Meet the Team

Dermot McCarthy became Chair of the Board of St Francis Hospice in March 2018.

A retired civil servant, he served in a variety of Government departments, retiring from the Department of the Taoiseach in 2011. He has served on the board of a number of voluntary organisations and he is currently a member of the board of the Higher Education Authority.

He is a permanent deacon who serves in the parish of St Andrew, Westland Row.

Pat Kenny

Married to Maura, Pat has three adult children who are all married and has seven grandsons and one granddaughter who is the youngest.

Pat is a Chartered Accountant and retired as Managing Partner/CEO of Deloitte Ireland. He was Head of Tax in Deloitte for twelve years. Pat continues to advise on finance related matters on a pro bono basis in the main.

Pat was the first Chairman of Temple Bar and his previous directorships include Irish Life Plc, Chairman of Arc Cancer Support, Chairman of Marino Institute of Education, Non-Executive Director of the GAA Museum and Director of South Richmond Trust.

Together with St Francis Hospice, Pat is currently a Director of Nolans Supermarket Ltd., and FBD Hotels and Resorts.

He has been involved for a substantially long time with Clontarf GAA in several capacities but now satisfies himself with occasional spectating.

Natasha McKenna is the Founder and Principal of Natasha McKenna Solicitors, having established the practice in 2018. Prior to the establishment of her own firm, Natasha was a partner in a large Dublin law firm practicing in the areas of regulatory work and advising state bodies such as the HSE and the Child & Family Agency.

Natasha now acts for guardians ad litem in the context of her childcare practice and represents two Dublin Hospitals, providing advice in respect of vulnerable patients, Assisted Decision Making Capacity applications and making applications to the High Court for treatment and detention orders.

Natasha has lectured in the Law Module of Trinity School of Social Work and Policy undergraduate and postgraduate courses and continues to tutor in the Law Society of Ireland in the area of childcare law.

Natasha is a past member of the Programme Board of the Royal Hibernian Academy and is the current company secretary of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.

Pat Kelleher retired in 2020 from his position as a Director in the Management Consultancy Division in PwC, where he worked for more than 30 years both in Ireland and abroad.  His management consultancy career also included more than 8 years in IBM.  He began his career in the Civil Service where he spent 2 years in the (then) Department of Industry and Commerce and more than 8 years as a programmer, systems analyst and manager in the Government Computer Centre (CDPS).

Pat provided consultancy services across a number of sectors, in particular the public sector, the health sector and financial services. He directed and managed many significant engagements in the areas of information technology, strategy, organisational change, procurement and logistics.

Outside of work, Pat has a keen interest in music, and has been instrumental in organising a number of musical fundraising events for charities including St. Francis Hospice.

Pat has a Degree in Computer Science from Trinity College Dublin.

Journalist and broadcaster Eileen Dunne worked with RTE (Ireland’s national broadcaster) for more than 40 years. As a Newscaster she presented flagship bulletins and worked on many of the big national and international stories of the last four decades. She also presented a radio programme called The God Slot, as well as a music programme and concerts on RTE Lyric FM.

From 2010 to 2014 she was international President of the Association of European Journalists.

Since her retirement from RTE in November 2022, Eileen has been doing some media training, moderating at conferences and most recently, was a member of the Class of ’24 on Dancing with the Stars!

A native of Dublin, she has a BA and Higher Diploma in Education from UCD, and is married to the actor Macdara Ó Fátharta – they have one son.

Tom McMahon graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from University College Galway and subsequently studied at Cornell University in the U.S where he graduated with an M.Sc. in Engineering.

He joined the Board of St. Francis Hospice in 1991 to provide guidance and assistance on the development of the original Day Care Centre at Raheny. On completion of that building in 1993 he suggested that it would be an appropriate time to retire from the Board only to be told that this was just the beginning, and so it proved to be. Now, 30 years on and a number of projects later, he is still a member of the Board and actively assisting and providing guidance on the development of the new 24-bed in-patient unit at Raheny.

Tom was Chairman of the Research Ethics Committee from its establishment in April 2002 until October 2022 and currently sits on the Governance and Risk Committee.

Since 2021, Cathy has been a Non-Executive Director at St Francis Hospice Dublin. Along with her membership of the board, she also is a board director member of the Board Quality and Safety Sub-Committee and chair of the hospice’s Research Ethics Committee.

Cathy’s experience of working in healthcare and academia spans 22 years. Currently she is a Lecturer at the Graduate School of Healthcare Management at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) where she leads modules on the MSc in Quality and Safety and the MSc in Healthcare Management and teaches on the Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership.

