Support for Domestic Violence Victims

Elena was appointed Interim CEO in March 2023 and will remain in the post for the duration of the leave of absence of our CEO, Allison Graham.

Prior to this position Elena held a number of posts in the public, private and charitable sectors, her most recent as Deputy CEO of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland. Her early career was in the area of Education and Training where she held posts in, Course Delivery, Training Administration, Curriculum Development, Test & Certification, Quality Assurance and Budgeting.

Elena has been a founder, director and financial controller of a number of start-up companies in the construction sector, with a particular focus on energy performance and carbon reduction. She is a passionate believer in the benefits, of deep retrofitting dwellings, especially for poor and vulnerable families. As part of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Carbon Reduction Strategy, Elena was a member of a team that developed a Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme and she was financial controller and administrator during its delivery. Following its success this programme has now being expanded and rolled out across the country.

Elena graduated from NUI Galway with a first class honours degree in Training and Education. In addition, she holds a number of qualifications in a broad range of subjects, including, ICT, Finance, Administration, Communications, Managing People and Tasks, Occupational Health and Customer Service.

With a passionate interest in helping the vulnerable and marginalised, Elena is a key member of an NGO which provides funding and support to poorer communities in Ireland and Africa. She loves new challenges and her hobbies include personal development, exercise and gardening, which she describes as calming and therapeutic.

Allison Graham has led the development and growth of Saoirse from its inception in 2006 to its extensive expansion in 2019. She served as Refuge Manager from 2006 to 2019 and was promoted to CEO. She previously worked with Aoibhneas Women’s and Children’s Refuge in North Dublin and established their first outreach service before being promoted to Refuge Manager.

Allison has served on a number of Voluntary sector boards, including as Chair and Director of the Tallaght Childcare Centre, and was a member of the Tallaght Homeless Advice Unit Board before it became part of Focus Ireland. She also served on Steering committees with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Tusla’s Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence department.

In addition to her board experience, Allison has extensive management, HR, policy writing and implementation, company mergers, strategic planning, budgets, and charity reporting experience.

She was awarded a Postgraduate H.Dip in Counselling from UCC and has been a qualified and accredited Counselor with the Irish Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (IACP) since 2011.

Allison holds a BA Hons degree in Sociology and Psychology from University College Cork and a Postgraduate H.Dip in Business and Management from UCD Michael Smurfit College.

Cora Mc Cann has been with Saoirse Domestic Violence Services since 2018 working in various roles. Cora began her career with SDVS working in our refuge service, then moved on to the Outreach department holding Court Accompaniment and Outreach positions before taking up the position of acting Assistant Manager in one of our refugee services. 

Cora has extensive experience working with marginalised groups, having worked in Addiction and Homeless Services in the past. Graduating from UCD in 2011 with a Social Science Degree, Cora has continued to broaden her education and training completing Advanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Training and Freedom Programme facilitation training with a keen interest in Holistic Therapies as a complimentary therapeutic approach.

Cora also holds the position of (DLP) Designated Liaison Person, overseeing the safeguarding of women and children accessing our service and is a passionate advocate for Women and Children experiencing Domestic Abuse.

Sarah Moynihan joined Saoirse Domestic Violence Services in 2018 and joined the management team in 2021 following a promotion to Refuge Assistant Manager at Tallaght Refuge Service. Sarah has extensive experience supporting self-directed living, specifically helping people transition from community residential settings to their own homes.

Sarah is deeply passionate about her role in raising awareness of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and advocating for gender equality and women’s rights. Sarah holds a BA Honours Degree in Social Care Practice, a Certificate in Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse, a Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Studies, and a range of other professional development certificates, which complement her third-level education expertise in the area of domestic and gender-based violence.

Sarah also serves as the Child Protection Designated Liaison Person (DLP) in Saoirse, overseeing the safeguarding of both children and adult clients and ensuring a high level of child protection and awareness throughout the organisation.

Alex O’Halloran joined Saoirse in 2020 as part of the Outreach and Prevention team covering the West Wicklow area, and is now Assistant Manager working alongside Outreach manager Nadine O’Brien and the Saoirse management team. Prior to her role with Saoirse Alex gained experience working as Court Accompaniment within the Domestic Violence sector and was involved with a Youth Justice mentoring programme for parents of young people within Probation Services.

