Management Team
Larry Bass
Founder & CEO
In 1999 Larry Bass established ShinAwiL Productions Ltd. and has since overseen multiple award-winning projects as an executive producer. Larry Bass has built ShinAwiL into the production powerhouse behind the biggest smash hit TV shows in Ireland including: DANCING WITH THE STARS, THE VOICE OF IRELAND, THE APPRENTICE, DRAGON’S DEN, MASTERCHEF IRELAND, POPSTARS, CHARITY LORDS OF THE RING, and FAME: THE MUSICAL. Now ShinAwiL is focused on developing and producing TV Drama and 2020 sees their first series MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE premier.
In 2000, Larry was elected to the board of Filmmakers Ireland, serving as deputy chair from January 2003 to February 2004, and as Chair from February 2004 to February 2005, when the name was changed to Screen Producers Ireland (SPI). Larry was also the Irish representative of CEPI from 2003 to 2006. He was re-elected to the SPI board in 2015.
Larry served on the board of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland from 2010 to 2015 and on the board of Screen Ireland from 2017 to 2020 where he also chaired the Screen Ireland sub-committee overseeing Screen Skills Ireland. He has been a member of the advisory board of Entertainment Masterclass, a member of the Royal Television Society (ROI) committee and served as a board member of the Banijay Global Group Board and the Screentime Group Board.
Larry has been a jury member for the International Emmys, Rose d’Or, BANFF and Real Screen Television Awards. He has lectured at TUD and IADT and been an invited speaker at MipTV, MIPCOM, SPAA Australia and Entertainment Masterclass.
Catherine Bass
Production Accountant |
Head of HR | Company Director
In her role as Head of HR, Catherine’s responsibilities include staff acquisition and retention, contract negotiation, staff training, payroll, company accounts oversight and cashflow management.
As a ShinAwiL company director, Catherine contributes to the overall company strategic planning, aiding in identifying future key acquisition requirements and also by keeping HR objectives in line with broader organisational objectives.
Prior to her time in ShinAwiL, Catherine worked as a critical care nurse for 10 years.
Mary Callery
Head of International
Mary works across the company’s scripted slate focusing on TV drama. Previously Mary was Project Manager at Screen Ireland where she was an executive producer on a range of feature films and documentaries including The Breadwinner (Dir. Nora Twomey) Sing Street (Dir. John Carney), Song of the Sea (Director Thom Moore), Jimmy’s Hall (Dir. Ken Loach) and Miss Julie (Dir. Liv Ullman).
Mary was also Head of Development & Production/Executive Producer at Parallel Films where her credits include a number of TV movies for SyFy and Crown TV in the US, Ruth Rendell's 13 Steps Down for ITV, The Clinic for RTÉ and feature films including A Film with Me In It and The Food Guide to Love. As Commissioning Editor for Drama at RTÉ she was responsible for all of RTÉ’s original drama programming commissioning a number of award winning dramas including Proof, The Clinic, No Tears, Bachelor's Walk, Stardust, Pure Mule and Paths to Freedom.
Mary has been a member of the European Broadcasting Union Fiction Group; the Advisory Panel for Fás/Screen Training Ireland and a jury member for the International Emmys and The Royal Television Society and is currently a member of the board of Screen Producers Ireland.
Aaron Farrell
Head of Drama
Aaron Farrell is Head of Drama for Irish production company ShinAwiL. He is responsible for selecting a distinctive slate of projects with strong critical and commercial appeal, and getting these projects into production and onto the screen. This year Aaron is handing the Irish and UK production services elements for THE SPECTACULAR, a new 4 x 1-hour drama being produced by Pupkin (the Netherlands) for NPO. ShinAwiL have also recently been awarded slate development funding from Screen Ireland which will enable the company to expand their creative ambitions this year and next.
In 2019 Aaron produced MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE which was ShinAwiL·V first TV drama credit. The show broadcast on Alibi in the UK tripling the slot average and is due to premiere on PBS Masterpiece in the US in early 2021.
In 2017 Aaron was an Executive Producer on THE CURED starring Ellen Page, which had its world premiere at TIFF was released theatrically across the US, UK and Ireland in 2018.
Prior to working for ShinAwiL, Aaron was a Production Executive on Michael HirVW·V VIKINGS which aired on History, and a Production Executive on Neil Jordan·V THE BORGIAS which aired on Showtime. He has also Co-Produced CALVARY, written and directed by John Michael McDonagh; TOMATO RED, directed by Oscar nominee Juanita Wilson; and CHERRYBOMB starring Rupert Grint and Robert Sheehan.
Aaron sits on the Screen Producers Ireland Film and TV Drama committee (2017 2 present) and holds an MA in Film Studies, and a BA in English and Economics, both from University College Dublin, Ireland. He has guest lectured at National University of Ireland Galway and has sat on many industry panels and forums at festivals and conferences.
Alan Gillespie
Head of Development
Alan Gillespie joined ShinAwiL in 2010 as Head of Development. Alan holds a BA Hons. Degree in Media Production with Journalism and oversees the development of content in the Dublin and Belfast offices across all genres.
During his tenure Alan has increased ShinAwiL’s output in Entertainment programming and expanded the brand of ShinAwiL into other genres. Notable commissions include, “Dancing with the Stars (Ireland)” ‘Say Yes to the Dress Ireland’ ‘The Voice of Ireland’, ‘MasterChef Ireland’, ‘The Obesity Clinic’, ‘Undercover NI’, ‘Get the Numbers, Write’, ‘Bressie’s Teenage Kicks’, ‘Along Home Shores’, ‘Peak Performance’, ‘Tested on Humans’, ‘Home of the Year’, ‘What Are You Eating’ Marty & Bernard’s Big Adventures, O’Casey in the Estates’ ‘Live Well and Prosper’ ‘Gift from Death’ and ‘Meet the McDonaghs’.
Eugenia Cooney
Senior Series Producer
Graduating with BA Honours in Media Studies from the University of Ulster, Eugenia Cooney joined ShinAwiL Productions in 2001. Specialising in formats, Eugenia has series produced some of the country’s biggest shows from ‘You’re A Star’ to ‘The Apprentice’ and from ‘Dragons Den’ to ‘The Voice’. In 2017 she started a four year journey as series producer of the IFTA winning show ‘Dancing with the Stars’, ShinAwiL’s largest production to date.
Adam McGarry Byrne
Non-Scripted
Development Executive
Since graduating from Griffith College Dublin in 2011 with a BA Hons. degree in Journalism and Visual Media, Adam has spent the last ten years working in television within various production companies across numerous entertainment and factual programmes.
Adam began working with ShinAwiL in 2013. Throughout his time with the
company he has been a part of the teams across many productions including, ‘Dancing with the Stars’, ‘The Voice of Ireland’, ‘Soundtrack to My Life’ and ‘Bressie’s Teenage Kicks’. In 2021, Adam joined ShinAwiL’s non-scripted development team.