Board Member Profiles
MS Ireland is governed by a Board of 16 voluntary members. These members have a wide range of experience and skill. Some have MS themselves or have family members with MS. Others have long careers in business, social services and other areas. The Board promotes the vision and aims of the Society and charges the Chief Executive to meet these aims through the various departments, services and resources of the Society.
Mr. Allen O' Connor, Chairman
Allen is past National Chairman (2002 - 2005) of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and was Hon Treasurer from 1999 - 2002. He is currently Chairman of Persons with MS International Committee. He was National Chairman of the Disabled Drivers Association and its subsidiaries "Ability Enterprises" and "Shopmobility Ireland". He is a Board member of the National Citizens Information Call Centre. He is a member of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities that produced the report "A Strategy for Equality" in 1996. He is actively involved in all aspects of disability politics.
Mr. Brian P. Farrell FCA, Deputy Chairman
Brian Farrell is a former Finance Director of the Guinness Group and held senior management positions in Diageo over a period of 33 years in five countries. His innovation and enterprise transformed the Guinness Hopstore from a loss-making centre into the iconic tourist attraction it is today. Brian was a motivating force in the developing and restructuring diverse sectors of the Guinness Empire, ranging from Guinness Ghana to the Guinness Clothing range. His strong financial focus and impressive negotiating skills were instrumental in developing Diageo into a successful, worldwide multinational organisation.
Mr. Brian Barrett
Brian Barrett is a public servant from Galway. He has worked in the Community and Voluntary Sector in either a professional or voluntary capacity for the past 12 years. He is a graduate of NUI, Galway, having completed the Bachelor of Commerce and MA in Community Development. For the past 10 years he has also lectured on different courses for NUI, Galway and other third level institutions in the fields of Community Development, Regional Development and Economics. Brian is married with three children and lives in Galway City.
Ms. Margaret Burke
Margaret qualified as a nurse at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital in 1972. She is married to Edmund (Ned) and mother of 5 children. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis twenty five years ago and joined the Carlow Branch of MS a year later. She served as Chairperson and Secretary in the branch on different occasions. She has also been co-ordinator of National Pen Day for a number of years. She was a member of the South East Working Group for MS dealing with issues pertaining to MS. She is a member of "The Carlow Centre for Independent Living", as a volunteer, and a member of "The Steering Committee" on Advocacy. She is a former Board member of "CANDO Carlow". She is the Editor of the local Parish Newsletter. Margaret believes that everyone has a responsible role in society and has a lot to contribute for the well being of all. We are all cogs in the big wheel of Life.
Mr. Joe Cahill
Until his retirement, Joe Cahill was a senior manager in the Health Board for over 30 years, most recently as Director of Physical & Sensory Disability Services EHB and Assistant CEO of the NAHB. With extensive experience of planning and managing health services, he was involved in negotiating and sanctioning capital grants from the EHB for MS Ireland. Joe's knowledge of the disability sector and many years experience as a senior manager will be invaluable to the future development of MS Ireland.
Mr. Barney Cunningham
Barney is a software consultant from Donegal that has provided IT services to Dulux Paint Ltd in Cork for the last 10 years. Barney is a software consultant from Donegal that has provided IT services to Dulux Paint Ltd in Cork for the last 10 years. Barney has previously served as secretary to the Cork MS Branch. Within the last 10 years Barney has served as secretary and treasurer to the Donegal MS branch and it is with this branch that he is currently serving as a committee member. Barney is married to Maureen, who has MS for the last 25 years, and has two children Christine & Kevin.
Dr. Gemma Donnelly-Cox
Gemma is a Lecturer in Business Studies and is the Academic Director for the Centre for Non-Profit Management, Trinity College. In partnership with Irish & European academic colleagues, she was instrumental in establishing a European network of researchers with an interest in voluntary or third sector issues contributing to the development of strong non-profit, non-governmental or third sector organisations. In addition, Gemma has over 16 years experience of being a partner of a PwMS, and in 2005/06 she was engaged on a pro bono basis to carry out an extensive review of the organisational structure of MS Ireland.
