About us
Inclusion Ireland has been working as part of the disability rights movement in Ireland for over 60 years as a “civil society“ organisation.
Inclusion Ireland was established at a time where advocacy in Ireland was only getting started. From the beginning, the organisation connected people with intellectual disabilities and their families to networks of support, supported people through giving information and worked alongside people with intellectual disabilities and their families for their right to live as equal citizens.

How we are run
Inclusion Ireland complies with the Governance Code for Charity Organisations as set out by the Charity Regulator in Ireland.
Inclusion Ireland has a CEO and Board of Directors who make sure that we work in accordance with our values and strategic plan.

The United Nations Convention on The Rights of Persons With Disabilities
The UNCRPD says that all persons with disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
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Our Team
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Derval McDonagh
Chief Executive Officer
Our Board of Directors

Ashley Sands
Ashley is the Chair of the Board of Directors. Ashley’s son has an intellectual disability and she has a keen interest in access to housing for people with disabilities. She was appointed as a director in November 2020. Ashley works in Human Resources and has extensive experience of Human Resource Management, systems, people management, learning and development, compliance with various regulators and legislation.

Briana Fitzsimons
Briana is a mixed race (Afro-Latina/German Jew) woman of colour who immigrated to Ireland in 2017. Briana is interested in both International Development and Education, Training and Research as sectors. Briana worked as a special education teacher for 12 years and is now the Managing Director / Director of Education of Black and Irish, an organisation that is dedicated to celebrating and bringing awareness to the lives and experiences of black and mixed-race people in Ireland.

David Fraughan
joined the Inclusion Ireland Board in 2018. David is a self-advocate and the Munster representative of the Steering Committee of the National Platform of Self-Advocates.

Glenn Shanley
was appointed as a director of Inclusion Ireland in November 2020. He is married with three young boys and is the Head of Corporate Banking in Ulster Bank. He is on the management team of the Commercial Banking Division of Ulster Bank has responsibility for all commercial customers.

John Moore
John was appointed as a director in November 2020. He is company secretary of Inclusion Ireland and is the parent of a person with intellectual disabilities. He has 20 years company director experience in advertising, marketing, communications, digital and brand.

Marian McNamara
Marian is a Senior Executive with extensive experience across financial services with specific skills in Private and Corporate Banking and Insolvency.

Martin Rowan
was appointed as a director in November 2020. He was Chairperson of the self-advocacy subcommittee of the Board of Inclusion 2016-2019, and has been co-chair of the Carmona self-advocacy group and was also a member of two other self-advocacy groups.

Sarah Jane Lavin
joined the board of Inclusion Ireland in 2018. Sarah Jane is a self-advocate and a member of Inclusion Ireland’s Self-Advocacy Sub-Committee.

Siobhán Bryan
has been a board member since November 2020. She is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Muiríosa Foundation, a service for people with intellectual disabilities in the Midlands.

Tomás Murphy
has experience of working with Inclusion Ireland on three research projects where he has earned a Certificate in Research. He is a former ambassador for the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disability and works for A& L Goodbody where he sits on the Disability Committee.