Meet the Board

Pat McCann (Deputy Chairman)

Pat has over fifty years’ experience in the Hotel business. He started in 1969 in Ryan Hotel Group plc before joining Jurys Hotel Group plc in 1989. He retired from Jurys Doyle in 2006 and founded Dalata Hotel Group in 2007. Pat served as President of Ibec from September 2019 to September 2020. Pat was Chairman of Whitfield Hospital in Waterford from 2011 to 2018. He is currently a Non-Executive Director of Glenveagh and a number of private companies. On March 2nd 2021, Pat announced his retirement from Dalata Hotel Group plc.

William Johnston (Honorary Secretary)

William Johnston is an economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, a solicitor, the external examiner in Banking Law for the Law Society, a member of the Banking Law Senior Advisory Board of the International Bar Association, and a Director of the Housing Finance Agency and the Port of Waterford.

Michele Connolly (Honorary Treasurer)

Michele Connolly is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years commercial experience. She is currently a partner in professional practice. She specialises in supporting State, Semi State, not for profit and commercial companies in fund raising, development of new infrastructure and general financial matters.

Prof. Shane Higgins

Shane Higgins, is a Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and the current Master of The National Maternity Hospital. He is an Associate Professor at UCD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and has a special interest in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Shane has a broad range of clinical and management experience gained within Ireland, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia.

Dr. Ingrid Browne

A graduate of RCSI medical school, Ingrid Browne has been a Consultant Anaesthesiologist for the past 16 years to National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital. She is a fellow of the College of Anaesthesiologists and holds a Masters in medical science. She completed post graduate fellowship training in obstetric anaesthesia at Columbia University NYC.

Mairéad Butler

Mairéad Butler is a Chartered Accountant and has spent most of her career in financial services in Dublin and Sydney, working in risk, compliance and communications roles. She is also a Director of An Cosán, a charity focused on education as a pathway out of poverty.

Sarah Claxton

Sarah is an Engineer with over 24 years’ experience in the energy industry. Having worked in technical engineering and line management roles, she completed an MSc in Work and Organisation Behaviour and has worked in the area of Strategic HR & Organisation Development for the past 10 years. She currently leads People and Organisation Capability at ESB Networks as that business transforms to enable wide-scale electrification of society in support of the National Climate Action Plan.

Denise Cole

Denise Cole has 25 years of experience working in Human Resources and combines a wealth of strategic and operational HR and organisation development experience in both the private and public sectors. Her career includes KPMG in London and Dublin, the Beacon Hospital as Head of HR and St James Hospital as Head of HR Strategy. Denise is currently Head of HR for the Courts Service where she leads a People & Organisation Transformation programme.

Fr. Enda Cunningham

Son of a NMH nurse, Fr Enda serves as Administrator of Westland Row parish and chaplain to the National Maternity Hospital.

Aidan Devlin

Aidan Devlin is a Chartered Accountant and a UCC Commerce graduate. He is a member of the Institute of Directors in Ireland and the Mediators Institute of Ireland. Aidan has over 35 years’ experience in Corporate Banking and Project Finance both in Ireland and the Middle East. He is also a board member of an Affordable Housing Body and was a founding board member of the NMH Foundation.

Frank Downey

Frank Downey has over 30 years’ experience as an Actuarial and Employee Benefits Consultant. Frank is an economics graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, a Director of Invesco Limited and an actuary and advisor for corporate clients. Frank also acts as a trustee for a number of large pension schemes.

Cllr. James Geoghegan

James Geoghegan is an elected member of Dublin City Council, practising Barrister at Law in Ireland with a mixed civil practice with a focus on Banking Law, Administrative Law, European Union Law and civil proceedings related to crime.

Gráinne Hennessy

Gráinne Hennessy is a senior partner at Arthur Cox with over 28 years’ experience in advising lenders and borrowers on syndicate finance, real estate finance, including some of the largest construction finance projects in the country, leveraged acquisition finance and debt restructurings. Gráinne was Head of the Arthur Cox Finance Department and a member of its management committee for 6 years. Gráinne is also one of two partners who are responsible for Arthur Cox’s diversity and inclusion strategy.

