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The 2019 IAAT Annual General Meeting took place on 21st November in Charleville Co. Cork, in advance of our main conference. Key points of business were to appoint a new Chairman, Treasurer and board member – see below. 

Outgoing Treasurer Terry Lambert (Hilltop Treks) leaves the IAAT Board with the appreciation and best wishes of the Association.  

NEW CHAIRMAN – MAURICE WHELAN
Maurice Whelan is one of the founding members of Ireland’s Association for Adventure Tourism. After a number of years traveling around the world Maurice realised that Ireland had all the ingredients to be a world class adventure holiday destination. He returned home and sought out opportunities in the adventure tourism industry. Six years later he says taking on ownership at Ireland Walk Hike Bike is the best decision he has made. Maurice loves adventure races but he also excels at the important post-event “networking”!

NEW TREASURER – SHANE YOUNG 
Shane Young has taken up the role of Treasurer of IAAT having been a board member since 2018. Shane is General Manager of family business Killary Adventure in Galway, as well as being Director at Killary Gael Force since 2014 and Director at Connemara Adventure Tours. In recent years, he has skippered a kayaking team that sailed from Galway to Greenland (which became a TG4 documentary) and been part of an Irish-Polish expedition looking for lost rock art in Colombia. Shane holds a History Degree from Trinity College. 

NEW BOARD MEMBER – EIMEAR FLANAGAN 
Eimear Flanagan is the owner and operator of Away A Wee Walk – established in 2013. Although Belfast born and bred and with a degree in Irish History, international work and travel in the hospitality industry was what eventually lead Eimear to discover that the grass back home truly was greener. Eimear and her guide team provide guided day tours of the best hiking locations on the Causeway Coastal Route – mainly the five mile cliff path walk to the Giant’s Causeway. In addition to being a board member for IAAT, Eimear is also on the steering committee of Tour Guides NI.  

Other continuing board members include:
– Colin Wolfe (IAAT Secretary), Connemara Wild Escapes  
– Rob Rankin, Vagabond Tours
– Keith McDonnell, Extreme Ireland
– Derek Binchy, Fota Adventure
– Marcus Magee, Rural Adventures

If you are an IAAT member and are interested in being a Board member, you can declare your interest to info@iaat.ie. New board roles will be voted on at the next AGM in November 2020.