Mr. Kevin Doyle
Kevin was diagnosed with MS in 1996. He joined the MS Society in 2000 and was elected to the North Wexford Branch Committee in 2002. He has held roles as Branch Secretary and is currently Council Rep. Kevin is also the North Wexford MS representative on the County Wexford Community Forum and Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) and is a Board Member of Gorey CIL.
Ms. Maureen Feeney
A long standing member of the Castlebar Branch, Maureen has been their Council Delegate for the last 10 years. Maureen was elected to the Board of MS Ireland in 2006. She was a carer for her husband who had MS for 14 years. Her eldest daughter was diagnosed with MS in 2003. Maureen lives in Castlebar with her daughter and grandchild.
Mr. Manfred Huschka
Manfred Huschka is the Vice President Global Sales of Taconic ADD, a multinational company. He has more than 20 years of management experience in the electronics manufacturing industry in Germany and Ireland. Currently Manfred is also President of IBEC Midlands' Regional Executive Council. Manfred is married to Susan, and together they have two children. They live in Westmeath, having moved there from Germany more than 10 years ago.
Professor Hutchinson
Michael Hutchinson is a Consultant Neurologist in St. Vincent's University Hospital and Newman Clinical Research Professor at University College Dublin. His main research interests include Multiple Sclerosis and he has published over 80 papers on various aspects of MS including two publications, of pregnancy in MS and Tysabri in MS, in the New England Journal of Medicine. At St. Vincent's University Hospital, with Dr Niall Tubridy, Consultant Neurologist, there is an active multidisciplinary treatment centre for all aspects of MS and an active research programme which includes studies of the epidemiology and the role of Vitamin D in Donegal, Wexford and South Dublin; studies of cognition in MS; the genetic reasons why some MS patients respond better to interferons than others; and quality of life studies in MS.
Ms. Lorna Mitchell
Following a career in advertising and marketing, Lorna joined the MS Society in 1989 as a fundraising consultant. Amongst her most successful ventures has been the celebrated ‘MS Pilgrim Walk on the Camino de Santiago’, now in its 19th year and flourishing. Lorna took early retirement in 2007. Outside of work, Lorna maintains an active interest in hockey, having held various offices including Treasurer of the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations. She is currently President of the Irish Universities Hockey Association. Lorna is married to Peter and they have three grown-up children.
Mr. Gerry Murphy
Following eighteen years in food manufacturing where he worked as marketing manager with companies such as C&C, Unilever and Flahavan’s, Gerry Murphy set up a business which marketed Irish food and drink products to some well known supermarkets in the US and Canada. Gerry was previously involved with Age Action Ireland for over four years where he was joint Chair of the Membership Development Committee and served latterly as non-Executive Director. He is a business and management graduate of Trinity College Dublin and DIT. Gerry is 54 years of age and is married to Marian and has three children, Conor, James and Amy. He lives in Ratoath, Co. Meath.
Mr. Sean Murphy
Sean had been a member of Cork Branch for 25 years and is a past Chairman and Treasurer of the Branch. Involved in all aspects of Branch’s work, Sean’s particular interest lies in fundraising. Sean is married to Josephine who was diagnosed with MS in 1979.
Mr. Paddy Power
A geophysicist by profession, Paddy spent much of his working life overseas in the oil & gas industry, primarily in exploration, production and business development. Along with his family, he enjoyed assignments in North & South America, the Far East and Europe. He subsequently returned to Ireland as CEO of the state owned Irish National Petroleum Company, where he managed its privatisation. In 2003, he founded Shannon LNG, to pursue develop and implement a project leading to the construction of an LNG import terminal on the Shannon Estuary. He is married to Catherine and they have three children. Paddy was co-opted to the board of MS Ireland 2006 and brings a wealth of valuable experience to the board.
Mr. Paddy Stronge
Paddy worked for over 40 years in Bank of Ireland and since his retirement he has been involved in training and consultancy both in Ireland and overseas. He has lectured in Finance for the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, the Irish Institute of Bankers and the National College of Ireland. He is a qualified accountant and has been a director of a number of companies. He was financial adviser to the Dublin Simon Community for many years. He has also contributed articles in national newspapers on banking and finance matters. Paddy would like to assist in the activities of MS Ireland particularly as some family members have been diagnosed with MS.