Our people

Rachel joined Dublin Rape Crisis Centre as Chief Executive in November 2023. She has senior-level experience working in a wide variety of roles and sectors over the last 20 years, including Irish Cancer Society, Pfizer, Board of Trade (Canada) and Oireachtas Eireann.

She is a graduate of UCD and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics, a master’s degree in politics and a diploma in leadership. 

Rachel’s focus is working with survivors, staff, volunteers and stakeholders to accelerate the elimination of sexual violence. Until that day comes, she is focused on delivering a growth strategy for Dublin Rape Crisis Centre so that it can help more people heal after the trauma of sexual violence.

Rachel is from Dublin and enjoys reading, gardening and baking.

You can send general queries for Rachel to info@rcc.ie or contact the office by phone at 01-661 4911. Media queries can be directed to communications@rcc.ie.

Annemarie is a solicitor with nearly forty years’ experience, having qualified with an honours Law Degree from UCD  in 1985. Shortly after qualifying, she was made a partner in the firm of Colm McKeown and Company solicitors in 1989, and is presently Managing Partner of Kirwan McKeown James (KMJ) Solicitors LLP. With a specialty in litigation, commercial and family law, Annemarie has as well as running a busy practice  represented families and individuals with limited means pro bono, facing difficult circumstances and continues to do so to this day.

Annemarie is a human rights activist having volunteered on the ‘Stop the Red Light’ campaign, which advocated for the de-criminalization of prostitution and the criminalization of buyers. She was actively involved in the ‘Yes Equality’ and ‘Together for Yes’ campaign which sought to amend our Constitution to allow for same-sex marriage which was achieved in 2015 and repeal the 8^th Amendment to the Constitution  to allow access to abortion services in Ireland  ultimately achieving the repeal of the ban in 2018.

Annemarie is a member of the Institute of Directors, and she mentors young professional female lawyers under the auspices of the incorporated Law Society of Ireland. She sat on the Board of the Ark, a cultural Centre for Children, and has fundraised for a number of philanthropic and charitable organizations including Women’s Aid, the Irish Hospice Foundation and Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, running amongst other events marathons, Camino Trips and as a highlight, crossing the Sinai Desert on foot.

As incoming Chairperson of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Annemarie’s greatest desire is to ensure Ireland implements the terms of the Istanbul Convention and that Ireland provides a safe place for women and young girls free from the threat of sexual violence.

Síona Cahill (she/her) is a public relations and communications professional from Co. Longford, and is currently Account Director at DHR Communications based in Dublin's Liberties. Síona has advocacy experience from working across youth, education, arts and culture, social justice, and LGBTI+ rights. She is a former President of the Union of Students in Ireland. Ms. Cahill holds a BCL Civil Law and Sociology (International) from Maynooth University, and a PRII Diploma in Public Relations, receiving the 2022 Gladys McNevin Award for excellence in PR. Síona is a regular contributor on current affairs radio and TV programmes in the Republic of Ireland.

Eoghan Cleary currently works as a secondary school teacher and assistant principal at Temple Carrig Secondary School where he has taught for the last seven years. He has over ten years previous experience as a youth worker, working in the most marginalised communities in the east inner cities of both Dublin and Galway. He has studied in UCD, NUIG and TCD, completing master’s degrees in Drama and Theatre Studies, International Human Rights Law, and Education.

Eoghan writes as a columnist for TheJournal.ie, he continues to campaign for the online protection of children and adolescents, particularly with regards the ownership of smartphones by children and the subsequent related need for robust legislation as well as digital media, gender based violence and porn literacy based education programmes. He is the co-author of the My Wellbeing Journey series of textbooks for the new SPHE Curriculum at both Junior and Senior Cycle and is currently completing a further master’s degree in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy with the aim of specialising in the area of child and adolescent psychotherapy.

Fergus Finlay is the former CEO of Barnardos, Ireland’s largest children’s charity. For around twenty years prior to that he was employed as Senior Adviser to the Labour Party, serving in three Governments and working for the Party in opposition. He was one of the drafters of the Downing Street Declaration and was centrally involved in the election of President Mary Robinson in 1990. He also served for three years as a Director of Wilson Hartnell Public Relations. He is the author of four books.

He has been a life-long campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities and was chair of a government task force to implement a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities. For fifteen years he has also worked as Chair of the Dolphin House Regeneration Board, which is overseeing one of the largest regenerations in the city. He is also Chair of Lakers in Bray, a highly successful club and service provider for young people and adults with an intellectual disability. He broadcasts regularly on radio and television and contributes a weekly column to the Irish Examiner. He is a member of the Board of the HSE, the Christine Buckley Centre, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, and was on the Charities Regulatory Authority.

Fergus was awarded a Human Rights Award by the French Embassy in Dublin in 2013 to recognise the work of Barnardos with Ireland’s children. He was also honoured by UCC as an Outstanding Alumnus in 2016 and awarded an honorary Doctorate by NUIG.

Nikki Gallagher is Head of Public Affairs at Ibec. Prior to joining Ibec, Nikki led teams at Ombudsman for Children’s Office, SOLAS, the National Lottery and was a national press officer with Fine Gael.

For the past 20 years, Nikki has been a champion of human rights and equality through professional and voluntary roles specifically in the areas of LGBTI+ rights, children’s rights, gender equality, prisoners’ rights and reproductive healthcare rights. 

