Daragh has over 30 years’ experience in Irish forestry in a wide range of areas within the sector. As Managing Director – Forestry at Veon, Daragh advises investing clients from his extensive knowledge of forest modelling and the practicalities of owning and managing forestry which he developed throughout his leadership career building Forest Enterprises Limited in the 1990s until 2015 when it became part of Veon. Forest Enterprises Limited was the first company in Ireland to acquire forestry plantations for forestry funds, institutional investors and HNWIs and Daragh oversaw the valuation and acquisition of over 400 properties during this period. Daragh also has extensive knowledge of Old Woodland Estates and management of individual trees within woodlands and parkland settings.
Working with the Forestry and Arboriculture teams within Veon, Daragh shares his extensive experience of silviculture, forest harvesting operations, road building, arboriculture, forest estate woodland management and conversions of monoculture conifer forests into a more diverse continuous cover forest. Veon manages several high-profile country estates and a significant number of portfolios for corporates.
Veon currently has over 4,100 ha of forests certified under PEFC. The certificate is managed by Daragh, who oversaw the successful application for PEFC in 2021. Daragh also led Veon’s team in Bioforest working closely with Coillte’s team in the implementation of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) methods within selected Coillte forests.
Education, Qualifications and Memberships:
- 2025 – Present – Professional member of the Arboricultural Association
- 2020 – Present – Executive committee and Council member of Forest Industries Ireland.
- 2020 – Certificate on Early Transformation to CCF in Sitka Spruce Course (Pro Silva Ireland)
- 2018 – Present – Member of CONFOR.
- 2017 – Present – Member of Pro Silva Ireland.
- 2016 – 2023 – Board of Council for Forest Research and Development (COFORD).
- 2013 – 2019 – Chairman of the Irish Forestry and Forest Products Association.
- 2004 – Native Woodland Course (Woodlands Ireland)
- 2000 – present – member of the Irish Timber Growers Association.
- 1993 – Present – Technical member of the Society of Irish Foresters.
- 1989 – 1993 B. Agr. Sc (Forestry) University College Dublin.