Welcome to Cahercalla Community Care.

FORMER Independent TD and retired General Practitioner, Dr Michael Harty has served as chairman of the Board of Cahercalla for the past 5 years. In that time, he has worked with many board members who have given their  time to ensure Cahercalla’s long-term future as an independent voluntary charitable non-for-profit hospital., delivering high quality services to the entire Clare community. Cahercalla has recently expanded its services to provide 35 Rehabilitation beds in addition to long term care services and a dedicated Memory Care Unit. Cahercalla also provides palliative care services in association with Milford Hospice and  respire care in association with Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland.

WILLIAM Cahir is a partner in the local firm of Cahir and Company Solicitors. He is an Ennis native and has been a director of Cahercalla  for the last four years assisting in the corporate and financial aspects of the company. He holds a degree from Trinity College Dublin and is a practising solicitor enrolled with the Law Society of Ireland for over 25 years. He holds diplomas in property taxation, corporate transactions and family law. A former President of the Clare Law Association, he has also served as President of Ennis Cahmber of Commerce. He volunteers in a number of local organisations and is also a director of Clare Youth Services. He is passionate about giving back to the community and providing legal assistance when called upon to do so.

Marie Connolly, a proud Ennis native and graduate of UL, UCD, and the University of Bath, recently retired as Director of Human Rights, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (HREDI) at the University of Limerick. With over three decades of experience leading transformative change across Higher Education and the Semi-State sector, Marie brings exceptional vision and leadership to Cahercalla Community Care. She spearheaded UL’s values-based HREDI strategy, launched by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in December 2023. Marie joined the Cahercalla board in 2023 with a clear commitment to shape Cahercalla as an innovative care centre for the future and a vital resource for generations to come.

GABRIELLA Hanrahan is a graduate of NUI Galway and the University of Limerick. After completing her Master in Social Science Research at UL, she researched disability policies and practices in Ireland, UK and USA while lecturing in sociology and political science. Gabriella established UL’s Community Liaison Office which led her to develop the President’s Volunteer programme at UL and the Higher Education Student Engagement Working Group. Her office launched studentvolunteer.ie, the first national higher education collaborative platform to connect students and community organisations across Ireland and beyond. She has represented UL on statutory and non-statutory boards focusing on community/university civic engagement, strategies and partnerships.

GARECH McGuinness, a native of Ennis and a University of Limerick graduate, is CEO and co-founder of Infinity Lifts – Ireland’s leading independent lift installation and maintenance provider. His career has spanned every facet of the sector, from engineering and operations to innovation and executive leadership roles in Ireland, the UK, and Italy. Grounded in honesty and integrity, Garech is a committed advocate for giving back to the community, having been involved in major fundraising efforts for local and national charities for many years. He brings this same energy, alongside his experience, vision, and strategic insight, to the Cahercalla Community Care Board, where he has served as a member since joining in 2023.

GERRY Collison is an experienced communications strategist, editor, journalist and lecturer.  He was the editor of the Clare Champion for many years and was the founding editor of the Clare People. He has been employed by a number of regional and national publications to develop new digital media platforms and meet the challlenges of online news technology. A former member of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, he served on the Broadcast Complaints Commission and has lectured on Media Studies at Mary Immaculate College and the University of Limerick. An active member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), he was conferred with honorary life membership in recognition of his services to the union.

PAULINE Meskell is the latest recruit to the Board of Cahercalla Community Care which she joined in September 2025. Pauline is a registered general nurse with extensive clinical experience across the NHS and Irish health service, where she worked as a staff nurse, nurse manager, and senior manager before transitioning to higher education. She has accumulated many years of valuable experience in third-level nursing education. Pauline is Professor of Nursing Research in the University of Limerick and is a member of Evidence Synthesis Ireland’s teaching faculty, where she co-leads its Qualitative Evidence Synthesis division. She also has a long-standing interest in applied health research in ageing.