Meet The Board

The following is a list of our board members who have dedicated their time and resources to our continued success.

Chairperson of Board:

Margaret Roche: Margaret Roche has taught communications skills/drama for many years. She has worked in the voluntary sector, is former chairwoman of a counselling organisation, and is currently on the Board of Dublin City Anna Livia community radio where she has presented and produced Women’s View, a weekly programme for and about women. She has an M.Phil degree in Women’s Studies.

Fionnuala Bates: Fionnuala Bates worked for some years in East Africa. Returning to Ireland, she worked as a relationship and fertility counsellor while raising five children. She now teaches in Raheen Wood Steiner National School, Co Clare where she is now Acting Principal.
Anne Concannon SSL: Is a Sister of St. Louis, currently a member of the leadership team of the congregation after many years spent working in West Africa. B. Sc. (NUI Maynooth); Licentiate in Psychology (Gregorian University, Rome).
Carolyn More: Currently a Master’s student at Milltown Institute where she is completing her thesis on Christian Spirituality and Ecology.

Joy Powell: Has completed degrees in theology and ministerial studies at Dominican House of Studies, Tallaght, Milltown Institute and All Hallows College. She is currently serving as a chaplain in the St. John of God Services.

Carol White: Carol White is a member of the International Grail Movement. American born and educated, she has an MA in English Literature but has specialised in Adult Education and group facilitation. She was co-director of the main Grail Centre in Holland for 17 years, focusing on programming for women, before moving to Ireland in 1999.

Secretary to the Board

Isobel Butler: A non-practising solicitor who has been actively involved in family law reform with AIM Family Services over many years.

Consultants to the Board:

Dolores Dooley: Retired Lecturer from National University of Ireland at Cork with a Ph.D in Philosophy, specialising in Applied Ethics. She is currently part-time lecturer in ethics at the RCSI, Dublin and is Chairperson of the Irish Council for Bioethics. During 2007-8 she is a member of an interdisciplinary consortium preparing a case-based ethics framework for the Irish Hospice Foundation to use in acute care and hospice settings. She has authored four books covering topics such as ethics in new reproductive technologies, nursing ethics, nineteenth century Irish socialist feminism of William Thompson and Anna Doyle Wheeler. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Ethics (London).

Marian Dunlea is a Jungian Analyst working in both private practice in Dublin, Ireland and facilitating groups at home and abroad. During the past twenty years Marian has developed a particular interest in integrating body and soul work. Her training and experience encompasses Psychosynthesis, Psychoanalysis, Authentic Movement, Voice Work, Theatre and Dream Work. She has taught in psychotherapy training institutes and on University programs. She has completed the BodySoul Rhythms Leadership Program. In her work with groups Marian integrates the Celtic calendar, which follows the yearly cycle of Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lunasa and Samhain. She has a particular interest in bridging the archetypal energies of ancient landscapes with the body’s story lines.

Carol Graham: Artist and Chairperson of the Royal Ulster Academy. Among her many works are portraits of several Irish presidents.

Anne Kavanagh: A Sister of St. Louis, Anne is former leader of her congregation, former chairperson of the Christian Feminist Movement, and former chairperson of IFR. She is now Provincial Leader of her Congregation in Ireland, and facilitates groups working for change in Ireland and abroad. She has degrees in Mathematics from Boston College and in education from Loyola University, Chicago.

Margaret Mac Curtain Ph.D:. The well known Irish historian, Dominican sister, and writer, Margaret has played a significant role in the Irish feminist religious movement over the past twenty years. She has published widely on issues of women and religion, and she edited the section on religion in the widely acclaimed Field Day Anthology of Irish Women’s Writing, vols. 4 and 5.

Mary T. Malone: Retired Professor of Theology, Toronto University, and of Religious Studies at St. Jerome’s University, and the University of Waterloo in Canada. She is the author of the three volume work: Women and Christianity: The First Thousand Years: the Medieval Period 1000-1500, and From the Reformation to the 21st Century, published in Ireland by Columba Press, with U.S. and Canadian editions.

Noirin Ni Riain: Theologian, singer and musician, has represented Ireland at many international festivals including four United Nations Summits. Nóirín has given major recitals and workshops at the leading Sacred Music festivals worldwide. Her doctorate on her theological reflections on sound and listening as an aural experience of God for which she coined the phrase, Theosony, will be published shortly by Veritas Publications, Ireland. .
Gabrielle Stuart, RSM. M.A. Sister of Mercy and international religious congregational facilitator. Gabrielle is one of the founder members of IFR.
National director

Mary Condren Th.D.: Mary has degrees in theology, sociology, and social anthropology from the University of Hull; religion and society from Boston College, and a doctorate in religion, gender and culture from Harvard University. She is a Research Associate in Women’s Studies at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College Dublin; a former Research Associate in Women’s Studies at Harvard University, and has published widely on issues of feminism and religion, and on the interrelationship between religion, violence and gender. She edited the sub-section on feminist theology and philosophy in the Field Day Anthology of Irish Women’s Writing, vols. 4 and 5, and is the author of the Serpent and the goddess: Women, Religion, and Power in Celtic Ireland. She is currently completing books on the roles of women and men in the sacrificial social contract. She has completed the BodySoul Leadership Training Programme with the Marion Woodman Foundation.

