Having grown up on a small farm in Ireland in the ‘70s and ‘80s and witnessing first-hand the effects of large-scale emigration all around me, I came firmly to a belief in the values of self-help and self-determination, local empowerment and enterprise.

With a B.A. in Sociology and Irish from Trinity College Dublin, I progressed to qualifying with a Masters in Community Development from NUI Galway, which has provided me with a base for my work since then in the community and voluntary sector.

I love all of that work and am often humbled by the resourcefulness, creativity, resilience and generosity of the people whom I am honoured to work with and for. Through my work with my business partner, Catherine McIntyre, I bring to you very strong facilitation, training and planning skills together with a vast knowledge of organisational development, governance and employment.

My experience of life in a border county has helped me to understand the devastating effects of conflict and the critical importance of conflict resolution. To that end, I am an accredited mediator with the Mediator’s Institute of Ireland and I use my mediation skills in a variety of organisational and community contexts.

Now living with my family, which includes two young children and many rescue animals in a very rural area, I continue to believe passionately in community development and participation and in a spirit of enterprise and hope for the future.