Board of Directors of COPD Support Ireland
Stanley Miller – Chairperson of COPD Support Ireland
Orla Barry-Murphy, Secretary
Orla Barry-Murphy joined the Board of COPD Support Ireland as Company Secretary in November 2024. She is an experienced senior manager with extensive experience in government administration and corporate governance, particularly in relation to the not for profit and charities sector.
Dr Sarah O’Beirne
Dr Sarah O’Beirne, is a Consultant Respiratory Physician, at St Vincent’s University Hospital, and St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoighaire. She runs pulmonary rehabilitation clinics for patients with severe lung disease. In addition, she now provides rehabilitation classes for patients suffering from post-Covid respiratory symptoms, an emerging and new area in medicine. Sarah also has a keen interest in the future of virtual health.
Jason Costello, Treasurer
Jason Costello joined the Board of COPD Support Ireland as Treasurer in January 2025. He is an experienced and fully qualified chartered management accountant and internal auditor with over 23 years of professional experience. Demonstrated expertise in people management, risk assessment, financial control, and internal controls across various international locations, including Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Papua New Guinea. He has a background in the Medical Device Industry and is a committed advocate for public health and community service.
Breda Forkin, Director
Breda joined the Board in November 2024 and brings nearly two decades of governance expertise in Financial Services. She has served as the Group Company Secretary for Mercer Ireland and has recently shifted her focus towards administration. An affiliate member of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, she holds a Diploma in Corporate Law and Governance from the Law Society of Ireland and a certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship, and Governance from the same institution. Outside of her professional life, Breda enjoys quality time with family and friends, traveling, and passionately supports Dublin football.
Dr. Alessandro Franciosi
Dr Alessandro Franciosi joined the Board of COPD Support Ireland in November 2024. He is a Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Lead for Respiratory Integrated Care at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, and a Clinical Associate Professor at University College Dublin (UCD) School of Medicine. He has a specialist interest in the management of complex respiratory conditions, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and non-CF Bronchiectasis, as well as Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.
Dr Franciosi graduated from the UCD School of Medicine in 2009 and went on to earn a PhD from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in 2020, where his research focused on respiratory medicine and genetic lung diseases. He has published extensively in high-impact journals and is a frequent contributor to national and international respiratory conferences. In addition to his clinical and research roles, Dr Franciosi is involved in medical education and supervises postgraduate research students at UCD, reflecting his commitment to training the next generation of clinicians and researchers.
Dr Franciosi is known for his patient-centered approach, combining clinical excellence with compassionate care. He is fluent in both English and Italian and is dedicated to advancing respiratory health through innovation, education, and integrated care
Ciara Hanrahan
Ciara Hanrahan is a chartered physiotherapist and lecturer in respiratory physiotherapy on the MSc Physiotherapy programme in University College Cork. Ciara has worked with people living with chronic respiratory disease for twenty years, most recently providing a COPD outreach service from the Mercy University Hospital, Cork. She is currently pursuing her PhD in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, physical activity and behaviour change. Ciara helped to develop the first COPD support group for people on the northside of Cork city and has been a member of the board of COPD Support Ireland since 2019.
Marion Hurley
Marion Hurley is a new board member. Marion is an Occupation Pre -School Teacher. She graduated in 2014 from Cork College of Commerce .She also has an Advanced Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education. Marion has been running the Cork North COPD Support Group since 2019 and joined the board of COPD Support Ireland in 2021.
Catherine Craig
Catherine Craig has been the Secretary of COPD Ballyfermot Support Group for the last year. She was diagnosed with COPD 2010. Her hobbies are upcycling furniture, knitting, and walking. Catherine’s goal is to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Catherine joined the board of COPD Support Ireland in 2021.
Michael Coakley
Michael was diagnosed with COPD in 2015. He is a member of the Ballyfermot support group as well as the Tallaght support group. Michael is the Treasurer in the Tallaght support group. He was co-opted to the board in 2022 and is a member of the board committee dealing with Governance and Compliance.
Michael was a volunteer director for thirty years in his local credit union. He held all the senior positions on the board and was active on the Governance and Compliance Committee. He retired from Irish Rail in 2015 after forty-eight years and enjoys attending concerts at home and abroad as well as running the occasional pub gig in Dublin.
Staff
Joan Johnston – Manager COPD Support Ireland
Prior to joining COPDSI as National Co-ordinator in April 2020 and now as General Manager, Joan was the Senior Physiotherapist in COPD Outreach in St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire.
Joan has worked as a physiotherapist across a variety of acute hospital settings and has been a Parent Ambassador for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. She is currently acting as a patient representative on the HIQA led Children’s Reference Group (CRG) for Overarching National Standards for the Care and Support of Children using Health and Social Care Services. Joan sits as the COPD Support Ireland patient representative on the National Clinical Programme, Respiratory working group and has also just joined the Board of IPPOSI the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry.
Katie McIntyre – Singstrong Administrator
Katie McIntyre is the SingStrong administrator. Katie has extensive administrative experience from her time working with Michael Page Recruitment and Halifax Bank of Scotland in Jersey. Katie will work to support the SingStrong project.
Karen Halligan – Office Manager
Karen Halligan is the Office Manager for COPD Support Ireland. Karen is a Business and Marketing graduate and has over 20 years’ experience working in private industry and in the charities sector.