The Press Council has 13 members. Seven of these, including the Chairman, are drawn from suitably qualified persons representative of a broad spectrum of Irish society. The remaining six members of the Press Council provide senior editorial and journalistic expertise and perspectives reflective of the press industry.
The independent Chairman of the Press Council is Mr Dáithí O'Ceallaigh.
The Press Council of Ireland: independent members
Mr Dáithí O’Ceallaigh 
Mr Dáithí O’Ceallaigh was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Press Council of Ireland for a three year term to commence on 01 August 2010. He succeeds Professor Tom Mitchell, who served as Chairman since the establishment of the Council in January 2007.
A native of Dun Laoghaire, Mr O’Ceallaigh has enjoyed a distinguished diplomatic career spanning more than 35 years. Having graduated from UCD, he and his wife Antoinette spent three years as volunteer teachers in Zambia, before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1973. He went on to assume posts in Moscow, London, Belfast, New York, Finland and Estonia, before serving as Ambassador to London for 6 years from 2001. He was subsequently appointed Ambassador to the UN, World Trade Organisation and the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
In 2008, in Croke Park, he headed a small Irish team which negotiated the
Convention to Prohibit Cluster Munitions which cause unacceptable harm to civilians.
Mr O’Ceallaigh retired from the Foreign Service in 2009. He is currently Director General (part time) of the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin.
Mr O’Ceallaigh is married with two children.
Seamus Boland
Seamus Boland has worked extensively in the community and voluntary sector and is currently CEO of Irish Rural Link and chairman of the WHEEL. He is a member of the National Economic and Social Council. He is also a member of the NDP monitoring committee and the monitoring committee of the Border Midland and Regional Assembly. Additionally, he is a member of the Community and Voluntary Pillar of National Social Partnership.
Professor Maeve McDonagh
Professor Maeve McDonagh is a Solicitor who is currently an Associate Professor of Law in UCC. Through her research and teaching she has extensive experience in the areas of freedom of information law, privacy/data protection law and human rights law. She has published a number of books, academic papers, conference reports and newspaper articles focusing on these areas. As well as being on a number of university committees, she is also a member of the Freedom of Information Users Advisory Committee.
Dr Eleanor O'Higgins
Dr Eleanor O'Higgins is on the faculty of the School of Business at UCD and a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She specialises in teaching, research and publications in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and strategic management. She is the author of numerous papers in academic and professional journals, newspaper articles, book chapters and case studies. She is on the editorial boards of a number of international management journals and has held a range of leadership positions in the US Academy of Management. She is a director of Transparency International Ireland and of the Marine Institute, where she serves on the Audit Committee. Previously, she worked as a research psychologist at Harvard University Medical School, as a clinical psychologist in the Eastern Health Board, and in staff development management at RTE. She has served on the boards of IDA Ireland and of the Well Woman Group.
Patrick O'Connor
Patrick O'Connor is a Solicitor, Coroner, Arbitrator and Notary Public. He is a member of a number of professional and regulatory bodies and associations including The Law Society of Ireland, The Law Societies of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, the Superior Court Rules Committee, Brabazon Park Trustees, Mental Health Tribunal, and the IRB, ERC, 6 Nations and IRFU Disciplinary panels. Mr O'Connor has previously served as member, chairman or director of a wide range of organisations including the O'Dwyer Forestry Foundation, the Board of Management of St. Louis Community School, Hope House, the Irish Association of Suicidology, the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board and the Courts Services Board. He has held various offices within the Law Society of Ireland most notably as President (1998-99).
The Press Council of Ireland will be announcing its two new independent members shortly.
The Press Council of Ireland: industry members
Rosemary Delaney
For over twenty years, Rosemary Delaney has worked across a range of media disciplines including film, radio and magazine publishing. She has worked at senior executive level in the print publishing industry for over a decade. In 2006, Rosemary launched her own multi-media business - WMB Publishing Limited. Her portfolio includes a number of blue chip clients and her flagship title is WMB, womenmeanbusiness.com - which is a quarterly magazine for businesswomen. From 2003 to 2005, she was Chairman of Magazines Ireland. She remains a Board Director and on its Executive. Rosemary also sits on the Press Council of Ireland.
Michael Denieffe
Michael Denieffe has been Group Managing Editor of Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd since 2005. A native of Kildare, he was previously IT Director and Pre-Press Manager with the company. He is also a former Editor of the Evening Herald and also held a number of senior editorial positions within the company including Group News Editor, Night Editor of the Irish Independent and Assistant Editor of the Sunday Independent. He began his journalistic career with the Leinster Leader in Naas before joining the Evening Herald as a reporter in 1971.
Martin Fitzpatrick
Martin Fitzpatrick is the Treasurer of the Irish Executive Council of the National Union of Journalists. He is also Chairman of the Union's Dublin Branch. He was one of two NUJ Representatives on the Press Industry Steering Committee which played a key part in the consultation process that gave rise to the Press Council. He started in journalism with the Irish Press Group and worked mainly in business journalism. He retired in 2006 from his post as Business Correspondent with the Sunday Independent, a position which he held for 26 years.
Michael McNiffe
Michael McNiffe has been Editor of the Irish Sun and the Sun in Northern Ireland since 2005. Previously, he was Deputy Editor of the Irish Daily Mirror and Assistant Editor of the Sunday World and senior reporter with the Sunday World. He reported for the Daily Star in London and worked for the then newly-formed Star in Dublin. Before that he was a reporter with the Limerick Post and the Sligo Champion. He was educated at Summerhill College, Sligo, and the College of Commerce, Rathmines, Dublin. A native of Dromahair, Co Leitrim, he is married with two children.
Eoin McVey
Eoin McVey is Managing Editor of The Irish Times. He first joined the newspaper in 1978. Over a lengthy career he has been Editor of Business Extra, Administration and Planning Editor, and Duty Editor in the Editor's Office of The Irish Times. A native of Dublin, he is married with three children.
Frank Mulrennan
Frank Mulrennan is currently Director of Operations - Publishing with Celtic Media Group. He is a former President of the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland (RNPAI). His previous roles included Managing Director of the Drogheda Independent Group, Business Editor & Associate Editor with Irish Independent, and Editor of the Farming Independent. Frank has an M.Sc. in Management Practice (TCD). A native of Bunclody, Co Wexford, he lives in Dublin and is married with three daughters.