Prof. Declan Keane

Declan Keane has been a Consultant Obstetrician since 1995 and is a former Master of the Hospital. He has worked in the UK and the USA and was recently appointed as a Professor to the RCSI. He has considerable administrative experience and was a former member of the National Women’s Council and was the obstetrician advising the Citizen’s Assembly on the 8th Amendment.

Prof. Fionnuala McAuliffe

Fionnuala McAuliffe is Chair and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, UCD, Director UCD Perinatal Research Centre, Head, Women’s and Children’s Health, UCD, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at The National Maternity Hospital. Her subspecialty area is maternal and fetal medicine and she is Programme Director of the RCOG maternal and fetal medicine subspecialisation fellowship at NMH. She has received significant grant funding both nationally and internationally. Fionnuala has developed guidelines for pregnancy both in Ireland, UK and internationally.

Jane McCluskey

Jane McCluskey is a lawyer with a large multinational technology company and has over ten years’ experience practising corporate, commercial and intellectual property law. She is also a registered trade mark agent. Jane is Mum to three children, all of whom were born at the National Maternity Hospital.

Dr. Roger McMorrow

Roger McMorrow is a graduate of The Queens University of Belfast and he has been a consultant anaesthetist at the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital since 2009. He has served as Clinical Director of the NMH since January 2018. He has a specialist interest in high risk obstetrics, clinical risk and high altitude mountaineering. In 2007 he was part of an expedition that reached the summit of Mt Everest.

Prof. Peter McParland

Peter McParland is a Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist in the National Maternity Hospital with a special interest in Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Dr. John Murphy

John Murphy is a Consultant Paediatrician in the National Maternity Hospital and Paediatric & Neonatal Clinical Lead with the HSE in Clinical Strategy & Programmes Directorate. His is also editor of the Irish Medical Journal.

Cllr. Cat O'Driscoll

Cat O'Driscoll represents the Cabra Glasnevin LEA and chairs the Arts and Culture Strategic Policy Committee in Dublin City Council. A native of Cork, Cllr O'Driscoll has been a board member of Quality and Qualifications Ireland and The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning.

Cllr. Naoise O’Muirí

Naoise Ó Muirí has served as a Dublin City Councillor since June 2004 and is a former Lord Mayor of Dublin. Naoise studied Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway and runs a technology company.

Noirin O’Sullivan

Nóirín O’Sullivan most recently served as United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Safety and Security based in New York. Nóirín served as Garda Commissioner from 2014 – 2017. She holds a Masters in Business Studies from UCD Smurfit Business School. She has served two terms on the Governing Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and chaired the Inspection and Enforcement Committee. She is a member of the North American Advisory Board of the UCD Smurfit Business School. Nóirín is the recipient of numerous awards including an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Ulster for Distinguished Public Service.

Patricia O’Shea

Patricia O’Shea is a law graduate of University College Cork and is Group Head of Legal Affairs & Secretariat for a semi-state company. She was formerly General Counsel of a US multinational company serving as Company Secretary and a Director of a group company.

Dr. Michael Robson

Michael Robson is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and former Master of the NMH. Dr Robson is the National Clinical Director of the Maternal and New-born Clinical Management System (Maternity, neonatal and gynaecology electronic patient record for Ireland). He also developed the methodology behind the perinatal and caesarean classification system used world wide known as the Ten group (Robson) Classification System.

Stephen Vernon

Stephen Vernon is one of the founders of Green Property Group and has extensive experience in property and property development in Ireland and the UK. A Bristolian, educated in London, Mr Vernon has been based in Ireland for several years.

Dr Jennifer Walsh

A graduate of UCD, Jennifer Walsh is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Maternal and Fetal Medicine Subspecialist at the National Maternity Hospital. She was appointed to NMH in 2016 following completion of postgraduate subspecialty training at Columbia University NYC. She is the Director of Fetal Medicine at the NMH. Jennifer sits on both the Project Team and Project Board for the move to SVUH campus at Elm Park and chairs the Digital Health Steering Group for the future hospital. She is also Mum to three children, all of whom were Holles Street babies.