O'Callaghan appointed to Board of UNICEF Ireland

UNICEF Ireland have announced the appointment of Munster and Ireland rugby star Donncha O’Callaghan to their board.

O’Callaghan has been an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland since 2009 and research in 2011 identified him as one of the most successful Ambassadors for charity in Ireland.

Paul Connolly, Chairman of UNICEF Ireland said: "On behalf of the board, we are extremely pleased that Donncha has accepted our invitation to join the Board of UNICEF Ireland. As well as enhancing the diversity of our Board, Donncha also brings with him a broad wealth of experience from his highly successful international rugby career."

Speaking following his appointment, Donncha said: "It is an honour to be asked to become a board member for UNICEF Ireland and I was delighted to accept. I am looking forward to the challenge of my new role and will continue to highlight and fundraise on behalf of UNICEF.

"I am hoping to use my international sporting career to bring a new dimension and breadth of experience to the work of the Board of UNICEF Ireland."

In June 2011, O’Callaghan visited Zimbabwe to learn more about child and maternal health conditions in the sub-Saharan African country.

He visited Haiti in July 2010 to see for himself the impact of the January 2010 earthquake on the lives of children and in 2009, he visited UNICEF programmes in Johannesburg, South Africa to learn about the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and to highlight the plight of unaccompanied migrant children (mostly from Zimbabwe) who were then living in central Johannesburg.

O’Callaghan has also been prominently involved in all of UNICEF Ireland’s fundraising campaigns since 2009 and has made public appeals during times of crisis for Haiti and for West Africa.

Most recently, in November 2012, he launched UNICEF Ireland’s annual Soft Toy Appeal out in IKEA Dublin.