Our People

Niall Sexton

Programme Manager

Niall Sexton joined Preparing for Life as Programme Manager in 2018. He has a background in community development and non-profit management in the United States and Ireland. He has previously managed homeless and addiction services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before returning to community work in Ireland. Niall is a qualified Social Worker with an MSW in Social Work and Community Organising from the University of Pittsburgh.

Sarah Clohessy

Marketing & Communications Manager

Sarah is the Marketing & Communications Officer for Preparing for Life in Northside Partnership. She honed her marketing skills while working in advertising media for 20-years. A proud Kerry woman, she holds a B. Commerce from UCC and a Diploma in Public Relations and is a qualified yoga, pregnancy yoga and mother & baby yoga teacher. As a mother of 3 teenagers, Sarah wishes Preparing for Life had been available to her when she had her babies, as she knows how much parents need support. She loves working with Preparing for Life because she feels proud of the programmes we deliver, the people with whom she works, and the families we support.

Susan Wedick

Finance & Administration

Caroline Creagh

Implementation & Fidelity Coordinator

Caroline is our Implementation & Fidelity Co-ordinator and has been with preparing for life since 2018, originally as Home Visitor for 6 years before moving to Implementation team in 2025 and beginning her coordinator role in 2026. Caroline holds a BA in Sociology and a BSc in Psychology with Criminology. Her journey to PFL has been purposefully ‘backwards’, believing at each stage she needed to get in there earlier. From adults, to teens, to primary school age to family work and finally to the bumps, her journey has taken her from London to inner city Dublin, South Dublin and now North Dublin. Caroline is mum to a big eyed, curly haired, little boy who makes her heart smile everyday.

Loves a proper coffee, a tough gym class, walks in the woods and good crime podcast!

Eva Cagney

Home Visiting Coordinator

Eva is the Coordinator of the PFL Home Visiting Programme. A proud Southsider, she has navigated the daily challenges of the M50 traffic to get to work. Since 2016, Eva has loved collaborating with families, colleagues, and various services both locally and beyond. With a background in School Completion Programmes, youth mental health services, and training and policy, she understands that with the right support, children and families can truly thrive. Eva values being part of the community effort that helps raise children and strengthen families.

Linda Fahey

Home Visitor

Jane Taylor

Home Visitor & Circle of Security Parenting Coordinator

Jane is a Home Visitor & also coordinates the Circle of Security Parenting groups. Jane has a background in Early Education and working with women & children who are experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse. Jane is a strong believer in supporting parents so that they can support their children to thrive and is proud of the impact PFL has on parent child relationships. Jane is rarely seen without a coffee in hand, and is a mammy to a little girl who challenges and teaches her every day.

Caroline Doyle

Home Visitor

Shauna Byrne

Early Years Mentor & Home Visitor

Shauna is part of the Early Years Team as an Early Years Mentor and has recently joined the Home Visiting Team as a Home Visitor. Shauna has many years’ experiences working in Early Years services and supporting parents & families in the North Inner City and other communities. Shauna is an advocate for quality provision in Early Learning and Care and Partnership between Educators and Parents. Shauna achieved her BA Honours degree in Early Childhood and Education with the National College of Ireland in June 2023 and believes in obtaining regular training to support her professional development. Shauna has recently been trained as a Home Visitor and as an Early Talk Boost Training Facilitator.

Louise O’Neill

Home Visitor

Louise is a Home Visitor who joined the PFL team in 2025. Louise has over 20 years’ experience, working in Family Support & Community Development. She received supports from the Northside Partnership in the early 90’s and has come full circle working for the organisation with pregnant women and their families, encouraging & supporting them to build brighter futures to THRIVE and not just SURVIVE. Louise is also known as the quote lady and loves to share Donna Ashworth poems with the team.

Shannon Radford

Home Visitor

Shannon is a Home Visitor with the Preparing for Life Home Visiting Programme. She brings over 10 years of experience in the early years sector, supporting families in the Coolock area. Shannon believes that building strong, trusting relationships with families is at the core of effective support. She is passionate about sharing practical strategies around play and highlighting how meaningful and effective it can be for both children and parents. She is committed to empowering parents with the tools and confidence to support their children’s development.

Outside of her work, Shannon enjoys spending quality time with her young son and is rarely found without a coffee in hand and a good book nearby.

Geraldine Junghans

Home Visitor

Linda Pickett

Recruitment Officer for Preparing for Life

Linda serves as the Recruitment Officer for the Preparing for Life programmes and is also the coordinator for the Triple P parenting programme and PEEPs (Parent and Toddler group) Programme. Linda is also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor and Circle of Security Facilitator. You might hear her before you see her, but rest assured, she’s eager to assist in any way possible. With a background in sales and administration, Linda is well-prepared for her role. She finds great joy in her work with PFL, as it allows her to engage with the community she grew up in and meet new people every day.

Jelena Simic

Early Years Coordinator

Katie Cluskey

Senior Speech and Language Therapist

Katie is PFL’s Senior Speech and Language Therapist and qualified from the University of Essex with a MSc in Speech and Language Therapy in 2011 following her B.A.(Hons) in Linguistics and Geography from UCD Dublin. Katie joined the PFL Early Years team in 2020 and works closely with the local community Early Years services to support High Quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Katie has recently returned from maternity leave and understands how over-whelming it can be as a parent supporting your child’s development, especially in the age of social media. As part of Katie’s role, she aims to empower families to feel confident in their own abilities to support their child’s communication development by providing evidence based practical tips and ideas that and can be used during everyday interactions and routines.