Artistic Director: Merovee Guerin, originally from Brittany, has played a key role in developing our Brigit celebrations over a period of fifteen years. She has also made the key artistic installations for many of our other celebrations and events. She currently lives in Mayo and is active in local community artistic and educational initiatives.

Former Chairpersons

Ahern, Nuala: (Former Chairperson) Environmental activist and former Irish Green Member of the European Parliament 1994-2004. A psychotherapist by training she is currently researching Celtic spirituality, myth and ritual, with a view toward developing an Irish holistic spirituality.

Christian O.P., Noreen: (Former Chairperson) A Dominican Sister, Noreen was founder member of the Curragh Community in Belfast, and actively involved in many initiatives toward non-violent solutions in Northern Ireland.

Kavanagh SSL, Anne: (See our list of current list of consultants).

Maguire, Una:  Una is a retired psychotherapist who was co-founder of the Institute for Creative Counselling, training psychotherapists, in Dunlaoire Co. Dublin. She spent twenty years teaching in Mauritius before returning to Ireland.

Former Board Members

Breslin, Anne: A former Sister of Mercy working in Northern Ireland, Anne subsequently spent many years working on behalf of mental health services, and completed a degree in Women’s Studies at Lancaster University.

Callan, Barbara: A trained Froebel educator, Barbara composed songs in Irish and English that we use extensively in our work.

Curtin, LSA Nellie: A trained psychoanalyst and former provincial of her religious order, the Little Sisters of the Assumption, she now works as a social worker with the Eastern Health Board and offer weekend events on Celtic spirituality.

Harrington LSU, Mary: Adult educator and group facilitator, at present in leadership in her religious congregation, La Sainte Union, and based in Rome. Mary offers leadership training courses to religious and other women throughout the world.

Lombard, Catherine: A United States citizen, Catherine is a technical writer who moved to Ireland for a period. She designed and maintained our first web-site and co-ordinated the Institute in the West of Ireland. She has now trained in Psychosynthesis and moved to Germany.

Lucas, Miriam: A Holy Faith sister now retired from teaching and who, as director of the Luisne Spirituality Centre in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, organises programmes aimed at developing an awareness of God, self, creation and the sacred interconnectedness of these. With degrees in education and pastoral leadership her experience covers work in both the U.S. and Ireland.

Mac Aongusa, Màire: (Former Company Secretary) Froebel educator, and student of Celtic studies.

McCullough, Margaret: Co-ordinator of the Northern Region, a former teacher who has recently retrained as a Person-Centred Counsellor. Margaret played a key role in organising Brigit Festivals in Ireland.

McManus RSM, Joan: A Sister of Mercy, Joan is former director of the Catherine McAuley Centre in Herbert Street, Dublin.

Monnelly, Kate: Kate is a long term activist on behalf of women’s rights and feminism and religion in Ireland.

O’Donohoe, Maire: An Ursuline Sister and musician, Maire is currently working with community groups in Cork.

O’Loan, Mel: Mel has a degree in drama from London University, and Froebel training in Dublin, and was on the board of the first National Dance Council of Ireland. She acts as advisor to the Department of Education Inspectorate and other groups for curriculum development in music, dance, drama, movement and other aspects of creativity and physical education. She acted as director of Integrative Education in IFR for many years.

Perrem, Mary: A founder member of the board, Mary is a trained family therapist.

Price, Vera: A founder member of the Christian Feminist Movement, who was employed as an internal auditor in R.T.E.

Stafford, Kitty: Sister of St. Joseph, Kitty acted as Treasurer to IFR for many years, and has now returned to Canada and is on the Leadership Team of her Congregation.

Sweeney, Eileen: A member of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, Eileen has taught in six countries in three continents: Africa, America, and Europe, before returning to Ireland. She continues to be active in many movements for social justice.

Former Consultants

Hogan, Linda: Linda is now Professor of Ecumenical Studies and Head of the School of Religions and Theology in Trinity College Dublin. She was formerly lecturer in Gender and Theology at the University of Leeds and is the author of several books on feminist theory, theology, and ethics.

Meyer, Rev. Katherine is a minister in the Presbyterian Church and a former member of the chaplaincy team at Trinity College Dublin.

Smyth, Imelda was the first director of Integrative Work with IFR while she was also a member of the Sisters of St. Louis. She now offers courses through Ireland and abroad in many aspects of spirituality and creativity.