Changes on the board of Ballymun Community Law Centre

Frank Murphy, Paula Reynolds and Catherine Hickey at the Law Centre’s 21st in 2023. 

After 21 years service, both Catherine Hickey, former chairperson, and Frank Murphy, solicitor, retired from the board of Ballymun Community Law Centre at its AGM last week. Paying tribute to Catherine and Frank, current chairperson Paula Reynolds said, “Catherine and Frank have made an invaluable contribution to Ballymun Community Law Centre; through their guidance the law centre became the asset it is to the community today, but more than that, they have instilled their values of community and inclusion into how the law centre works. Their presence at the boardroom table will be missed and we thank them both for all they have done.” Catherine will continue to lend her expertise to the Law Centre through its sub-committee structure and Frank will continue volunteering in the Law Centre three days a week, assisting with the Law Centre’s helpline and delivering introductory law courses.

Ballymun Community Law Centre have welcomed some new board members to the charity over the past year who bring a range of skills and knowledge, putting the Law Centre in a strong position for the future:

• Siobhan Guyatt: Committee member of Ballymun Socials, member of the Secretariat of the Dublin Northwest PPN (joined Sept 2024).
• John McDaid: former CEO of the Legal Aid Board (joined April 2024).
• Gary Lee: Senior Solicitor, Office of the General Solicitor for Minors and Wards of Court and former Managing Solicitor in Ballymun Community Law Centre (joined November 2023).
• Robert Fitzpatrick SC: Barrister and CEDR Accredited Mediator (joined November 2023).
• Mary Gordon: Deputy Registrar with the Institute of Banking and barrister (Junior Counsel, 2005-2013) (joined July 2023).

These new board members serve alongside the current board members:

• Paula Reynolds: Chairperson, Assistant Principal in the Department of Public Expenditure National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.
• Antoinette Doyle: Ballymun community member and activist.
• Fiona Gallagher: MII accredited mediator and former deputy principle of Ballymun Comprehensive.

Ballymun Community Law Centre provides free legal information and advice; legal representation and advocacy; and legal educational courses. The Law Centre also promotes mediation as a conflict resolution tool and offers a free mediation service and a conflict coaching service to people in the area. Ballymun Community Law Centre is part funded by Dublin City Council through the Social Regeneration Programme and through contributions from the members of the Law Society of Ireland.