A change in career led Alex to return to education as a mature student and pursue her lifelong goal of studying and working in the area of the Social Sciences where she works directly with the team to ensure the delivery of a quality service to women and families in the community. Alex also works with the management team developing services and internal operating policies. Alex has also been very involved in the development and facilitation of Education and Training programmes for external agencies on Domestic Violence awareness and best practice responses. During her time with Saoirse Alex has been successful in securing funding from the Community Mental Health Fund, the National Lottery and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to establish and implement various projects which provide therapeutic interventions, promote equality and encourage self-development for clients engaged with Saoirse services. Alex holds a Bachelor of Social Science Honours Degree (BSocSc) from Maynooth University and a Professional Diploma in Leadership and Management from University College Dublin.

Katie O’Keeffe joined Saoirse DVS in May 2023 as the Child and Youth Services Manager and is a member of the Senior Management Team. Katie has worked most of her professional career in Child & Family Services, working with harder-to-reach client groups. She has joined the team to grow and develop our services for children, young people and families who have experienced domestic violence. 

Katie has experience in the area of child welfare, family support for those with complex and multiple needs, parenting, outreach and team leadership. Katie is passionate about developing services for children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences and implementing support for them to heal from trauma. Katie has a BA in Social Care Practice from Technological University Dublin and a Postgraduate Certificate in Not-for-Profit Leadership and Management from the National College of Ireland.

Ade Ogundipe is Saoirse’s Financial Controller. He joined the Saoirse team organisation in 2017.

Ade is a fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants and has extensive experience having worked in various organisations.

Ade is responsible for the day to day accounting and financial management of the organisation ensuring all donations and grants are utilized to the full benefits of our stakeholders. Ade is also responsible for financial compliance with various regulatory authorities and attends the board meetings to give financial reports.

Nadine O’Brien joined Saoirse in October 2019 as Outreach and Prevention Manager and is a member of the Senior Management Team.

Having worked in the Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) sector for many years Nadine now manages the Outreach Staff team at Saoirse and oversees the delivery of a community based Domestic Abuse Service covering the South to Mid-West Dublin and West Wicklow areas. The Outreach and Prevention team offer support to the victims of Domestic Violence in the community by delivering awareness raising and education programmes, court accompaniment and school talks.

Nadine has a strong belief in advocating for gender equality and empowering women. She is passionate about her work in the DSGBV sector and has a special interest in the whole area of parenting.

Nadine has a Diploma in Community Development and Youth Studies, a BA in Social Studies and an MA in Human Rights and Social Policy from Maynooth University.

We provide safe, secure and confidential emergency accommodation for women and children fleeing Domestic Violence and Abuse. Each resident, along with their children are accommodated in either their own en-suite bedroom with communal living/kitchen areas or an individual apartment with separate kitchen, bathroom and bedroom where the maintain routines for work, college and school run’s all supported by their individual Key Worker. We have refuge spaces, across two sites in South-West Dublin to meet the needs of families big and small, or women without children. We operate a no illegal drugs or alcohol policy in our refuges. Refuge services provided: Support staff on site 24 / 7 providing emotional & practical supports Dedicated Childcare support staff on site & access to play spaces Client-led, one-on-one care planning with dedicated staff Referral to appropriate services / agencies as part of your care plan

With experience working with start-ups through to leading global players across APAC, EMEA and North America, Rebecca is currently a Director at Workhuman. Workhuman build cultures of gratitude and human connections for leading global brands. Rebecca’s interest in social fairness and gender equity through volunteering and active community participation is extensive, as a former Childline volunteer, as a campaigner and a member of several national social justice campaigns, through to advocating for women’s equal voices at all tables of decision making, particularly politics. Rebecca continues to be committed to being a part of the conversation around gender balance and has a keen interest in supporting women to make the best decisions for themselves.

