Our Team

Patron

Catherine Connolly

PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

We are honoured and proud to have the President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, as our sole Patron as from 11 May 2026. Previous Presidents of Ireland, including Michael D. Higgins, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, also served as Patrons of Safe Home Ireland.

Catherine Connolly was inaugurated as the tenth President of Ireland on 11 November 2025. A respected political voice and long-standing public representative, she has been widely recognised for her commitment to human rights, equality, social justice, inclusive citizenship, and community development throughout her public life. Prior to becoming President, Catherine Connolly served in a number of public roles, including as Deputy Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann and as an Independent TD for Galway West.

It is an honour for Safe Home Ireland, and for all those we support, to have the President of Ireland as our Patron. Like so many people across Ireland, President Connolly understands the deep impact emigration has had on Irish families and communities and has shown a strong interest in, and empathy for, the Irish emigrant community worldwide.

We look forward to her patronage over the next seven years and to her keeping the Tilley lamp shining from an upstairs window at Áras an Uachtaráin. The light has long served as a beacon for Irish emigrants and their descendants around the world, symbolising a welcome home to their homeland. First placed there by President Mary Robinson in 1990, and continued by Presidents Mary McAleese and Michael D. Higgins, the light builds on an old Irish tradition of placing a candle in the window to guide strangers safely through the night.

Ambassador

Seán Keane

Seán Keane became our first Ambassador in May 2021. Seán is a household name to many, coming from a family with a long and rich tradition of music, song and dance in Co. Galway. Seán continues to advance the profile of Safe Home at home and abroad and has led many fundraising concerts and events for the charity.

“I was delighted to be asked to be an Ambassador for Safe Home Ireland. The work of Safe Home highlights a cause that is very dear to my heart, having been an emigrant myself, I got a first-hand insight into the myriad of mixed emotions of the Irish emigrant experience. From the good times of dance halls and friendships, to the loneliness and isolation faced by some who were forced to leave their home and loved ones behind.

It is a great pleasure for me to be able to work with Safe Home Ireland in recognising all Irish emigrants who left Ireland in the hope of finding a better life for themselves and their families. Most importantly, I am committed to helping, where I can, those who now wish to return home again”.

Seán Keane

Life President

Dr. Jerry Cowley

Dr. Jerry Cowley is the founder and former Chairperson of Safe Home Ireland.

In early 2000, together with other volunteers, Dr. Cowley had the vision to establish Ireland’s first national repatriation service, designed to support eligible older Irish emigrants in fulfilling their dream of returning to their native communities. Dr. Cowley’s own commitment to this cause was rooted in his deep understanding of the emotional and cultural ties that connect Irish people abroad to home. 

What began as a small pilot project grew into a globally recognised service, one that has enabled thousands of Irish emigrants to return home with dignity, care, and support.

On 7th April 2021, Dr. Cowley was appointed Life President of Safe Home Ireland and continues to inspire the organisation’s mission and values. His legacy lives on in the many lives touched by Safe Home Ireland, and in the simple, powerful idea ... that everyone deserves the chance to come home.

Friends of Safe Home Ireland

Friends of Safe Home Ireland (Friends) was established in January 2022 to support and strengthen the work of Safe Home Ireland by raising its profile both in Ireland and among Irish communities abroad. Through diverse networks and outreach events, Friends helps ensure that those who may need our services know who we are, what we do, and how to reach us.

In addition to raising awareness, Friends identifies and organises charity fundraising events and activities. The group also cultivates relationships with corporate partners and individual donors who wish to support our mission. Through these efforts, Friends plays an important role in helping Safe Home Ireland continue offering our vital services and supports to people returning or moving to Ireland, particularly those who are most in need.

Current Members

• Ciarán Cannon
  
• Teresa Cowley
  
• Stephen Graham
  
• Ann Lawler
  
• Diarmuid McAuliffe
  
• Paul Reardon 

If you would like more information, please get in touch

Photo  - some 'Friends' members at launch in Dublin in 2023:, Left to right; Loretta Gordon, Johnny B. Broderick, Ann Lawler, Pauline Gallagher, Diarmuid McAuliffe, Karen McHugh, Stephen Graham