Banner image: Chairman Stuart McCaul speaking at An Taisce AGM, Tailors' Hall, Back Lane, Dublin on 25 June 2025. Picture credit: Damien Eagers

By Phil Kearney

President, An Taisce — The National Trust for Ireland

A review of the chair’s reports to Council has given me an opportunity to revisit many of Stuart’s achievements over a relatively short-time in the chair. 

The organisation is in robust good health - financially and otherwise - in large measure due to his leadership, commitment to the core values and enterprise.

I would recommend a rereading of the reports to anyone wanting to grasp the range and depth of An Taisce’s programmes across natural and built heritage, environmental protection and climate action.  Stuart wrote comprehensively and accessibly about the multitude of programmes and campaigns carried out under An Taisce’s extensive remit.  He, together with Board colleagues, volunteers and a superb staff team, ensured continuity and innovation in all of these domains.

In his early years on the Board, he led a review of the Constitution. This was a vital upgrade of our governance structures to meet the requirements of twenty-first century legislation in the areas of Companies and Charity law.  

He also undertook an Advanced Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law in King’s Inns to equip himself to contribute more fully to An Taisce’s statutory role in this area.

For me there are some stand-out achievements:

• Hosting the visit of Kate Raworth, (pictured above) the prominent developer of Doughnut Economics
• Supporting the candidacy of former An Taisce president Éanna Ni Lamhna for a seat in Seanad Eireann. 
• Progressing the relationship with the 1772 Foundation in the US, thereby opening up a funding stream to support the expansion of the National Trust dimension of An Taisce.
• Restoring the charity to financial stability and to full governance compliance after some challenging years.

 This is a brief snapshot of an extraordinary period of hard-work, long hours and commitment. It probably helped that Stuart was still in his 30s when he joined the Board, reducing the average age by a generation. 

He innovated in committee restructuring and policy development, oversaw the recruitment of excellent Trustees and Council members and supported vital and courageous litigation initiatives.  In all of this he was supported by CEO Gary Freemantle and his expanded senior management team.

Stuart has taken An Taisce back to a level of prominence and national importance that it had somewhat lost in the earlier decades of this century.  He has provided a platform for An Taisce to continue to contribute to Ireland’s environmental resilience for many years to come.