Ed Drew, Chairperson

My current role is Development Manager within North Dublin Citizens Information. Prior to this I spent ten years working in the disability sector in education, respite and residential care roles and in later years as a Social Care Manager. Throughout my career I have been a strong advocate for children, people with additional needs and more recently for those who are having trouble accessing their rights and entitlements.

I hold a BA Degree in Social Studies through Blanchardstown I.T and a Post Graduate Diploma in Employment Law through the Law Society of Ireland.

I live in Sallins and have three young daughters who are availing of, or will avail of childcare locally. This and the promotion of inclusion in education for all children is what made me apply for the board position.

Edel Smyth, Company Secretary

Living in Kildare and a mum of three, Edel has a particular interest in the quality of childcare in the area. Edel joined the Board in 2018.

She has worked in the public sector for over 20 years, in various roles which have included education, information management, communications, quality, governance, compliance, risk management and continuous improvement.

Edel holds an MBs in Business Practice and an MSc in Food Science as well as a H Dip. in Education and a PG Dip. in Public Relations.

Yvonne Darragh

Yvonne Darragh was the owner of Playworld Day Nursery in the centre of Clane village. She ran her service for over twenty-six years. The service grew and at one point had three outlets in the village.

Yvonne trained in Child Development, Early Childhood Curriculum, Special Needs Assisting and Child Psychology. She incorporated all the government schemes for children including NCS, ECCE, CCSP, CCSR-T, TEC, AIM and Better Start in the daily running of her service. She has worked in the community and voluntary sector which has included volunteering for the Simon Community in Dublin.

Yvonne served on the board of management for the Clane Village Centre for a number of years. She held the positions of Secretary and Treasurer on several occasions. Yvonne lives in Clane and has one son. She is honoured to join the Board as Director of Childcare Services.

Raymond Fullam

Raymond Fullam lives in Naas with his wife and son. He has a background in Finance and Operations and is a Chartered Accountant.

His hobbies include Rugby, Golf, Travelling and Volunteering.

Being involved in the community and volunteering is an interest of his and being involved with KCCC allows him to give time to a worthwhile cause.

Nicola McDonnell

A HR professional with over 20 years experience working in Human Resource Management. Nicola currently works for eir as their Head of Talent and Organisation Development. Nicola holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from DCU and a Masters in Business from the University of Limerick. Based in Dublin with her husband and three girls, Nicola is an advocate for inclusion. Nicola is proud to support the work of KCCC.

Edelle McMonagle

Edelle McMonagle is an experienced marketing professional, currently employed as Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications with Goodbody, a leading wealth management and investment firm. Prior to this role, Edelle was employed as Head of Content, Communications and Sustainability at KBC Bank Ireland from June 2013 to December 2023. Edelle holds a BCOMM and Master of Business Studies – Marketing from the University of Galway and a Post Graduate Diploma in Advertising and Digital Communications from TU Dublin.

Robert Power

I’m currently working as a Finance Officer with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. My previous roles include working as Head of Finance in the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission and Audit Manager in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Prior to that, I worked in private practice and in the UK for a number of years.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from the University of Limerick, where I majored in Accounting and Finance. I qualified as an accountant in 2016 and hold FCCA membership.

Since 2023, my wife and I have lived in Naas and we have two young children, one of whom is currently in childcare and the other will be going into childcare from August 2026. I see the great work being done by my local childcare facility and hope to help in any way I can to see that continue.

Sandra Nicholson

Sandra is an experienced HR leader who has worked across both the public and private sectors, supporting organisations with recruitment, performance management, pay and reward, and learning and development. Based in Kildare, she is the founder of Copperfast HRM and provides independent HR and organisational development consultancy.

Sandra holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from DCU and a BA in Industrial Relations, and she also offers coaching and mentoring to managers. She is passionate about community involvement and is proud to support local initiatives such as KCCC.

David O’Riordan

David O’Riordan currently works as a Director in Finance Transformation with Deloitte. Prior to this, David spent a number of years in London working in banking for Lloyds Banking Group, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and RBS.

David is a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant and holds a BA degree and a Master of Business Studies from University College Cork.

