The A.I.S.T. is a voluntary organisation, open to and run by people who work in the entertainment industry on the island of Ireland.
Our aim is to improve safety at work and promote technical excellence through training courses and information.
The success of the A.I.S.T. can only be secured by the activity and commitment of its members.
The A.I.S.T. is powered by its membership and is run by a voluntary board of 11 industry professionals.
Liam Fitzgearld – Chairperson
Liam has been working in the entertainment industry, since 1993. Despite starting in sound, he has mostly worked in lighting and venue technical management. Liam has held a permanent post in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as technical manager for the last 10 years, and was part of the original team who opened the building. Also in Draiocht Arts Centre as Technical Stage Manager for 2 years, and in the Stage Lighting Centre as technical sales, and consulting for 8 years; along with many short term lighting, production management, and consultant contracts in Opera, Ballet, Theatre, Music, Broadcast, Special FX and Corporate entertainment.
Liam has been a board member for over 10 years, currently the Chairperson and previously Secretary for 6 Years.
Marie Tierney – Secretary
If you don’t know Marie you probably don’t actually work in theatre.
Marie has been a board member since 2010.
Mark Galione
Mark is originally from London where he trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama. In London Mark began as a Stage Manager and Lighting Designer in small scale theatre and then become a venue Technical Manager including five years working at Sadler’s Wells. He then toured extensively with dance companies as a Technical Manager and LD.
Mark moved to Dublin in 1995. He has been a Construction Manager and Stage Manager but has been predominantly a self employed Lighting Designer and occasional Production Manager in Ireland. He also has been a Warehouse Manager for a lighting hire company and a Project Manager and LD in the TV and events industries. He now splits his time between lighting design and CAD visualisation for High Res Lighting Ltd, lighting design for theatre and training.
Mark is a founder member of the A.I.S.T. and acted as Treasurer until 2019 . He regularly designs and delivers teaching courses in lighting and co-wrote and delivers Stagepass. The Irish Theatre Industry’s safety awareness course.
Chris Gaughan
Chris has been a board member since 2013.
Jay Kavanagh
Jay is the Technical Manager for The Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable. He has worked in the entertainments industry in some shape or form for the last 20 years as a lighting / set designer, Technical Manager and Production Manager.
Jay has been a board member since 2017.
Mike O’Halloran – Treasurer
Mike previously worked as a 35mm and digital projectionist, he joined Galway Youth Theatre in 2006 and has never looked back. Working mostly as a designer and technician until 2013 Mike now focuses on Production Management and teaching. Mike lectures in Stage Craft and Theatre Technology at the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Mike has been a board member since 2017 and took on the role of Treasurer in 2019.
Susan Collins
Susan is a Galway based designer and technician working in theatre, dance and film since 2012. She is particularly fond of projection mapping, automation and elaborate networking.
Susan has been a board member since 2019.
Dan Egan
Dan has been a board member since 2019.
Andy Cummins
Andy has been a board member since 2019.
Conleth White
Coneleth has been a board member since 2020 having previously served in the past also.
Fiona Keller
Fiona is a collaborative stage manager and production manager. Previous credits as a Stage Manager include The Patient Gloria (Gina Moxley and Abbey Theatre, Fringe First and Herald Angle winner Edinburgh Fringe 2019), Medea (Gate Theatre), Birdboy (United Fall), It was easy (in the end), (THEATREclub and Abbey Theatre), Chekhov’s First Play and Lippy (Dead Centre), This Beach (Brokentalkers), Alive! Awake! and The Summoning (Macnas). She has worked extensively with ANU Productions on shows including The Lost O’Casey, Sunder, Vardo, Thirteen, Boys of Foley Street and These Rooms (CoisCéim and ANU).
Fiona has been a board member since 2020.