Meet The CIS Team
We have a small Trustee and staff team that are dedicated to ensuring that the society is run well and delivers effective services.
Set up in 1993, the Coventry Irish Society provides a range of services to all generations of the Irish
community in Coventry and the surrounding areas.
We have a long tradition of helping the most vulnerable members of the Irish Community in Coventry,
and our aim is to provide a culturally sensitive service that gets the necessary help, support
and advice to as many Irish people as possible.
Trustee Board & Staff
Trustee Board
The Society has a committed and valued Trustee Board of seven highly experienced individuals.
Rory Ryan, Chair
Rory is a regional manager for a large utility company who was a trustee for three years before becoming Chair in June 2019. He is third Generation Irish and is proud of his roots and equally determined to bring the younger generations into the involvement of the Society.
Jo Addleton, Treasurer
Jo is a retired businesswoman running a successful small business in Coventry for many years. A Trustee since 2012, he is actively involved in the business planning and future development of the Society.
Kate McCarthy, Secretary
Kate is a senior Social Work Manager with Warwickshire Social Services. She was CIS Chair for 8 years until 2015 and hence brings great voluntary sector experience. She is noted for her communication and public speaking skills and is hugely positive about her Irish heritage.
Kay Forrest, Trustee
Kay is a retired nurse who worked for the NHS for 40 years. She was heavily involved in the Coventry Irish Festival until its closure in 2008, and has been the lead organizer of the Coventry St. Patrick's Festival since 2003. She has huge experience as a Society Trustee, and was chair from 2001 before stepping down in 2019.
Majella O'Brien, Trustee
Hayley McCarthy, Trustee
Michael Fitzgerald, Trustee
Michael is third Generation Irish and well known for his work with 'Coventry Comhaltas'. He is also the officer for the Comhaltas Midlands Region and was the main organizer of the recent National Festival held in Coventry for the City of Culture 2021. Michael is determined to bring the Irish community together in Coventry and bring back a thriving Irish Festival in the city.
Staff Team
The Society has a dedicated team of staff without whom our services would not be possible.
Simon McCarthy, CEO
Simon is a welfare graduate with 25-years experience in Social Welfare including Social Services, Education and 15 years with the Coventry Irish Society.
Prior to his management role, he supported 350 Irish Survivors to access compensation from the Irish Redress Board.
Elizabeth Flannelly, Healthcare Worker
Caroline Brogan
Manisha O’Malley, Survivors Co-Ordinator
Help & Support
Find out more about the services that the Society provides, and how you can directly support us in our important and much needed work.
Coventry Irish Society. Charity Registration No. 1150290
A Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered in England and Wales No. 8235510