Nikki has considerable experience of governance having served a company secretary to a State Board for over five years and has been a member of several civil society boards. Her qualifications include  a professional certificate in corporate governance and a diploma in law. Nikki was a director and board chair at BeLonG To, Ireland’s largest LGBT+ youth organisation from 2015 to 2021. Under Nikki’s stewardship, BeLonG To won several awards for good governance including the Charities Institutes’  Board of the Year for two years in a row. She was also a member of the advisory board at Together for Yes and a board member of WorkEqual. Nikki is currently a board director of Chapter Zero Ireland.

Carol Keane is a qualified Chartered Accountant having trained with PwC Dublin.  She has over 15 years’ experience leading private organisations through periods of high growth and change.

Carol is passionate about contributing to society and has previously volunteered as a youth mentor in Foroige’s  Big Brother, Big Sister programme and also as a visitor with Friends of The Elderly.

She joined the Board of DRCC in 2016 and currently chairs the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee.

Dr Madeleine McCarthy is a specialist GP with over thirty years' experience in Women’s Health and General Practice. She set up her GP practice in 1988 in Dun Laoghaire where she continues to work. The practice is now known as Harbour Health. Her work includes training  both GP Registrars and undergraduate medical students. She is also a family planning and contraception (LARC) tutor.  

She developed a keen interest in menopause over her many years in general practice and completed advanced clinical training in menopause care over a six month period in Birmingham Women’s Hospital. She also has an interest in the impact of menopause in the workplace. 

She regularly attends both national and international conferences to stay up to date with the latest medical developments. She has multiple further qualifications in Occupational Health, Diabetes, Sexual Health, Family Planning, Therapeutics, Minor Surgery, Dermoscopy, and Travel Health. 

Madeleine is currently a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners, the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland Occupational Health Faculty, the British Menopause Society, the Dun Laoghaire ICGP Faculty, the Travel Medicine Society of Ireland, and the Irish Association of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Professionals.

Previous organisational experience includes being a Continuing Medical Education tutor for GPs, a member of the St Vincent’s University Hospital GP Liaison Committee, a member of the Steering Committee for the Trinity and UCD GP Training Schemes, Chair of the Research Committee of the ICGP (which meant sitting on the ICGP Board at the time), and Chairperson of the Women’s Committee of the Irish Medical Organisation (during which time she was the IMO representative to the then Council for Status of Women). 

Aibhlin McCrann has been a director of the board of DRCC since 2015. As a director of Communiqué International, Ireland’s foremost leadership communications consultancy,  she has extensive experience of strategy writing and facilitation of strategic planning. She specialises in stakeholder engagement and facilitation in the state, semi-state, and community and voluntary sectors. Her work includes coaching senior leaders to succeed at executive interview and facilitating the communication elements of change management and organisational restructuring.

Graduating from University College Dublin with BA (Hons), B.MUS degrees, Aibhlín is a fluent Irish speaker with extensive experience as a performer, media spokesperson, freelance writer and organiser of national and international cultural events. She served on the board of the Arts Council for more than ten years, was Chair of its Policy and Strategy Committee, and Deputy Chair of the Council 2012-2016. 

She is current Chair of the internationally renowned Irish Chamber Orchestra and is founding Chair of Cruit Éireann | Harp Ireland, which was established in 2017 with the support of The Arts Council to develop and promote the harp in Ireland.

Aibhlín serves on the board of glór Arts Centre, Ennis, Co Clare, and was appointed to the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick in 2020, where she is also a member of the board of University Concert Hall.

Grace is a Chartered Psychologist and Psychotherapist. She has over 20 years experience working in the area of sexual and gender-based violence, as a therapist, supervisor and activist. She has worked in the corporate, third level and NGO environments, specialising in organisational behaviour and organisational development.  She feels strongly about empowering people from individual and systemic perspectives and seeks to use her professional experience to advocate for change in the area of gender-based violence. Grace holds degrees from Trinity and UCD in Psychology and an MBA from Smurfit Business School. She is a Fellow of the CIPD.

Nóirín O'Sullivan is an experienced executive leader who has most recently served as United Nations Assistant Secretary General for the UN Department of Safety and Security, based in New York. Prior to joining the United Nations, Nóirín enjoyed a diverse and successful 36-year career in An Garda Síochana, making history when she became the first woman to lead An Garda Síochana (Ireland’s National Policing and Security Service), and serving as Garda Commissioner, and Head of Ireland’s National Security Service.

Throughout her career, Nóirín has prioritised and promoted a rights-based service to victims of crime and established the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, to provide a professional and consistent approach to the investigation of sexual related crime. The Bureau coordinated the investigation of the most complex and sensitive investigations including the coordination of human trafficking and historical sexual abuse cases, ensuring an inter-agency partnership approach in providing supports to victims and survivors, and putting in place mechanisms to give effect to the EU Victims Directive, and the Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence

Nóirín now operates as  non-executive director, independent advisor and consultant across a number of sectors.  Nóirín is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Executive Institute (NEI). She holds a Master in Business Studies (MBS) from the Smurfit School of Business, University College Dublin. She is the recipient of numerous recognition and awards, including an Honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) from the University of Ulster for Distinguished Public Service.