CLAIRE Donoghue has been appointed head of equine welfare with Horse Racing Ireland [HRI].

From Roscommon, Donoghue previously worked with OSI Group, a global player in food production, where she worked on quality assurance initiatives.

Donoghue has a lifelong interest in horses and has hands-on experience of riding out.

“I am thrilled to get a chance to apply my experience to horse welfare,” she said. “I worked with the world leader, OSI Group, which has reshaped food quality assurance, working with some of the biggest food retailers in the world. Irish racing has a global reputation for excellence, and I hope to enhance that through effective stakeholder collaboration.”

John Osborne, HRI’s director of equine welfare and bloodstock, commented: “Claire is a dynamic leader who has built a career raising standards, bringing diverse groups onto a single-minded pathway towards best-in-class systems of work. We are lucky to attract such talent and Claire will be a significant addition to our team at HRI.”

Reporting directly to Osborne, Donoghue has been tasked with driving the development and promotion of Ireland’s racing and breeding industries, “through strict governance and the highest standards of integrity and welfare.”