Meet the Team
Our Board
The Irish Men’s Sheds Association is both a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee (CLG). As a CLG, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association is obliged to comply with company law and best practice in the fields of governance, financial probity and transparency.
The board of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association acts in the interests of sheds and members nationwide, and all its actions and processes are designed to advance the cause and welfare of the men’s sheds movement. The board also bears certain legal responsibilities in relation to the Irish Men’s Sheds Association CLG (the legal entity which manages the affairs and finances of the men’s sheds association).
The board is headed by a Chairperson, elected by board members and subject to re-election every 12 months. A Secretary and Treasurer are also elected on an annual basis. Members of the IMSA board may serve for a maximum of six continuous years.
Board members are recruited in a variety of ways. A certain number of seats are set aside for representatives from the sheds themselves, elected on a province-by-province basis. Board members are also recruited from other fields, in order to bring relevant expertise and experience to the board for the benefit of men’s sheds nationally.
In addition to their legal responsibilities and oversight role, the board of the IMSA is deeply engaged with sheds at local, regional and national level, and committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for sheds and members across all of Ireland.
Board members
Eamonn O'Connor
Chairperson
Eamonn is vice-chairman of Rostrevor Men’s Shed, a former Shed Support Volunteer and a community activist. He is a small business owner and a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast in Engineering & Business Management. He currently works in healthcare. Eamonn was nominated onto the board in 2019 by a number of sheds in Co. Down and Armagh.
Alan Tobin
Board Member (Leinster)
Alan is a founding member of the Ashbourne Men’s Shed in Co. Meath. He represents the Leinster region on the board. A proud board member, he joined the team in 2017. Alan is also Chair of the Northern Ireland committee. Alan has a wealth of experience in community development work and has assisted IMSA in finding new support and sponsors that help the organisation financially to promote men’s wellbeing and healthy living programs.
Annalisa O'Carroll
Board Member
Annalisa joined the board of the IMSA in January 2019. She is an executive coach and business consultant working across private, public and not for profit sectors. Previously she held the role of Director of Impact in Social Entrepreneurs Ireland where she worked with social entrepreneurs and social enterprises across a variety of sectors providing mentorship, support and advice on strategy and organisational development. She has held senior roles in Salesforce.com and Educational Multimedia Group. She has followed the development of the IMSA and the Men’s Shed movement since 2009 and has been directly involved since 2012.
Annalisa sits on the IMSA’s Governance and Nominations Committee. She joined the board to help progress it’s work in supporting the future development of the organisation.
Paul O'Grady
Board Member
Patrick Cummins
Secretary
Ray Harte
Board Member
Ray is founder and chairman of Portlaoise Men’s Shed and former IMSA Shed Advocate. Ray comes from an engineering and technical sales background. He has extensive involvement and knowledge in community project development. Former chairman of a local disability group, was responsible for the setting up of a collaborative subsidised therapy programme for children and adults with intellectual disability and the project management of funding streams. He is currently a member and representative on Laois PPN ( Public Participation Network ) and also a private sector representative on Laois LCDC ( Local County Development Committee. He has training in the area of disability awareness and advocacy as part of his membership of Partners in Policymaking and disability steering groups.
Catherine Taylor
Board Member
Mark Gibbons
Board Member
Mark Gibbons is founding member of the Rostrevor Men’s Shed Co Down and has also helped to establish and set up three additional Sheds within his area of South Down.
Mark fell in love with the Men’s Shed Project and ethos about 7 years ago and he has been hooked ever since. He believes that a well run Men’s Shed has the potential to inspire a village, town and even a city and more importantly, it can save lives if managed correctly.
Born in Co Galway, Mark has lived the vast majority of his life in the North. He is married to Claire and they have a wonderful daughter Sophie who keeps them on their toes. He is also a local Councillor and has a real interest in community initiatives, mental health and wellbeing.
Mark says that one thing is for certain, no matter what happens in his life, he will forever be a Shedder.
Our Staff
Edel Byrne
Health & Wellbeing Manager
Edel has worked with IMSA since September 2016. Prior to joining IMSA, Edel worked with the Irish Heart Foundation and St. Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin in the area of health promotion. Edel holds a BSc in Spatial Planning from Dublin Institute of Technology and has a Masters in Health Promotion from the National University of Ireland Galway. Before working in the health sector, she worked as a Town Planner for a local authority for a number of years.
Frank Dillon
Head of Fundraising & Partnerships
Frank joined the IMSA team in early 2019. Frank has over 20 years’ experience working in the sponsorship/marketing/media sectors, having previously worked for Today FM, Newstalk and Business and Finance Magazine. Frank holds a BSc in Management and Marketing and a Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute.
Eva Beirne
National Volunteer Coordiantor
Eva has been with the IMSA team since 2016. Eva comes with a wealth of experience, having previously worked in community development and the business sector. Before joining IMSA, Eva worked for the leading research and community development centre, the Netwell Centre in Dundalk Institute of Technology, where she spearheaded the development of sheds in the North East Region of Ireland. During this time, Eva also served on the board of IMSA, serving one three year term.
Sandra Purtell
Finance & Administration Officer
Sandra has been a member of the IMSA team since 2015. Sandra has worked within the community sector for 28 years and has experience working across all the diverse groups in this sector. Prior to joining the Irish Men’s Sheds Association Sandra worked with the Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership for 10 years on both LDSIP and LCDP programmes. Sandra has also worked with the Dublin Employment Pact, which was set up under an EU-supported initiative to tackle employment and development issues in the Dublin Region.
Lianne McAree Murphy
Health Promotion Officer
Prior to joining the Irish Men’s Shed Association in 2019, Lianne worked as a Health Promotion Facilitator with Cavan Monaghan Healthy Families. Before this, Lianne worked as an Administrator in a suicide prevention charity. Lianne holds a BA in English and History from National University of Maynooth, an MSc in Exercise and Nutrition Science from the University of Chester and a Diploma in Sports Nutrition from the International Olympic Committee.
Paul Newman
Administrative Support Officer
Paul Newman joined the IMSA in September 2015. Before joining Paul was on a TÚS programme with the Ballymun/Whitehall Partnership where he ran the Care & Repair Department, providing a gardening and maintenance service to older people living in the area. Paul has responsibility for managing the shed registrations of the association, as well as the provision of support and advice to sheds nationwide.
Niamh McGarry
Communications Officer
Niamh joined the IMSA in October 2020. Before joining the IMSA, Niamh worked as a Communications and New Schools Officer for Educate Together, the patron body of multi-denominational primary and secondary schools, and prior to that worked for many years in the publishing industry. Niamh holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from University College Dublin.
Mary Lovegrove
Acting Health and Wellbeing Manager
Mary Lovegrove joined the IMSA in July 2020 as Health & Wellbeing Manager to cover Edel Byrne’s maternity leave. Prior to this, Mary worked for the Irish Hospice Foundation for twelve years on a number of programmes to improve end-of-life and palliative care for patients and their families across Ireland. She also worked in the UK for the health regulator and for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Mary has a background in nursing and is also a qualified mindfulness teacher and is co-founder and executive director of Mindful Nation Ireland.