Orla O’Byrne (Chairperson) is an award-winning visual artist and 2019 graduate of The Crawford College of Art and Design. She is currently based at Backwater Artists studio complex in Cork, where she works in a variety of media including drawing, photography and sculpture. Her recent funded projects include are research trip to the marble-quarrying region of Northern Italy and a residency at The Crawford Art Gallery. She completed an MA in Art & Process at MTU CCAD in 2022. Orla is also the co-founder and director of The Natural Foods Bakery, a thriving bakery and café business, which has been an integral part of foodie culture in Cork city for 20 years. Orla has been chair of the board of Backwater Artists Group since 2023. In 2025, Orla was appointed curator at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, where her time is divided between pioneering a rolling arts programme and overseeing a conservation project.