Heart Children Ireland Board
Mike Foley Treasurer 
Mike is an Accountant and lives in Limerick with his wife Marie-Therese and son Stephen (TGA) and daughters Roisin and Aoife. Mike has been involved with Heart Children Ireland for over 20 years, many of them on Committee and later the Board of Directors. He has served as Chairman and Treasurer previously and is currently Treasurer. He has represented HCI on the New Crumlin Hospital Group which formed in 2002 to lobby for a New Children’s Hospital such were the poor conditions in the Children’s’ Hospitals at that time. He continues as Treasurer of that group who continue to monitor the New Children’s Hospital progress until completion. Mike has many years’ experience in the voluntary sector and has served over 30 years in the Naval Service Reserve having retired as Officer Commanding the Limerick Unit of the NSR. He is currently Treasurer of his beloved Young Munster RFC and is a Trustee of Summerville Rovers AFC his local soccer club. Mike is passionate that on completion of the New Children’s’ Hospital that the campaign for better services and facilities for adult congenital patients will be the new frontier.
Eileen Carruthers Chairperson
Eamonn McQuaid Secretary 
Eamonn has held several positions as a board member of HCI for the past 15 years, while his family have been members of HCI for 19 years. While originally from Tipperary, Eamonn has now been happily exiled in Dublin for many years. Working in the Information Technology sector, Eamonn’s interests outside of family and work, cover sports (Munster rugby and Tipperary hurling), Travel and hill walking.
Lesley Osborne 
Lesley has worked in Accountancy Practices for 21 years. She joined Heart Children Ireland in 2003 as a member and became a Director in 2013 and Chairperson in 2016. She is a grown up “Congenital Heart” and is involved in many activities to help families along their CHD journey.
Bernard Raftery 
Bernard is the father of a Heart Child (now 24 years of age), and has been involved with HCI for many years as a long-serving director of the Board, ex-Chairman, and as an appreciative parent. He has held a number of senior positions in financial services, and currently works with Bank of Ireland in their lending growth division. Bernard also developed a number of start-up enterprises, including the launch of an Irish Pub Group in Canada. He has a keen interest in all sports, and manages the Under 20’s team at Old Wesley Rugby Club in Donnybrook. Bernard has been very active in the club’s various committees, as well as coaching under-age rugby and GAA (with Kilmacud Crokes) for many years. As a parent, Bernard always kept an eye out for those kids with greater physical challenges. As Chairman of the Stillorgan Residents Alliance, Bernard led a group of 30 resident’s associations and community groups working for the sustainable development of this vibrant Dublin suburb. With a strong mix of business, sports administration, and voluntary organisation skills, Bernard enjoys a deep understanding of the many challenges HCI have overcome during the last two decades.
Michael Teehan 
‘Born with a Congenital Heart Defect back in 1985 I have been involved with and associated with Heart Children since it’s inception. My mum was a former chairperson and Heart Children Ireland has been a lifeline for mine and my family’s life for as long as I can remember. In 2019 I was invited to be a member on the board. This is my proudest achievement yet. Having been through many surgeries I feel I can offer something as a former Heart Child and now an adult living with CHD. I have volunteered and worked with charities in many sectors since my early teens and have an insatiable thirst to make even the smallest of differences”
John McGuckian 
John joined the Board of Heart Children Ireland in August 2020. He has a keen interest in children’s cardiac care, having lost his younger sister, Clare, to congenital heart disease in 2004. He is a chartered accountant and has spent over twelve years working for KPMG in London and Dublin, specialising in delivering audit and accounting advisory services to entities in the financial services sector.
Laura Heffernan 
I am the mother of a 12year old CHD Heart Warrior. I have extensive experience in the big Pharmaceutical industry, mainly in the areas of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Training and Management. I love to volunteer and be creative whenever I can. My volunteering experience spans over 30 years for various associations/organisations: Comhaltas Ceolteoirí Éireann, GAA, youth and Church music groups, school parents’ committees and Heart Children Ireland. My interests are music, art, wild swimming and hiking in the Wicklow mountains with Trooper the family dog in my free time. I am passionate about this amazing small charity Heart Children Ireland.❤