The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has announced the appointment of two new directors to the board, Mary Cullen and Alison Millar.

They join Angela Flanagan, whose appointment was announced in late November. The three new directors will take up their positions from January 1st.

A statement from the IHRB said: "Having amended its constitution to allow for the appointment of independent board members, the IHRB has followed through on its commitment to expand the diversity of its directors.

"The [appointment of the] new board members also show a commitment from the IHRB to maintain Northern Ireland representation at board-level for the all-island organisation."

Angela Flanagan’s appointment in November made her the first independent director in the IHRB’s history. Previously, she has worked as a special adviser to both Leo Varadkar and Enda Kenny when they served as Taoiseach.

Mary Cullen, who joins as an independent director, is a chartered accountant who has held a number of senior management roles with PwC, including responsibility for partnership and company secretarial matters and partner affairs. She also holds a number of non-executive positions including as a member of the board of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Alison Millar joins the board as a nominee of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee. Ms Millar was appointed as Lord-Lieutenant of County Londonderry by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018, having been a Deputy Lieutenant since 2009.

As a solicitor, she has established a strong reputation in local Government and Commercial Law and was a member of the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.

Of the new independent board members, IHRB CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said: "The IHRB recognises the importance of having a board which reflects the industry and wider Irish society. The appointments show the organisation’s commitment to gender balance at board level, to all-Ireland representation and to the appointment of truly independent board members."

IHRB chairman Martin O’Donnell said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Angela, Mary, and Alison to the board, and I am very much looking forward to working with them in the future. Their appointments mark a significant advance for the IHRB and I am confident that the unique skills that each of our new directors brings will be of real benefit to the organisation."