Ones to Watch for 2015

A recent list of the 50 most influential people on Twitter in Ireland really divided opinion. So its time again to shine light on the people making a difference and contributing through their hard work in their chosen fields. Now just to back myself up here, several industry leaders have contributed to this list and again its all about putting the spotlight on the ones to watch for 2015. So here they are, in no particular order.

50. Aaron Heffernan- Entertainment

Best known for his involvement with Irish cult drama Love/Hate, Aaron is set for global stardom.

49. Sean Judge- Technology

Sean is founder and co managing partner of UniTuition. UniTuition matches students looking for grinds, with vetted tutors who have excelled in the courses you are struggling with. No more looking through notice boards or scrolling through databases full of tutors who will never respond. Unituition was recently runner up in the Dublin Beta contest.

48. Denise Nestor- Illustration

With a client list ranging from The New York Times, NYLON magazine, ASOS, Wired and VICE its no surprise she’s ended up on this list.

47. DMC- Street Art

DMC (Dermot McConaghy) is a street artist from Northern Ireland. You’ll recognise his work, mainly female subjects dotted around the country.

46. Orlaith Blaney- Advertising

CEO of McCann Blue Dublin. Orlaith is a very powerful and influential in the advertising and marketing industry in Ireland.

45. Richie Whelan- Technology

CEO and founder of digital startup Popdeem Richie has been getting a lot of attention from international communities and some rather impressive seed funding from NDRC, Wayra and Enterprise Ireland. The test in 2015 will be to see if they can take it to the next level and onboard some bigger clients and compete with the other players in the emerging digital rewards category e.g. Reep

44. Emmet Kirwan- Theatre & Drama

Of all the young talents to make an impact in 2014, Kirwan’s Dublin Old School is bound to be one of the biggest hits of 2015. With backing and resource, who knows what he’ll achieve.

43. Joe Caslin- Illustration & Street Art

Some of you may be familiar with his latest project, Our Nation’s Sons Galway which has really projected him into the public eye.

42. Sarah McCabe- Journalism

Sarah is a business journalist with the Irish and Sunday Independent. 2014 was a breakthrough year for Sarah and her star is set to rise even further in 2015. Sarah covers an array of business and technology news and is a real champion for startups in Ireland. Educated in Law at Trinity, Sarah has a keen eye for detail and her stories are often amongst the most shared on the Independent.ie website.

41. Ian Power- Charity

Ian joined SpunOut.ie as communications officer in October 2012 and quickly rose to the position of executive director in September 2013. SpunOut.ie is a not-for-profit website created by young people for young people that aims to promote the overall health and well-being of Ireland’s youth. Originally from Waterford, Ian studied economics and politics at University College Cork (UCC), where he served a term as deputy president of the students’ union and as a member of the governing body. In 2010, he moved to London where he established ‘Raising Aspirations’, a programme to get more young people from poor backgrounds into good universities. He returned to Ireland in 2012 to work with SpunOut.ie and has done an immense job since.

40. Ann Morgan- Fashion

Anne set up Distinct Model Management in late 2012 and the business has grown from strength to strength. Anne, a former model with a B.A in Psychology and an M.A in Psychotherapy, is working on making Distinct the first agency of its kind in Ireland which implements a standard that protects the overall welfare of the models. Anne has put together an in house team which includes a nutritionist, a career adviser, personal trainers and a psychologist to make sure the models get the most out of their careers. With some big signings in 2014, we expect Distinct to go global in 2015.

39. Colm Williamson- Journalism

You may not know the name but you definitely know his work. He’s the satirical mastermind behind headlines like “North Korea Lands First Ever Man On The Sun, Confirms Central News Agency” which went super viral and earned almost 1.5 million hits in one day. Former bar manager, Williamson founded WWN in 2009 but went full time on the site in April of 2014. He hired two more people and even brought out a book with the best of the site in November. With traditional news media struggling to maximise the potential of online, Colm is faking it and making it… big time.

38. Orlaith Ross- Culture

Making Space is bringing the business of Art and audiences together in the form of curated events. Orlaith Ross is heading it up with a background in Ceramics and Art Education. She earned a BA from the National College of Art and Design Dublin 2009 and an MA in Arts Management from University College Dublin in 2012.

37. Emer O’Daly- Technology

Orla is co-founder of Love & Robots (along with sisters Kate & Aoibh), the fashion 3D printing startup which won the 2014 ESB Spark of Genius Award at the Web Summit in Dublin. They’re one of the top 3D printing companies in the world right now and the only direction they’re going is up.

36. Emer O’Carroll- Health

Eimear is CTO and co-founder of Restored Hearing, she operates the research and development of their products. She studied physics at Edinburgh University and is on this list for her hard work and innovative challenges.

