Meet The Team
Angie Gough CEO & Co Founder A social entrepreneur with wide experience in Business Development and Event Management at Special Olympics, BBC Children in Need and Self Help Africa. Board member at Teac Damsa and Dublin Youth Theatre and founder of The #Artskickers Awards. Passionate about people and community and the power of individuals to make a change. Angie and her family have hosted 3 families and a cat in Dublin, with husband Myles, 3 kids and dog (it’s a big house). 2 families have moved back to Ukraine, Natalya, kids and cat Shelby are still here, working, studying and inspiring us every day.
Roz Jones Head of Operations Roz has a background in project management, comms and operations within the non-profit and mental health sectors. She’s also a trauma-informed yoga teacher and is passionate about community support. Having recently returned from living in Canada, Roz is excited to be part of an amazing team that’s playing an essential role in Ireland’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
Catherine Quinlan Matchmaking Team Lead Catherine has been hosting since May 2022 and joined Helping Irish Hosts as a Matchmaker in August 2022. She now leads the Matchmaking Department whose aim is to create harmonious and sustainable matches between hosts and guests. She previously worked in her family’s accountancy practice and volunteered for Meals on Wheels for many years. She lives in Co. Wexford with her husband (Mark), children and dogs.
Ger Harvey Host Support Team Lead Ger leads our Host Support team, and has previously been a matchmaker. She studied Sociology at university and has a keen interest in social justice. Having worked in residential support for over a decade she brings her communal living expertise to the team. She also teaches yoga and loves getting out into nature with her dog Stella.
Maryna Volkova Guest Liaison Maryna is from Odesa and is currently living with her son in a host family in Kildare. Maryna has been a member of the matchmaking team since December 2022. She loves the sea and looks forward to returning to Ukraine when there is peace.
Dervla Byrne Host Support Dervla joined the team in HIH in October 2022; Dervla has a background in education, customer service and animal welfare and is an active volunteer in many community based organisations. She lives with her family in Co. Wexford where they have been sharing their home with a Ukrainian family since March 2022. As a host herself, she has excellent insight into the huge positives & challenges facing hosts & guests alike.
Bronwen O'Malley Volunteer Matchmaker Bronwen O'Malley has been a volunteer for Ukrainian families since February. She began hosting a Ukrainian family in April and through this became involved with Helping Irish Hosts where she has made loads of really special matches! She is a midwife with a particular interest in helping mothers and babies fleeing the war. Bronwen lives in Galway with her husband and five children and would describe herself as creative, artistic and passionate about helping others.
Muireann Raleigh Volunteer Matchmaker Muireann is a mom, volunteer and host. She has volunteered with HIH since the early days. She loves the sea, tennis, animals and her family (and maybe in that order)!!
Olga Yakovenko Ukrainian Comms Assistant & Translator Olga is from Ukraine. She joined HIH in October 2022. Her background is in supply chain, logistics and education. She has been volunteering in Limerick before starting with HIH. She lived in a host family for 6 months and then moved on for her own journey... Solo parent, Loves nature, the sea and an active lifestyle.
Kathleen McKiernan Matchmaker Kathleen McKiernan is part of the Match Maker team . Kathleen and her family are hosts them selves and that lead her to this role . Knowing the unique nature of hosting and some of the obstacles that can arise , she was drawn to Helping Irish Hosts after attending a road show . Before this job she ran a boarding kennels business from her home.
Lorraine McHugh Matchmaker Lorraine Joined HIH in February 2023. Lorraine and her family live in Leitrim and have been hosting since July 2022. Her background is in Children's mental health providing Creative Mindfulness, yoga and nature connection classes for kids. She can regularly be found outdoors enjoying nature!
Oksana Telenko Host Support Caseworker Oksana is from Ukraine. She joined HIH in July, 2023. Oksana completed her studies in Law and Sustainable Development, with a specific focus on its social dimension. She has experience in intercultural mediation, and assisting vulnerable groups. Prior to the war, Oksana enjoyed travelling, immersing herself into diverse cultures, and companionship of her beloved dog Grim.
Rachel McGonigle Communications Coordinator Rachel joined the team in July 2023 after graduating from the University of Galway with a BSc in Social Science in 2022. Having developed a deep passion for issues related to migration, she has been involved with many volunteer projects including teaching English to migrants in the Galway community. With experience in writing, editing and design, Rachel uses her role as Comms Coordinator to make a difference to the lives of those arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. Outside of work she loves sea swimming, creating art and visiting new places.
Dudu Simkhumba Communications Coordinator Dudu joined the team in April 2024 after working for a financial services organisation, leading some key initiatives to drive positive employee engagements in South Africa. During her time in Ireland, she has done voluntary work with various social impact organizations, developing communication strategies, managing communication plans, contributing to social media strategies and disseminating knowledge to enhance awareness on migrant issues. In her own words, Dudu says she has a deep love and passion for humanity and believes kindness can be used as a tool to effect change.
Regina Gilroy Host Support Caseworker Regina joined HIH in November 2023. She has a background as a trauma informed educator, trainer, and coach across the education, non-profit, and public sectors. Regina has a deep felt commitment to supporting others and advocating for social equity. She has lots of interests, but gardening and spending time by the sea are what keep her most grounded. Regina is excited to be part of the amazing HIH team supporting hosts and guests, all of whom inspire and motivate her every day.