Cathy is committed to lifelong learning, and holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and MA in Education (Leadership and Management) from the Open University and a Certificate in Adult Education from University College Dublin. Prior to becoming a full time academic, she worked for 15 years as a senior manager in an academic teaching hospital. During this time, Cathy led the development of internal audit, accreditation, quality and risk management initiatives.

Joe Pitcher is a Qualified Financial Advisor and is Managing Director of Joe Pitcher Financial Services Ltd. He lives in Castleknock and has been involved with St Francis Hospice since the Blanchardstown Hospice was first proposed.

Joe joined the St. Francis Hospice Board in June 2011 and is currently Chairperson of the Fundraising Advisory Committee and also a member of the Governance and Risk Committee.

Sr. Claire Mc Kiernan is a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. She is currently Co-ordinator of the Vincentian Family in Ireland, an umbrella group for all the organisations founded by or inspired by the life of St. Vincent de Paul. Most of her experience has been in teaching, and administration at primary and third level education.

She qualified with a BEd (Hons) in Religious Studies in 1985 from Queens University Belfast. and an MEd from the University of Ulster in 2003. Subsequently she obtained a MA in Leadership and Pastoral Care from All Hallows College DCU in 2004.

She trained as a Spiritual Director with the Jesuits in Manresa, graduating with a Diploma in the Ministry of Spiritual Direction in 2015. She has worked as a Spiritual Director and retreat facilitator for 2nd level students and adults. She was appointed to the leadership team of her community in 2011 for a 9-year period and it was during this time that she joined the Board of St. Francis Hospice.

Prior to joining the HSE, Des worked in the private & semi-state sectors, where he held a number of senior management roles. He worked in the Department of Posts & Telegraphs from 1977 until the formation of An Post in 1984. He held several different roles in An Post and prior to leaving An Post, in 2004, he was the Head of International Commercial Services, which involved managing the relationships between An Post and the various Post Offices worldwide.

On leaving An Post he worked as a management consultant prior to joining the HSE.

Des joined the HSE in January 2006 as Assistant Group General Manager, Louth Hospitals. In March 2007 he was promoted to the role of Group General Manager, Louth/Meath Hospital Group and remained in that role until December 2010. During that time he was also the Chair of the Groups Executive Management Board.

He moved from the Acute Services to Community Services in January 2011, becoming General Manager in Dublin North City Integrated Service Area. He remained in that post until December 2013 following promotion to Area Manager, Dublin North City until December 2016.

In December 2016 he became Head of Service, Primary Care, Dublin North City & County until March 2021.

In March 2021 he was promoted to Chief Officer, Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation (CHO8). As Chief Officer, Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation, he oversaw the delivery of all Community Services across six counties, Louth, Meath, Laois, Offaly, Longford & Westmeath, which included the management of over 5,500 staff members, during both the Covid Pandemic and Cyber-attack.

He is passionate about hospice services and prior to his retirement from the HSE, he led on two hospice projects, (i) in the North-East (Newgrange Hospice) and (ii) the Midlands Hospice, which led to the Minister announcing a full funding development programme.

He remained as the Chief Officer, Midlands Louth Meath Community Health Organisation until his retirement in May 2023.

Des joined the Board of St. Francis Hospice Dublin in September 2023.

Sr Nuala Dolan is a member of the Community of Daughters of Charity in Ireland.

She is currently assisting in the work of enabling asylum seekers and women who have been trafficked to feel loved, protected and secure in Ireland. She welcomes and helps integrate persons to the Parish when in need, lacking self-confidence and dignity, and mother and babies living out of home.

Sr Nuala’s professional background is nursing and nurse education. She was afforded opportunities to pursue higher education, much of which brought her to different parts of the world during the 1980’s.

The vocation in life, ‘Religious Call’, to which Sr Nuala felt drawn in her youth, continues to deepen. She feels blessed that the years of a Diamond Jubilarian weigh lightly on her. She enjoys the company of those with whom she lives, prays and shares her life. Times together with family and friends are precious to Sr Nuala where she can relax, feel accepted and loved.

The wisdom of St Vincent de Paul (1633), “Say little and do much” is a helpful guide to maintaining harmony of relationships.

Padraig is a native of Co Clare and moved at aged 14 to Dublin, where he completed his secondary education. Following this, he chose a career in banking.

He worked in an array of roles in front line banking and was Branch Manager in various branches across Dublin City and was also Head of a Lending Area East.

In the course of his career, he graduated from the Institute of Bankers and Irish Management Institute. Subsequently, he was Regional Director in Dublin North and thereafter in Dublin Central. In the ten years prior to his retirement in 2010, he was Executive Head of Operations Retail Banking. He joined the Board of St Francis Hospice in 2015.

Padraig has five adult children and lives in West Dublin with his wife of 47 years.

