ICAD was founded in 1958 in answer to the issues facing Irish Creatives at the time. Many of these issues remain relevant today. This exerpt are taken from the first issue of ‘Creative’, the journal of ICAD (or ICA as it then was) October 1959, editor Bernard Share, and explain the thinking behind ICAD’s foundation:

‘The Institute .... in taking its stand upon the encouragement of the highest possible standards in every field of creative advertising, is aware that its greatest responsibility lies with the advertising men and woman of tomorrow. But this is by no means the beginning and the end. It is aware also that a great deal needs to be done in the education of public taste so that both manufactures and consumers will expect and demand work of the highest quality, whether in the choice of colour for a bus or the content of a commercial television programme. Such changes of heart do not happen over night, and though we as an Institute are far from being starry-eyed idealists, we are idealists enough to believe that an improvement can be and is being made, however slowly.’

ALUMNI

ICAD has evolved from an idea conceived of by a small group of visionaries (Jan De Fouw, Ted O'Sullivan, Frank Ryan, Bernard Share, Giles Talbot Kelly, William Bergin, Gerard Doherty, Jarlath Hayes), through the 60's, 70's and 80's into what it is today. We would like to acknowledge the tireless work of so many who kept the organisation alive through good times and bad.

ICAD's Past-Presidents
1958-59 William Bergin
1959-60 Gerard Doherty
1960-62 Giles Talbot Kelly
1962-63 Gerard Doherty
1963-64 Iain McCarthaigh
1964-66 Jarlath Hayes
1967-68 Brian Murphy
1968-69 Louis Knowles
1969-71 Rena Dardis
1971-73 Nick van Vliet
1973-74 Pat Shaffer Farrelly
1975-77 Ken Flynn
1977-78 Padraig Doyle
1978-80 Brian Halford
1980-87 Frank O'Hare
1987-89 Catherine Donnelly
1989-90 James Strathern
1990-91 Gai Griffin
1991-92 Martin Wright
1992-94 Garrett Stokes
1994-95 Denis Goodbody
1995-86 John Ferguson
1996-97 Mike Garner
1997-98 Dave Croft
1998-99 Mark Nutley
1999-2000 Siobhan Bunni
2000-02 David Ryan
2002-06 Restructuring Committee:
Martin Wright, Garrett Stokes, Carol Lambert, Conor Clarke, Eoghan Nolan.
2006-07 Ian Doherty
2007-08 Carol Lambert
2008-09 Martin Wright
2009-10  David Joyce
2010-11 Pearse McCaughey

To view the winning work of recent years click through to our archive.

Although ICAD maintains a huge interest in our past-presidents we have no official Alumni association. If you served on a past ICAD board, please get in touch with your details.

Similarly, if you have any ICAD memories you'd like to share or any old flyers, invites, books etc please let us know.