design of Interior and exterior environments and she and her business partner Anne opened La Maison in 2005. Over the next few years Claire trained as an Interior Designer in response to customer demand.
On handing over the chain of office, outgoing president Fionnuala Rabbitt said “It has been a real privilege for me to serve as Chamber President over the last year. I would like to wish Claire well in her role. We are delighted to welcome another female Chamber President in our 59 year history, we know Claire will be an asset to our Chamber going forward.”