35. Aidan Coughlan- Radio

Head of Digital in Newstalk. Aidan has a vast amount of experience, he’s worked for Simply Zesty, Independent News & Media and Broadsheet.

34. Ciamh McCrory– Digital

2015 will see McCrory developing bigger relationships and partnerships to bring the essence of Social Media to life for many brands still struggling with it.

33. Ciara O’Doherty- Fashion

Ciara is a presenter, blogger and stylist. A charismatic, accomplished writer, O’Doherty’s continued clever use of a variety of platforms will see her bring Irish fashion to bigger audiences in 2015.

32. Grace Dyas- Theatre

THEATREclub are a young Dublin based theatre collective founded in November 2008. Run by Grace, Shane Byrne, and Doireann Coady.

31. Rob Cumiskey- Technology

Rob is the CEO of Prospr Health and the former head of marketing in Hailo Ireland has gone out on his own to launch Prospr an app that is transforming the way nutrition and fitness professionals do business. Founded in May 2014, Prospr is a technological platform enabling nutrition and fitness Professionals to better connect with their clients.

30. Shane Kenna/Imogen Oh- Illustration

This design duo are making waves in their industry for their stellar work. They’ve been working together since 2010, we specialise in visual identity, print design, web design, typography and Illustration.

29. Al Porter- Television & Drama

Al needs no introduction, he’s the bright young spark and energy this country has been looking for in television for decades. Al does improv, radio, works on Republic of Telly in RTE and has a really long career ahead of him.

28. Teresanne O’Reilly– Journalism

She the Early Breakfast Presenter on Today FM, Editor of Spin 1038’s IN Magazine. Originally from Waterford, Teresanne has been making big waves in Dublin since she left BEAT to join Spin 1038 in early 2014. Since her move Teresanne has moved swiftly up the pecking order at Communicorp and in September took over the early morning show on Today FM in addition to editing Spin 1038’s new magazine IN. Often seen as a testing ground for the best up and coming talent, Teresanne has already made a big impact there and we expect to hear a lot about her in 2015.

27. Iseult Ward– Charity

Iseult, is co-founder and CEO of FoodCloud. Iseult a Business and Economics graduate and winner of Trinity Business student of the Year 2013.

26. Aaron Goodliffe- Advertising

Aaron is the Creative Director at Full Service agency Simply Zesty. He has developed creative campaigns, TVC’s, social strategies and online content for some of the biggest Irish and global brands. These include Bank of Ireland, Chevrolet, Full Tilt Poker, Failte Ireland, Vodafone Ireland, Britvic, News International, Betfair and Littlewoods Ireland.

25. Ian Kehoe- Journalism

Ian is the Editor, Sunday Business Post. At age 34, Kehoe is the youngest editor of a national publication by a long way after taking over the reins at the SBP in October of 2014. Kehoe studied journalism at Dublin City University and spent some time with RTE working on the ‘Prime Time’ programme where he made a name for himself with documentaries examining the collapse of the Celtic Tiger. Keogh is in charge at an interesting time as his paper mixes old style publishing and exploring the potential of the internet. Whatever way the story unfolds we predict Kehoe to be key ti the Irish media landscape for years to come.

24. Krystal Klear- Music

Krystal Klear (Declan Lennon) was selected to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy in 2011 and has since cemented his name in the music industry as both producer and DJ. Over the past couple of years Dec has been making waves in the European music scene with his old-school styles and eclectic DJ sets and has DJ’d at many international festivals.

23. Niall McGarry- Online Media

Not known to many of you but Niall is an unstoppable force in online media and publishing. JOE.ie and Her.ie are two of the more well known brands in Maximum Media’s portfolio. They’ve just launched JOE Sports and a whole new redesign of Her.ie. Some clever sponsorships this year too to include Conor McGregor. He employs a rake of people and keeps the general Irish population up to date with popular culture.

22. Gary Dunne- Arts

Gary is an arts promoter in the London Irish Centre. Through his work with the London Irish Centre, Gary continues to shine a light on up and coming and established Irish artists and bringing them to London audiences.

21. Ruairi McKiernan– Campaigner

Working with Community.ie and never shy about sharing his opinion on what happening in Ireland, Ruairi’s ability in bringing people together, in celebrating the best of Ireland and working to change the worst puts him in a definite “one to watch for 2015” position.

20. Martyn Rosney- Public Relations

Martyn (who contributes to LovinTrends) is working at Wilson Hartnell, Ireland’s leading PR agency. He is currently an account manager in the corporate team but he also works on social media strategy development for a number of the firm’s other clients. He is a frequent speaker on the seminar circuit where he shares insights into social media and reputation management. 2014 also saw Martyn represent Ireland at the “Cannes International Festival for Creativity” in the Young PR LIons.

