Professor Michael Ryan is the director and librarian of the Chester Beatty Library; formerly keeper of Irish antiquities in the National Museum of Ireland. Author of numerous papers and editor of a number of books; co-author of Reading the Irish Landscape with the late Prof Frank Mitchell.

Membership: Chairman of the Discovery programme; Heritage Council (chair of the museums committee); the Council of National Cultural Institutions; a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and honorary professor in TCD.

Born: Skerries, Co Dublin, 1947

Educated: Holy Faith Convent, Skerries, De la Salle College, Skerries. UCD, archaeology degree; MA archaeology; PhD Derry na Flan chalice and its context, TCD.

Family: married to Clodagh, who trained as a zoologist; three sons.