Dr. Carol-Ann Casey, MB BCh BAO (Hons), is a North Dublin General Practitioner for twenty years providing a range of services including care of the elderly and community palliative care.

Brother Tom Forde, OFM Cap., was nominated to join the hospice board by the Capuchin Provincial.

Prof. Paul Browne is a medical graduate of Trinity College Dublin with four decades of clinical and leadership experience in healthcare service, research and education. Following general medical and early specialty haematology training in Dublin, he spent 5 years at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA, as clinical research fellow in Haematology, and then as faculty. He was appointed to St. James’s Hospital as Consultant Haematologist in 1996, where he led the national clinical programme in stem cell transplantation, with a focus on treatment of blood cancers, in particular leukaemia and myeloma.

He has a long-standing interest in leadership, education and quality within the healthcare system. He was the founding Director of the national haematology specialist training programme. He has led multiple clinical trials and investigational programmes, including a four-year term as Chair of the HRB-funded ICORG Cooperative Oncology Research group (now Cancer Trials Ireland). His interest in clinical research and education underpinned his appointment to the Chair/Professor of Haematology at Trinity College Dublin in 2010.

As the Head of Trinity School of Medicine for five years from 2012 to 2017, he worked with many colleagues in multiple disciplines during a financially challenging era to progress a number of important initiatives, including recruitment of new academic staff at both senior professorial and junior faculty level, as well as acting as first Programme Director for the joint hospital-university initiative to establish Trinity St. James Cancer Institute. The quality-driven multidisciplinary programme of work underpinning the Trinity St. James Cancer Institute recently resulted in its designation as an OECI-accredited comprehensive cancer centre.

He has held a number of leadership and management roles related to his expertise, including serving on the Advisory committee for Human Medicines of the HPRA, and two terms as Board member (ministerial nominee) of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. He established and led the implementation of the quality system underpinning the successful licensing of the Cryobiology/Stem cell laboratory at St. James’s hospital by the HPRA, as well as the subsequent international accreditation by JACIE of the national allogeneic stem cell transplant programme.

Having recently retired from his full-time appointments, he maintains an active interest in healthcare innovation, education and research, and continues to work also with the voluntary patient charity sector.

Tracey is Chief Executive of the Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service and has a broad academic, practice and leadership background working with children, young people and families.

She trained as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist and holds further qualifications in Social Justice and Equality Studies, Leadership and Management, a Professional Doctorate in Childhood Studies, and an Executive MBA.

Tracey has worked nationally and cross-border with statutory and government bodies on children’s issues and held senior roles in community-based child and family services. She has lectured on DKIT’s Early Childhood Education programmes and published in journals including the British Journal of Social Work.

She is a non-executive Director of the Wheel and serves on the editorial boards of Child Care in Practice and the Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.

Tracey has worked in the community and voluntary sector for all of her career and is passionate about the sector’s work, and its role as an integral part of the fabric of Irish society.

In June 2015, Mr. Fintan Fagan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of St. Francis Hospice Dublin. During the previous six and a half years, he worked at the Mater Private Hospital, Dublin, firstly as Chief Operations Officer and latterly as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He was Secretary/Group General Manager of the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin for over six years prior to joining the Mater Private Hospital. Before then he was a Manager with the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God and worked as Secretary Manager of St Patrick’s Hospital/Marymount Hospice Cork from 1993 to 1996. He started his career in the U.K., working in various accounting positions with the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London.

Fintan holds an MBA degree in Health Services Management from the RCSI and UCD.

Fintan is currently the Chairman of the All-Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC). The AIIHPC is a leading organisation with national and international influence promoting excellence in palliative care. It is a collaborative of hospices, health and social care organisations, charities and universities on the island of Ireland. AIIHPC advances education, research, policy and practice to improve the palliative care experience of people with life-limiting conditions and their families.

In June 2015, Mr. Fintan Fagan was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of St. Francis Hospice Dublin. During the previous six and a half years, he worked at the Mater Private Hospital, Dublin, firstly as Chief Operations Officer and latterly as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He was Secretary/Group General Manager of the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin for over six years prior to joining the Mater Private Hospital. Before then he was a Manager with the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God and worked as Secretary Manager of St Patrick’s Hospital/Marymount Hospice Cork from 1993 to 1996. He started his career in the U.K., working in various accounting positions with the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London.

Fintan holds an MBA degree in Health Services Management from the RCSI and UCD.

Fintan is currently the Chairman of the All-Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC). The AIIHPC is a leading organisation with national and international influence promoting excellence in palliative care. It is a collaborative of hospices, health and social care organisations, charities and universities on the island of Ireland. AIIHPC advances education, research, policy and practice to improve the palliative care experience of people with life-limiting conditions and their families.