David lives in Maynooth with his wife and two children, and being involved with KCCC gives him a great opportunity to give back to the community and to Kildare Childcare.

Julie McNamara, CEO

Julie McNamara is the CEO of Kildare County Childcare Committee where she has worked since 2004. Julie is a UCC graduate, of the first BA in Early Childhood Studies Degree in Ireland, where she obtained a First Class Honours Degree in 2000. Julie also holds a M.Soc.Sc in Youth and Community work and a Diploma in Community Leadership.

Julie has worked in the Community and Voluntary sector since the age of 17 which has included: volunteering for Oxfam in India, Simon Community in Galway, and as a Childcare worker for the Traveller community in Cork. Julie has worked in the area of disability and coordinated a Project for young men at risk in Mallow, Co. Cork prior to returning to Kildare to take up her position with KCCC.

Julie is passionate about working for young children and families and values the rights of the child. Julie works from the principles of community development and believes everyone has the right to be heard, included and empowered. Julie believes Early Childhood lays the foundations for the rest of the life cycle and is committed to working towards ensuring young children in Kildare receive the best outcomes possible.

Julie is Mother to Aisha, enjoys her job, running, yoga, cooking, gardening, travelling, and music.

Contact Julie on - julie@kccc.ie

Emily Moore, Development Officer

Emily has worked in KCCC since 2006 and has seen a lot of changes in the sector in that time, her role here in KCCC is Development Officer working with all the childcare services in Kildare to offer support and information to administer the National Childcare Funding programmes on behalf of the DCEDIY and Pobal.

A significant element of the role involves the contracting, compliance, Fee policies, PIP/Hive registrations and further support regarding registered Early Years Services to comply with the 2016 Regulations.

Emily also offers advice to parents and the general public on a variety of issues relating to the Early Learning and Care sector. Emily's background over many years has been with Community organisations, Communications and Customer Service.

Contact Emily on - emily@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 06 824 8487

Barbara Alessandrini, Development Officer

Barbara joined the KCCC team in October 2023 as Childminding Development Officer and moved to the Development Officers team in May 2025.

She has a B.Ed. in English, a Higher Diploma in Montessori (SNMI), a Masters of Philosophy in Comparative Literature (TDC) and a Masters in Education Studies (ECEC). Barbara is passionate about high quality, inclusive practice in ECEC and has completed further training in Autism Studies (UCC) and Leadership for Inclusion (LINC), the latter earned her the Best Overall Portfolio Award from Early Childhood Ireland.

Barbara's experience in development is built upon ESOL teaching at primary, post-primary and further education levels along with 15 years' experience as an educator and pedagogical leader in the ECEC sector. She brings additional skills in marketing, digital media and content development.

Barbara is interested in policy, inclusion and curriculum development to support high quality, inclusive childcare and education practices across a variety of settings.

Contact Barbara on barbara@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 086 824 8373

Amy Dempsey, Development Officer

Amy joined the KCCC team in January 2020 as Development Officer. Amy has a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies and an MA in Child, Family and Community Studies. She also holds a QQI Level 6 Training Delivery and Evaluation.

Amy has been working in the childcare sector for 12 years, with experience working as a practitioner and also in management positions. She also worked abroad for 4 years in the U.A.E and China as a kindergarten teacher.

In her spare time, Amy enjoys travel, cooking and reading.

Contact Amy on - amy@kccc.ie

Kateryna Zinovyeva (Ukraine), Early Years Play and Information Officer, Early Years Initiative Team

Kateryna joined the Kildare County Childcare Committee (KCCC) as an Information Officer in July 2023. Originally from Ukraine, she brings a strong personal and professional understanding of the importance of quality childhood experiences, with a special interest in ensuring high standards in childcare.

A mother of five, Kateryna is passionate about supporting families and young children. In her role, she provides tailored information and guidance on childcare services to Ukrainian families in the county, offering support in their native language. She also helps to create meaningful play opportunities for children living in Emergency Accommodation Centres.

Kateryna holds qualifications in both Childcare and Business, and brings over seven years of experience as an interpreter and translator.

Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, walking, and traveling.

