Declan is a graduate of Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design (Dublin), and UCLA Extension (Los Angeles), where he studied film and television. His early short films won several awards and played at numerous festivals worldwide. They include BIG SWINGER (1989) winner Best Short at the Galway Film Fleadh, Best Short at the Fuji Film Awards (UK), SUNNYS DELIVERANCE (1992) Bronze Award Worldfest Houston and QUANDO (1997) Audience award for Best Short at the Cork Film Festival. Both BIG SWINGER and SUNNYS DELIVERANCE received a theatrical release as support in Ireland, the UK and the USA.

He founded Paradox Pictures with Producer Liam O’Neill in 1990. The company produced numerous short films, documentaries and several feature films including; SEPARATION ANXIETY (1996), PETES METEOR (1998) and HOW HARRY BECAME A TREE (2001). Declan left Paradox in 2003 to concentrate on his Directing career.

He has directed some of the top rated shows on Irish Television including the critically acclaimed “Pure Mule” (RTE) winner of 5 IFTA’s including Best Director; Best Drama IFTA winner “The Running Mate” (TG4), and “Scúp” (TG4/BBC) Nominated best Irish Language IFTA. The Irish Times wrote “Pure Mule” had “spectacularly raised the bar for Irish television drama” while “The Running Mate” was described as “Truly marvelous…A political drama with balls“.

His debut feature film, “Eden“, premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival winning Eileen Walsh the Best Actress Award for her role. The New York Times described it as”Exquisitely tuned to the terrors of approaching middle age” and was a New York Times “critics pick”. His film “The Truth Commissioner” (2016) was nominated for Best Drama at the 2016 Celtic Media Awards. The Observer (UK) called it “Resonant, electric drama“. “The Flag” was released in Irish cinemas in 2016 and was the number one film screened on Irish TV on Christmas Day of that year, capturing a third of all viewers.

His latest Feature Film “Tarrac” was released in Ireland in October 2023 to 4 star Reviews “Declan Recks puts some wind in the sails of the sporting underdog tale with this all-female rowing drama” ScreenDaily; Recent TV credits include episodes of “Death in Paradise” and “Nova Jones” for BBC Studios, “Red Election” (Mopar Studios/A+E) now available on Disney+ and “Signora Volpe” for AcornTV. He is currently directing the second season of RTS Nominated “Faithless” a 6 part comedy/drama for Virgin Media. The first season aired in early 2024 to glowing reviews “It deftly juggles moments of sweetness and melancholy with bouts of slapstick silliness and shafts of pitch-black humour”(Irish Times).