The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has named Alison Kealy as their new Chair and Laura Moriarty as Vice Chair.
Alison succeeds Noel Anderson who was Chair of the LVA from February 2021. She also becomes the first daughter of a previous Chair to hold the role, with her father Derry having previously acted as LVA Chair in 2004.
Alison’s pub is Kealy’s of Cloghran, based near Dublin Airport, and she is also involved in two new restaurant projects in Malahide and Portmarnock. She has been working in the pub sector since 2006 when she rejoined the family business, having previously trained and worked as a Chartered Accountant and as a Financial Controller in the IT industry.
Laura Moriarty has been involved in the hospitality sector since 2000, when her family business opened the Bracken Court Hotel. She currently serves as Group Operations Director of the Moriarty Group, a leading hospitality and retail business. She has previously served on the SuperValu Council.
Speaking about the new Chair and Vice Chair, Donall O’Keeffe, Chief Executive of the LVA said, “We are delighted to have two dynamic individuals taking up these positions. Both Alison and Laura are steeped in the hospitality sector and also have extensive professional backgrounds across business, finance and retail. We will definitely be leaning on all facets of their expertise over their periods of office.
“We would also like to put on record our deep thanks to Noel Anderson, David Morrissey and Ronan Lynch for all their efforts in these roles over the past couple of years. It is fair to say that the last couple of years have been unlike anything previously experienced in 205 year history of the LVA. All three made a major commitment in terms of time and energy towards the LVA over that period and we were lucky to have such a strong team in place when the industry needed them most.
“While we hope the coming years will not be as challenging, I know everyone involved in the LVA is glad to see that the torch has been passed to Alison and Laura, two people who are also deeply committed to the sector and who have been keenly involved with the LVA for several years. We have been lucky to have had a proud history of electing many fine publicans to these positions over the course of our extensive history and Alison and Laura will be excellent additions to that list,” he concluded.
“I’m deeply honoured to have been elected as Chair of the LVA,” said Alison Kealy, newly elected Chair of the LVA. “As my father previously held this role, I know first-hand about the LVA’s record of achievement in representing the needs of the publicans of Dublin. Never has that been more acute than what we have seen from the Association over the past couple of years. It played its part in getting us through the pandemic, through the support it offered us and in helping to get the industry back up and viable again.  I look forward to working with Laura, Donall and the rest of the LVA team in rebuilding our sector,” she said.
Her remarks were echoed by Laura Moriarty, newly elected Vice Chair of the LVA who said, “This is a tremendous honour, especially as it will be the first time there have been a female Chair and Vice Chair team. I look forward to giving Alison every support and while there are serious challenges ahead, I am really looking forward to seeing the industry recover,” she concluded.