Contact Kateryna: kateryna@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 087 4784396

Elaine Bowden, Development Officer

Elaine joined the team in October 2023. Elaine holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Early Years Education and Care and has 20 years' experience in the early years sector, working as an Educator, Supervisor, Manager, and currently as a Development Officer. Over her extensive career, Elaine has witnessed significant developments in the sector, including the implementation of the ECCE programme, the introduction of Aistear, Síolta, and AIM, as well as the rollout of Core Funding.

Elaine has a wealth of knowledge in high-quality, inclusive early years practice, and her hands-on experience enables her to offer valuable insights and guidance to service providers, staff, and parents. As a Development Officer, Elaine supports services with quality development, working alongside them to enhance their environments and create inclusive spaces that meet the needs of all children. She also supports services in developing and implementing an emergent, inquiry-based curriculum that balances child-led and adult-initiated play. In this work, she ensures that the reflective cycle is embedded throughout, supporting ongoing quality development and inclusive practice within the sector. Elaine can call to your service and provide tailored quality development supports. She will work in close partnership with you and your team, offering practical, evidence-informed strategies that strengthen your service's inclusive practice and curriculum development.

Whether it's reimagining your learning environments, fine-tuning policies, or supporting reflective practice, Elaine brings her experience and insights directly to your doorstep, helping you to create and sustain high-quality, inclusive learning spaces for all children.

Contact Elaine on elaine.bowden@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 086 824 8543

Debbie Mullen, Project Manager, Early Years Initiative Team

Debbie Mullen has been leading the Early Years Initiative team at Kildare County Childcare Committee since April 2025. She brings over 30 years of experience in early childhood pedagogy, community development, project management, and as an early childhood lecturer. Her background is further strengthened by her 23 years as an early childhood specialist and her experience as an owner and manager of an early years' service.

Debbie is passionate about creating play-rich environments that nurture children's curiosity. Her focus is on providing endless opportunities for exploration, with children's voices and families' perspectives at the centre of her work.

Her academic background includes a Master's degree in Integrated Provision for Children and Families along with multiple degrees in leadership, nursery management and early years pedagogy. Debbie's professional development includes trauma-informed practices, infant mental health, and Universal Design for Learning equipping her with a comprehensive skill set to develop and implement innovative, inclusive programmes.

Debbie supports her team in designing play experiences inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach that nurture self-expression, creativity, and problem-solving, actively involving children and families in the process. As a passionate advocate for children's rights and inclusive practice, she strives to create nurturing environments where every child's voice is valued, and play is endless.

Contact details: debbie@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 086 8248756

Lorraine Jennings, Clerical Officer

Lorraine joined our KCCC team in August 2025. Lorraine brings over 25 years of experience from working in the Childcare and Education Sector, as both an educator and Assistant Manager of Full Day Care Private Services.

Lorraine holds a CACHE Diploma in Nursery Nursing and is committed to lifelong learning, regularly updating her skills with CPD courses in the sector, including Equality Diversity and Inclusion and Leadership for Inclusion LINC courses.

Outside of work, Lorraine enjoys gardening, cooking, and walking.

You can reach Lorraine at lorraine@kccc.ie or by phone at 045 861307.

Elaine Graydon - Childminding Development Officer

Elaine began working with our team in KCCC in August 2025. Elaine obtained a First Class Honours in BA Early Childhood Teaching and Learning Degree in Maynooth University and as a lifelong learner has received other qualifications including The Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years Programme (LINC), QQI level 6 in Childcare and an NNEB Diploma in Nursery Nursing.

Elaine has worked in early years for nearly 30 years. Her roles include as a childminder while her own 2 children were young and as an educator and manager in both private and community services.

Elaine has worked in early years since before the sector was regulated and has seen lots of changes. She values inclusion and the availability of different types of childcare to suit parents and their growing family needs. Elaine believes that play is a fundamental right for all children and a means for children to express themselves. Additionally, she loves the outdoors and nature and how it provides children with endless possibilities!

In her spare time Elaine enjoys walking, reading, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.

You can contact Elaine at: elaine.graydon@kccc.ie or Phone: 045 861307 - Mob: 087 1677496.