Stacy Hevey

Early Years Mentor / Programme Officer

“Stacy a proud mam to two boys and who loves to play! Stacy holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and has extensive experience working with young children and their families in the early years. Stacy is also a qualified LINC Coordinator, specialising in Leadership for Inclusion in the early years. Stacy also has experience in supporting Early Years Services and Early Years Educators in continuing their professional development through professional training, coaching and mentoring. Stacy has a keen interest in the role of early years services supporting young children’s learning and development in the early stages of children’s lives. She also believes in the importance of making early childhood care and education accessible to all young children and their families.”

Linda Pickett

Triple P / PEEPS Coordinator

Linda serves as the Recruitment Officer for the Preparing for Life programmes and is also the coordinator for the Triple P parenting programme and PEEPs (Parent and Toddler group) Programme. Linda is also a Certified Infant Massage Instructor and Circle of security Facilitator. You might hear her before you see her, but rest assured, she’s eager to assist in any way possible. With a background in sales and administration, Linda is well-prepared for her role. She finds great joy in her work with PFL, as it allows her to engage with the community she grew up in and meet new people every day.

Jane Taylor

Circle of Security Coordinator

Jane is a Home Visitor & also coordinates the Circle of Security Parenting groups. Jane has a background in Early Education and working with women & children who are experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse. Jane is a strong believer in supporting parents so that they can support their children to thrive and is proud of the impact PFL has on parent child relationships. Jane is rarely seen without a coffee in hand, and is a mammy to a little girl who challenges and teaches her every day.

Melanie Murphy

Baby Massage / Administrator

Amy Fogarty

Play Therapy & Infant Mental Health Coordinator

Amy is passionate about trauma-informed care and the transformative power of early intervention and relationships in shaping children’s lives. She is a qualified play therapist with a degree in early childhood education and specialized training in parenting models like Circle of Security and Triple P. She also loves to bring Theraplay into her practice with families. For the past ten years at Preparing for Life, Amy has thrived in creating meaningful connections with children through play. Her approach highlights the strengths of parents, recognising them as the true experts on their children. By empowering parents, Amy hopes to enhance their skills in fostering deeply supportive relationships that help children to thrive and overcome challenges that they may be facing. Amy co-coordinates the Dublin North East Infant Mental Health Network, where she enjoys networking with and learning from a diverse group of health, education, and social care professionals.

Moira Ryan

Play Therapist

Moira is a dedicated Play Therapist with the Preparing for Life programme, working both in the Bell Building, Darndale, and in local schools. She holds a Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, a Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy, and an Honours Degree in Psychology. Moira has also completed specialized training in Theraplay, Circle of Security, and Building Babies from Head to Toe. Passionate about supporting children and families, Moira has spent her entire career helping them achieve their full potential. She loves being part of the Preparing for Life team, where everyone is committed to providing the best possible support for every child and family they work with.

Amy Fogarty

Play Therapy & Infant Mental Health Coordinator

Amy is passionate about trauma-informed care and the transformative power of early intervention and relationships in shaping children’s lives. She is a qualified play therapist with a degree in early childhood education and specialized training in parenting models like Circle of Security and Triple P. She also loves to bring Theraplay into her practice with families. For the past ten years at Preparing for Life, Amy has thrived in creating meaningful connections with children through play. Her approach highlights the strengths of parents, recognizing them as the true experts on their children. By empowering parents, Amy hopes to enhance their skills in fostering deeply supportive relationships that help children to thrive and overcome challenges that they may be facing. Amy co-coordinates the Dublin North East Infant Mental Health Network, where she enjoys networking with and learning from a diverse group of health, education, and social care professionals.

Jane Taylor

Home Visitor & Circle of Security Parenting Coordinator

Jane is a Home Visitor & also coordinates the Circle of Security Parenting groups. Jane has a background in Early Education and working with women & children who are experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse. Jane is a strong believer in supporting parents so that they can support their children to thrive and is proud of the impact PFL has on parent child relationships. Jane is rarely seen without a coffee in hand, and is a mammy to a little girl who challenges and teaches her every day.

Louise McCulloch

Research and Evaluation Coordinator

Louise is the Research and Evaluation Coordinator with Preparing For Life. She has been involved in the field of community development in Dublin, Ireland for nearly 25 years. During this time she has primarily focused on the area of addiction recovery and the development of person-centred services and networks of support. However, for the last five years she has working in the field of child and family services. Her work experience ranges across frontline service provision, research, service development and policy. She previously worked on the ROSIE Study a research outcome study in Ireland evaluating drug treatment effectiveness. More recently she was part of an advisory group to the Pompidou Group in the Council of Europe supporting the creation of guidelines for a rights based approach where children are living with parental substance use (considering the rights of the child, mother, father, family). In 2020, she commenced a PhD to “Advance the system with mothers in addiction recovery” in Trinity College Dublin using action research and participatory approaches. In her free time she likes to read, go for walks and listen to music.

Paul Kelly

Research & Evaluation officer / Statistician

Paul administers data using Excel and SPSS. This involves setting up SPSS and Excel files, entering data, managing files and running statistical analysis, and contributing to reports etc. Paul has worked as a statistician in TCD and Maynooth. Major projects included the ROSIE study, Incredible years evaluation and an analysis of the national household drug, alcohol and gambling prevalence study. Paul holds a BSc in Science and a postgraduate higher diploma in statistics.

Daniel Treacy

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