19. David Coallier- Technology

One of the smartest fuckers I’ve ever met in my life, David is the founder of Security as a Service company @barricadeio. Ex Security Data Scientist @engineyard and co-founder @orchestraio. Known as a serial entrepreneur and angel investor, he’s got big things up his sleeve for the new year.

18. Una Mullally- Journalist & Campaigner

Una has just released her first book “In The Name Of Love” which took her over two years to write and is an oral history of the social movement, the movement for marriage equality. Una writes for The Irish Times and has a strong online presence and following.

17. John Mahon- Events

Many of you will know John from his many years in The Bernard Shaw. He’s just set up The Locals and are already doing great, great things for the Dublin community.

16. Daniel Kyne- Technology

Only 17 years old but this guy is going to be a driving force for his peers. He’s a founding member of the EU’s first Digital Youth Council. Daniel is currently working on ReScope – a Music Announcements Social Network. Participant in the Irish European Science Olympiad and the Irish Mathematical Olympiad 2013. He recently won the award for “Best Business Report” at the Kildare Student Enterprise Awards Final. Irish Student Startup Weekend 2014 and Dublin Startup Weekend 2014 participant and 1 of 20 entrepreneurs in the “Hatch Youth Incubator Program” at the Web Summit 2014 with AIB. Big things to come…

15. Anne Clarke- Production

Landmark Productions is one of Ireland’s leading theatre producers. Established by Anne Clarke ten years ago, the company produces wide-ranging and ambitious work in Ireland and tours Irish work abroad. In the past decade, the company has produced eighteen plays, including six Irish premieres and seven world premieres in Dublin, and its work has been seen in London, Edinburgh and New York.

14. Sean Earley- Public Relations

Sean (also a contributor to Lovin Trends) is Head of Creative Services at New/Slang part of PSG Communications in between craft beer fancying and ice cream obsessions he works with clients like HB Ice Cream, Bord Gais, Gala Retail and VFI. He also sits on the board of the Irish Internet Association.

13. Matt Smyth- Theatre

Producer who came straight from Rough Magic’s coveted SEEDS programme, he also organises Google’s Undergraduate Awards Global Summit each year. Currently working on a play called Beautiful Dreamers with ANU Productions.

12. Seamus Carey- Advertising

Former McKinsey and WH exec, now PR consultant.

11. Louise McSharry- Journalist

Louise McSharry is a journalist, broadcaster and an avid Tweeter. The 31-year-old presented an evening show on 2fm until she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Since her diagnosis she has spoken openly about her cancer and should applauded for her strength and honesty. Louise has always been honest with the public and that is what has made her such an engaging broadcaster.

10. Vicki Notaro- Journalist

Vicki who has just spent the last 2 years working on 4 different magazines for the Indo, previously she was with Stellar magazine. She has now announced that she’ll be working freelance so we’re all looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings for her.

9. Mark Walsh- Gambling

Mark is a social media exec for Paddy Power and the brains behind this campaign. Lots more hilarity to come from this lad.

8. Dean Gammell– Technology

Dean is the founder of The Group System which won best established business at this year IBYE.

7. Dillon St Paul- Illustration & Design

Dillon has been the talent behind the design of VIP Group’s magazines, Kiss, VIP, Stellar for several years now and has just announced his departure. We don’t know where to yet but he’s got a pretty bright future ahead of him.

6. Dylan Haskins- Broadcaster

Based in London with 5 years experience presenting live television and radio with Irish national broadcaster RTE and online video content for the Guardian. Also reporting freelance for RTE and BBC radio. He’s currently presenting Other Voices music series coverage for Guardian.co.uk in Dingle, Derry & London and co-presenting Soundings Arts & Culture Podcast. Also producing and presenting first 50′ documentary for Doc on 1 on RTE Radio 1.

5. Stephanie Roche- Sports

Irish women’s senior international also plays for ASPTT Albi in France. Stephanie shot to fame this year after being shortlisted for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award, for the best goal of the year.

4. Robbie Henshaw- Sports

Having recently cemented his name in the International squad with two massive performances against Australia and South Africa we thought the 21 year old Westmeath native deserved a spot on the list. Hugely physical in contact and able to play at both 12 & 13 he’s one to watch as Ireland build towards the World Cup 2015.

3. Gavin James- Music

He’s just released his album, Live at Whelan’s and has been tipped already by Ed Sheeran to be the one to watch for 2015. This guy is going to be a big as Hozier by this time next year.

2. Laurence Kinlan- Entertainment

Bets known for his role as Elmo in Love/Hate, Laurence is definitely one to watch- a little birdy told us he’s a few film roles up his sleeve.

1. Mark Roden- Technology

Winner of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014, Winner Business & Finance, Business Person of the Month November 2014, Winner Deloitte Fast 50 Awards 2013 & 2012, Winner The Export Industry Awards 2013, its pretty clear that 2015 will be another big year for the founder of Ding.com.