Leinster Rugby has appointed Marcus O Buachalla as its new Communications and Media Manager, taking over from Peter Breen.
Marcus, who took over the role in late February, comes to Leinster Rugby having worked for over four years in the sports and sponsorship division of leading PR Agency, Pembroke Communications.
A qualified solicitor, Marcus joined Pembroke in 2009 and worked primarily in the sports and sponsorship team but also worked in the corporate division on the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland account. By 2013 he had narrowed his focus to the sports and sponsorship accounts and worked with the likes of the GAA, Under Armour, Dublin GAA, Paralympics Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy.
Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive of Leinster Rugby, Michael Dawson said; “This is a time of change for Leinster Rugby and coming on the back of the appointment of Paul Dermody as Head of Commercial, we are delighted to welcome Marcus on board to join what we believe to be a new and dynamic team across both the marketing and communications departments.
“It goes without saying that it was a very competitive process but we felt that Marcus brought a wealth of experience not only from a media and communications point of view but also in terms of his knowledge of the sponsorship and commercial landscapes that set him apart.
“This is a very exciting time for Leinster Rugby and over the next few months and years we feel that this team and this brand is only going to grow and I look forward to working with Marcus as that takes shape.”
A graduate of University College Dublin where he obtained a degree in Business and Legal Studies, Marcus qualified as a solicitor in 2007 with William Fry Solicitors, before joining Pembroke Communications in 2009. He subsequently completed a Diploma in PR and Event management with the Dublin Business School.
During his time with Pembroke his client list included the GAA, Tesco, Dublin GAA County Board, Bord Gáis Energy, AIG, Under Armour, Sports Surgery Clinic, Setanta Sports, Paralympics Ireland, Vintners’ Federation of Ireland, Working In and the FBD 7s. Marcus also represented a number of athletes including Michael McKillop and James Scully.
Marcus has also commented extensively on the business of sport and sponsorship to numerous publications and media including SportsPro magazine, RTÉ Radio 1 (Drive Time) and RTÉ 2FM (Tubridy) while also contributing to Setanta Sports, Newstalk, Raidió na Life, Raidió na Gaeltachta and the Irish Daily Star.
A former rugby commentator with TG4, he still commentates on GAA with TG4 and TV3.