Grainne leads the international employment law team on LinkedIn, where she partners with HR and business leaders to support business success while navigating employment law risk across EMEA, LatAm, and APAC. LinkedIn is a company whose mission is to build economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce. Grainne is effectively responsible for 40% of LinkedIn’s global workforce, spread across 34 offices worldwide. She is also involved in women’s support and mental health initiatives at LinkedIn, and she is currently acting in the role of Executive Sponsor to LinkedIn’s women’s employee group and Lead Mindfulness Ambassador. Grainne believes passionately in Saoirse’s mission and is committed to supporting Saoirse to achieve its goals.

Olwyn has worked in the financial and professional services sector as a Head of HR over the last 20 years. She has applied her interest and academic background in occupational psychology supporting businesses implement appropriate people strategies. She has a passion for talent development and building positive and respectful work environments that embrace diversity, inclusivity and equality. Working as a HR Director for a global legal and corporate services firm, she hopes to bring her knowledge and background to the benefit of Saoirse Domestic Violence Services as a member of the Board and on various committees.

Daren O’Neill is CEO of Tallaght West Credit Union, and has spent 25 years working mainly in the Credit Union sector in Ireland, the UK and Australia. During this time he has served in various roles including marketing, branch manager, interim management and as an independent consultant. He was also an owner-director of an Insurance Brokerage. Daren graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Marketing Management from TU Dublin, and is a Qualified Financial Advisor. He has recently completed a Masters in Social and Cooperative Enterprise in UCC. He has a long history of volunteer and community involvement, including as an instructor in the Civil Defence, as a Credit Union Director and Supervisor, as a committee member for the Irish Foster Care Association, and as treasurer of his local Scout group.

Ciara is a Chartered Accountant and works as an Associate Director in KPMG’s Risk Consulting practice. Ciara has 12 years of experience in providing internal audit and risk consulting services to clients both in the public and private sectors. Ciara has a keen interest in gender equality and social fairness. Ciara is committed to helping to achieve Saoirse Domestic Violence Services (‘SDVS’) strategic goals. Ciara is a member of the SDVS Audit and Finance Committee.

As an experienced businessman, David has served on boards of many companies throughout his career and has extensive experience in successfully managing businesses, both start-ups and medium-sized organisations. He is currently the non-executive chairman of two businesses in Ireland and also works as a business consultant and business investor. He is enthusiastic about pursuing Saoirse’s strategic goals and is committed to the ongoing expansion of Saoirse’s services.

Mark is a project leader with Barnardos and runs a child and family support service in Tallaght. He has worked extensively in social care, both in a voluntary and paid capacity, since 1991 and holds a BA in Applied Social Care Practice. 

He has experience working in disability, residential care, early years, youth work, parenting and crisis support, child protection and welfare, and Traveller family and community support. He has previously served as chairperson of the Ballyfermot Traveller Action Project and co-founder and chairperson of the Ballyfermot Network Challenging Violence against Women. 

Mark is the acting chairperson of the South Dublin County Childcare Committee and volunteers as a Meitheal facilitator for Tusla, the Child & Family Agency. In addition to supporting children and families actively or previously affected by domestic violence, Mark advocates for early intervention and prevention and assists families in building on their strengths to meet their children’s needs.

Sandra has worked in the area of social care for over 15 years, with experience working in the areas of disability, social justice, addiction, family law and child protection and welfare. She has worked in the field of violence against women for many years and has worked in a Women’s Refuge. Sandra is currently working in the area of child welfare assessment and intervention, including children who are living with domestic abuse. Sandra is always interested in being part of the conversation around gender equality, civil rights and social action.

Often referred to as “Energy in Motion”, Yemi is a leadership powerhouse of ideas, who wears different caps at various times. She builds people. Yemi is Director of Programs at MIB INSTITUTE of People Development, President of Sheroes Global Initiative (a social enterprise that Inspires and Empowers Women and Young people), CEO of Ddymensions Communications and owner of Energ’ Luxury Perfume Oils and Gifts. Yemi has mentored over 21,000 people in 26 years through the YEMI ADENUGA MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP (YAMAL) program. She is a high Impact Global Speaker, People development Strategist and Ireland’s 1st elected Black-Female Public Representative. Listed as an Irish woman of influence by the Irish Tatler Magazine and one of Ireland’s 100 women Change-makers by the Irish Examiner, Yemi is passionate about women, young people, DI&E and committed to achievement of Saoirse goals.