Meet Our Board

Veronica Baylon

Veronica is a carer to her 31 year old daughter who has a diagnosis of moderate learning disability and Asperger's. She has been dealing with behavioural issues, etc. since her daughter was very young. Veronica has been part of Family Carers Ireland in Monaghan/Cavan for the past 12 years and volunteers in the charity shop and drop-in centre.

Triona Fortune

Triona is Managing Director of Fortune Quality Accreditation Services (FQAS) and works with governments all over the world to develop healthcare, accreditation, regulation and licensing programs. She also has over 20 years’ senior executive management experience specialising in corporate and clinical governance. Triona continues her work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an Expert Advisor on various patient safety and quality initiatives. She teaches on numerous Masters Programmes, specialising in healthcare quality and is currently working with Trinity College Dublin and the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. Commencing her healthcare career as a nurse and midwife, specialising in emergency care, she obtained her MSc. from Trinity College Dublin. Triona is the main carer for her brother Ted who has Motor Neurone Disease.

Antoinette Greene

Antoinette is a retired paediatric nurse. Having practiced abroad for many years, she returned to Ireland to become the full-time family carer for her mother. She has been involved with Caring for Carers at local and national level since 2003 and is the chairperson of Family Carers Ireland’s Milltown Malbay/Spanish Point carer group.

Shane McCarthy

Shane is a qualified Solicitor since 1999. Having managed his own practice for many years he has significant experience in regulation, governance, audit and risk management-all areas of particular interest to Family Carers Ireland. He is a member of the General Council of the Law Society of Ireland and a Council Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. Shane helped care for his father, who suffered from dementia, until he died and continues to be one of the carers for his mother who suffers from Parkinson's disease.

Barbara Kovach

Barbara is the mother and full-time carer for her beautiful son Liam who is 19. Liam was born with Down Syndrome and a heart condition. Barbara has been a family carer since the young age of 12, helping together with her sisters to care for her Grandmother who was housebound due to a fall and also had Alzheimer’s. Barbara also helped take care of their father who had terminal cancer and died in 1986. After moving back from the USA in 2009, she helped care for her mother until she passed away in 2011. Barbara is a very active member of Family Carers Ireland and helped to start a support group in Cashel.

Rosemary Kratschmar

Rosemary, mum of four, together with her husband Siegi cares for her son Sammy who has Down Syndrome. Rosemary has been a strong advocate for family carers for many years and has worked closely with Family Carers Ireland in raising awareness and lobbying on behalf of carers across the country. She is also a member of FCI’s Parents of Adults with Intellectual Disability (PAID) group.

Pádraig Neenan

Pádraig is involved with our Tuam carers group. From a farming background, he was a full-time carer for his mother until her death in May 2020. He is actively involved in the GAA County Board, the Mary’s Meals charity, his local drama group and is a befriender with Western Alzheimers

Peter O’Connell

Peter has had a successful corporate career in sales and marketing internationally, having worked in Europe and Latin America, in addition to being accountable for leading consumer brands globally. He has been based in the U.K., Belgium, The Netherlands, Mexico and Ireland in key head of function and board positions. He currently runs his own business, Career Development Associates. Peter cared for his mother for the last three years of her life with the support of home care workers.

Michael O’Neill

Michael is a Chartered Accountant and spent much of his career in public practice. He now holds a number of roles on a pro-bono basis and in commercial operations.

Johanne Powell

Johanne is 66 years of age and has been caring for her daughter Siobhán since she was born on the 9th February, 1984. Siobhán has a rare chromosome disorder and is intellectually and physically disabled, requiring 24/7 care. Johanne and her husband Alan are devoted to Siobhán who is their only child and have spent years lobbying on behalf of Siobhán for the provision of services to cater for her needs.

Eilish Smith

Eilish is one of the founding members of Caring for Carers Ireland and has for many years been involved with people with intellectual disabilities. Eilish has been organising respite weekends for carers for over 33 years. As a teacher, she ran a programme with transition year students in conjunction with the Mental Health Board which included a monthly social for parents and their children.

Jim Waters

Jim retired in 2014 after 14 years as Managing Director of Transition Ireland, part of ARBORA Global Career Partners. He has served on the National Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and on the National Executive of the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC). Jim is a former young carer, having helped to care for one of his parents after a serious stroke. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).