People

Helen Fitzgerald

Information & Support Service Manager

Since joining Sage in 2014, Helen has held several roles, and currently is the Information & Support Service Manager. Prior to this Helen worked as Regional Coordinator, Recruitment, Information and Compliance, and Administrator. 

Before joining Sage, Helen worked as service coordinator with Crosscare services for older people in Dublin North, coordinating the befriending, plate pals, the league, and appointment companions services.

Helen holds an MSc in Applied Psychology from Dublin Business School, a BA in Psychology from NUI Maynooth, and has qualifications in Information, Advice and Advocacy Practice and Community & Health Services. 

Ciara Gallagher

Information & Support Assistant

Ciara has worked in the area of care provision services for over 30 years.

Prior to joining Sage, Ciara worked for the Irish Advocacy Network providing advocacy services in Acute Psychiatric Units in the Dublin, Meath and Louth area.

Ciara has worked as a social care worker for Three Steps Assessment and Therapeutic Residential Services for Children and Adolescents.  

Ciara has also worked as an assistant programme coordinator on the Special Care Programme, a 48-week training programme providing theoretical training and work placement in the field of Intellectual Disability within in The Daughters of Charity – Disability Support Services.

Ciara holds a BA in Applied Social Studies (Disabilities) from the Open Training College. 

Patrick Taylor

Administrative Assistant

Ruby Costello

Information & Support Assistant (Intern)

Ruby is working as an intern with Sage Advocacy as part of her BA in English and Equality studies.

Ruby began her journey towards Elderly-centered human rights while working in a community pharmacy. During covid, realising the older members of the community were isolated. After three years in the pharmacy setting, she began working as a carer in the home. Learning first hand about the experiences and challenges that the older generation face, providing care to those with various forms of dementia, parkinson's disease, acquired disabilities, hearing and visual loss and reduced mobility. She has since worked city-wide, in both home care and the nursing home. 

While working in these roles, her college course looked at subjects such as human rights, social justice, psychology and law, leading Ruby to her own passion of human rights for those in the older communities and those with disabilities. She hopes to learn more about how to protect the rights of those in more vulnerable communities and how to achieve justice for people deprived of their rights during her time with Sage.

Ana Reynolds

Regional Manager

Prior to being appointed as Regional Manager for the North, Ana Reynolds had worked with Sage Advocacy as a Regional Coordinator for Dublin South East and Wicklow.

Before joining Sage Advocacy, Ana had previously worked as a Service Coordinator and Transition Coordinator with Cheshire Ireland, overseeing the decongregation of a residential unit and developing the services of individuals living with brain injuries and physical disabilities of moving from residential care to living in local communities.

Earlier in her career Ana had also worked in HSE Older Person services as frontline healthcare staff and was a team lead on an award winning Focus on Dementia project in St. Mary’s Hospital, Phoenix Park.

Ana holds a B.Soc Science degree in Sociology and Social Policy from NUI Maynooth, and is a qualified as a psychotherapist, completing her studies in the Institute of Integrative Counselling and Psychology.  

Ann Griffin

Regional Advocate

Prior to joining Sage, Ann was actively engaged with the Third Age National Advocacy Programme since 2010. Ann was responsible for hands-on delivery of advocacy services and the management of a team of volunteer advocates in Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, and Sligo. Ann was office manager of a Care in the Community facility which involved assessing the needs of clients in their own homes to develop and provide appropriate care packages.

Anne also held the post of Welfare Director of a sheltered employment facility providing advocacy and support services to thirty clients with intellectual and physical disability.

Ann has completed a Certificate in Advocacy with the National College of Ireland, Volunteer Management Training Certificate with Volunteer Centres Ireland and a certificate in Management Skills for Managers of Advocacy Services, I.T. Blanchardstown.

Geraldine Jolley

Regional Advocate

Prior to being appointed as the Regional Coordinator for the Midlands, Geraldine Jolley worked with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for more than 10 years as an inspector of social services with responsibility for the regulation of designated centres for older people.

Before this role she was the area development officer for Mental Health Ireland. This role involved the development of positive mental health promotion programmes, suicide prevention initiatives and interagency working relationships with statutory, community, voluntary and social partners to ensure the effective delivery of services and the optimum management of resources.

Geraldine also spent more than 20 years working in the UK and held varied roles in regulation with the Care Quality Commission and as a nurse manager for mental health services that included acute, rehabilitation and dementia care services.

Geraldine is a mental health nurse with a specialist qualification in community mental health nursing. She also has a Masters degree in Interprofessional Health and Welfare Studies.

Jamie Sherlock

Regional Advocate

Jamie worked with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland for sixteen years holding a number of roles within Operations and Learning and Development.

Jamie began her career here as a frontline worker providing dementia specific care in the home to people living with dementia enabling them to live at home within their communities for as long as possible. 

Following on from this Jamie managed the daily operations of a number of services including Home Care, Day Care, Alzheimer Cafes and Social Clubs across Dublin, Meath and Westmeath. 

Alongside her service manager roles Jamie also worked as an in house Tutor with the Learning and Development team delivering dementia specific training to staff across the country from frontline to senior management. 

Just prior to commencing with Sage, Jamie was the National Community Engagement Manager with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland responsible for driving the new community Engagement strategy within Ireland through education and awareness. This involved working with schools, government bodies, non profits and other organisations to deepen our communities understanding of dementia. 

Jamie holds a Business Finance degree from University College Cork and The Irish Management Institute, and is a qualified Tutor.

Maureen Finlay

Regional Advocate

Prior to joining Sage, Maureen was a Development Officer with Age Action in Meath. She was responsible for implementing the National Advocacy Programme (later to become the Third Age National Advocacy Programme). Maureen was responsible for managing and providing supervision and support to advocates placed in nursing homes across Meath and Louth. In addition, she developed the first befriending programme for Meath nursing homes, recruiting and training a new team of befrienders.

Prior to this, Maureen worked for nine years for the Citizen’s Information Service, initially as an Information Officer and later as an Advocacy Resource Officer for the North East.

As a trained advocate, Maureen represented clients at Employment Appeals Tribunals, the Labour Court, HSE/Social Welfare and Equality Appeals and the Family Law Court.

Stephanie Monahan

Regional Advocate

Trish Martyn

Regional Advocate

Prior to joining Sage, Trish worked with a community project in inner city Galway until 2014. Trish was responsible for the provision of support services to all sections of the local population. Trish previously spent 15 years working with the Lifestart Foundation, a parent-directed child-centred learning programme; supporting parents in home, community and centre based settings.

Trish holds a BA in Community and Family Studies.

Regional Advocate (Vacant)

Regional Advocate (Vacant)