Tracy Malcolm Matchmaker Tracy joined HIH in June 2023, as part of the Matchmaking team. She really enjoys seeing the interaction between hosts and guests and watching these new relationships grow. Tracy studied English and Sociology at university and comes from a background working with community and voluntary groups and local government. She lives in Dublin with her family and is kept very busy with her children’s many activities. Outside of work, she loves going out walking with friends and travelling to sunny destinations.
Aoife Hudson Office Administrator Aoife joined the team in June 2024, bringing a degree in social care and life coaching. With experience in the disability, residential and family & childcare sector Aoife has honed her skills in empathy, communication, and personalised support. Outside of work, Aoife enjoys travelling as much as she can and spending time with friends and her two Maine Coon cats.
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Bridget O’Sullivan Finance Lead An accountant by profession, Bridget has over 30 years of experience, specialising in the not-for-profit, International Organisation sector. She has worked overseas for the International Federation of the Red Cross and spent over ten years working for the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in their Stockholm and Brussels offices. She is now back in Dublin with her husband and very happy to have the opportunity to work with such a progressive and welcoming organisation as Helping Irish Hosts. A native of Kerry, she is a big fan of GAA and all sports, including taking care of Toby the dog.
Our Board
Dominic Rigby (Chair) Dom is founder of Dom Rigby Consultancy Limited (DRC), an advisory company focusing on asset backed transactions and corporate financing. Formerly with EY, Dom also acts as a Non-Executive Director across different sectors including real estate, healthcare, aviation, and drinks manufacturing. Played cricket for Scotland. Living proof that not everyone can host, but everyone can help. Playing a crucial role in our organisational development and keeping us on the straight and narrow.
Dr. Aideen Gough Aideen is a doctor, specialising in Women's Health and General Practice. Together with Helping Irish Hosts and HSE Inclusion Health, Aideen runs clinics in Dublin for Ukrainians having difficulty accessing GP care. Aideen and husband Niall* are hosting a mum and son in Dublin 7, having previously hosted a family with a child with additional medical needs, who have moved to the US. They have a massive dog called Rueben, who speaks with a Belfast accent.
Sorcha Woods (Co. Sec.) Practice Manager and Secretary of the All Ireland Spiritual Guidance Association, Sorcha’s calming presence and matchmaking skills informed the early development of our matching process, safeguarding and provision of hands on host support. Sorcha continues to host on an emergency and short term basis.
Matt Lunson Former Global Training Manager Accenture, Matt is now Small Business Customer Experience Program Lead EMEA for Meta. Lead singer of Irish band One Day International. Matt, wife Debbie and daughter Maisie-Jane are now hosting for the third time, having helped their previous guests integrate into Irish life. Matt also started our Facebook network and wrote our theme tune, ‘Heavy Lifting’.
Professor Joe Carthy Joe has been a UCD academic for over 30 years, previously serving as College Principal and Dean of Science, Head of the School of Computer Science and Informatics. He is the founding Director of the UCD Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Investigation and board member of CyberSafeIreland, a charity to empower children, parents and teachers to safely navigate the online world. Joe and wife Rhona have been hosting since April. He also provides English classes and integration activities for hundreds of Ukrainians in UCD and plays a leading role in community response in South Dublin.
Anatoliy Primakov Anatoliy Prymakov was born in Ukraine and moved to Ireland in 2007, attending secondary school in Ireland and is naturalised Irish. A graduate of Maynooth University with a BBA in Business and Management and a financial services professional, Anatoliy has solid experience in non-profit sector. In 2012-2013 Anatoliy was one of the key members of the Migrant Education Access campaign coordinated by Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, which ended with Department of Education accepting 2 out of 3 recommendations of the campaign. Since the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Anatoliy has been organising a Ukrainian community response and involved in key initiatives such as Ukraine Civil Society Response Forum. In May 2022 Anatoliy became one of the directors and founding members of Ukrainian Action in Ireland, a non-profit community organisation working with Ukrainians in Ireland. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprym/
Martin McDonald Martin is a retired civil servant having worked in the Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Justice. Early assignments included working in the Private Office of four Government Ministers as well as responsibilities in the areas of agricultural production, nuclear safety, HR and oil and gas exploration. He also spent four years on loan with the European Commission heading up a Unit dealing with energy policy co-operation with the Baltic States and Asia and with China in particular. On diplomatic secondment to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Martin served in the Irish Permanent Representation in Brussels during two Irish Presidencies with departmental and diplomatic responsibilities in the Energy and Justice and Home Affairs Councils. He has also served as the Justice and Home Affairs Counsellor in the Irish Embassy in Washington DC. For 20 years in the Department of Justice, he was responsible for Judicial Appointments and the Courts Service. Assignments prior to retirement were as Head of Corporate Affairs and Principal Officer/Head of Policy, Procedures and Administration in the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, (now the Office for International Protection). Since retirement, Martin has worked on a number of projects for the Department of Justice as well as serving as a member and chair of Peer Review Groups (PRGs) dealing with major IT projects in the public sector, under the aegis of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, (OGCIO). He is a Board Member and Licensing Officer for Sligo Rovers FC, and is currently a member of the Football Association of Ireland's (FAI) General Assembly, Professional Chamber. Martin is a qualified secondary school teacher and a graduate of University College, Dublin, (UCD).
Other Founding Members... Founding Members and all round legends without whom we would not exist: Anton Krasun, Keith Marin, Carron McKinney, Eleanor Farrell, Karen O’Donohue, Andy O’Sullivan, Nathalie Anne Leonard, Niall Clerkin and all the early hosts and matchers in our network.