About Irish Rural Link

Strategic Objectives

  1. To reflect the views of IRL rural community members to policy makers at local, regional, national and European policy levels.
  2. To influence local and community development in our changing rural areas.
  3. To collate, support and disseminate models of rural development to all relevant stakeholders.
  4. To develop the organisation and management of IRL in a manner that is inclusive, participatory and sustainable.

OVERALL AIM

  1. To help support viable communities in rural Ireland where every person would have meaningful work, adequate income and social services, and where infrastructures needed for sustainable development would be in place.
  2. To highlight, publicise and respond to key rural issues through operational projects and programmes Irish Rural Link is run by a small and dedicated core of professional staff members which aims at all times to drive forward the rural agenda, aid our members and influence the various political levels on rural issues. They are supported by a voluntary Executive Board.

IRL Executive Board

Tara Farrell

Chairperson – Longford Women’s Link

Michael Kenny

Secretary – NUI Maynooth

Maria O’Gorman

Treasurer – Duagh FRC

Miriam McKenna

Flexibus – Louth, Meath, Fingal Locallink

Billy Murphy

Enniscorthy

Gerald Quain

Vice Chairperson – Ballyhoura Development

Elizabeth McDonnell

S.W.E.E.T.S.

Kieran McEntee

Kenagh Coop, Kenagh Co. Longford

Dermot Leavy

Westmeath Community Development

Alan Kerry

Rural Transport Network

Veronica Barrett

RHS Homecare, Galway

Barry Caslin

Teagasc

Maura Canning

IFA

Thomas Cooney

IFA

STAFF

Seamus Boland

James Claffey

Deputy CEO,
CAP Network Manager
[email protected]

Maria Pettit

Administrator
[email protected]

Mary Keyes Cornally

Louise Lennon

Policy & Media Officer
[email protected]

PROJECT STAFF

Farmers4Safety EIP Project
[email protected]
farmers4safety.ie

Tracey Noone

National Meals on Wheel Network
[email protected]
mealsonwheelsnetwork.ie

Maria Jackson

National Meals on Wheels Network
[email protected]
mealsonwheelsnetwork.ie

Aoife Kirk

Connecting Communities with Peatlands
[email protected]
communitywetlandsforum.ie

Brendan Mulry

Katie Smirnova

Daniel Bennett

Evelyn Slevin

Paddy Malone

Niamh Nolan

John Murphy