About Us

Founded in 1991, South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC) is a community-owned and volunteer-led Local Development Company (LDC), which was established to implement the pilot LEADER European Rural Development Programme in south west Mayo. 

SWMDC has been a cornerstone of the local, rural, community development and social inclusion sectors in Mayo for three decades. We now employ 52 people, with an additional 450 people employed through social employment schemes. 

Our geographical remit for some programmes now covers all of County Mayo and stretches into Roscommon and Galway. While our initial focus was on rural and community development, social inclusion and employment/activation are now significant areas of work in the company. 

Through the work of SWMDC, communities, enterprises and people across Mayo and the wider western region have benefitted from training, capacity building, animation, investment and the development of projects. All our work is based on the fundamental principle that our interactions with people and communities should be empoweringenriching and energising. 

SWMDC – Growth and Change since 1991

1991
Company founded
1992
LEADER I
1995
LEADER II
1996
Local Development Programmes
1998
Abbey Women’s Group
2000
Little Stars Traveller Childcare Project
2000
National Rural Development Programme LEADER +
2004
Rural Social Scheme (RSS)
2005
Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP)
2009
Rural Development Programme (LEADER)
2009
Rural Recreation and Walks Scheme
2009
Local Training Initiative
2009
Community Employment
2010
Local and Community Development Programme
2011
Tús Community Work Placement Initiative
2011
Western Region Drugs and Alcohol Task Force project (WRDATF)
2011
Community Futures
2012
Addition of Gaeltacht areas to SWMDC LEADER remit
2015
SICAP (Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme)
2016
Rural Development Programme (LEADER) 2014 - 2020
2016
Mayo Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme
2016
Social Farming (1)
2016
Community Food Initiative
2016
Integration Mayo Intercultural Action
2017
Greenway Maintenance (Mayo County Council)
2017
AMIF 1 (Asylum, Migration, Integration Fund) Diversity Mayo
2018
SICAP 2 (Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme)
2019
AMIF 2 Welcoming and Integrating New Communities (WIN)
2020
Social Farming (2)
2021
Transitional LEADER Programme & European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI)

Our Board

Management Team

Seán Carolan

Rural Development (LEADER) Manager

Kevin Cunniffe

RRS & Tús Initiative Coordinator

Lisa Halpin

Human Resources Manager

Catherine McCloskey

Social Inclusion Manager (Coordinator)

Mary O'Malley

Financial Controller

Community Employment team

Norah Campbell

CE West Assistant Supervisor

Ann Connor

CE West Supervisor

Declan Walsh

CE South Supervisor

Community FUTURES team

Marie Reilly Davey

Community Futures Support Worker

Geraldine Leneghan

Community Development

Finance and Administration team

Sinéad Gavin

Finance & Office Administrator

Linda Groarke

Office Administrator - RSS & Tús

Leanne Loftus

Office Administrator (Newport)

Peg McGrail

Finance Administrator

Fiona McGreal

Finance Administrator

Roma Malinovskaja

Finance Administrator

Ann Moogan

Finance & Office Administrator

Majella Mulchrone

Finance Administrator

Sinéad O'Malley

LEADER Compliance and Support Officer

HSE-Social inclusion programme team

Niail Cherbatji

Health Liaison Worker, EROC Ballaghadereen

Harold Slok

Social Care Leader – Social Inclusion, EROC Ballaghadereen

HSE - ROma/Migrants

Paula Lenehan

Roma & Migrant Community Liaison Worker

HSE - Social Prescribing (Primary Care Centre Castlebar)

Michelle Prendergast

Social Prescribing Link Worker

LEADER Programme team

Norita Clesham

LEADER Community Project Officer

Sue O'Toole

LEADER Senior Enterprise Project Officer

Living well Programme team

Fiona Cunnane

Living Well Coordinator

Liam Gildea

Living Well Administrator

Welcoming & Including New Communities (WIN) team

Natalya Pestova

Direct Provision Support Officer & WIN Project Officer

Patricia Quinn

WIN Outreach & Training Officer

Office Maintenance team

Ann Marie McManamon

Newport Office Maintenance

Rural Social Scheme team

Padraic Corcoran

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Martina Fadden

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Frank McNeela

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Gabrielle Clesham

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Chris Mannion

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Noel Mulroy

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Maura Murphy

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Mark Reed

Rural Social Scheme Supervisor

Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) team

Anne-Marie Carroll

Employment & Training Officer

Caroline Healy

Community Development, Education & Training Officer

Mikhail Kolchanov

Ukrainian Refugee Intercultural Support Worker

Olivia Kitterick

Enterprise & Social Enterprise Officer

Breda Murray

Self-Employment Specialist

Helen Mykhailyk

Ukrainian Refugee Intercultural Support Worker

Galyna Marusych

Ukrainian Refugee Intercultural Support Worker

Oleksandra Sikach

Ukrainian Refugee Intercultural Support Worker

Tracie O’Leary

Lifelong Learning Officer

Olena Palamarchuk

Outreach Peer Support Worker

Social Farming team

Deirdre Fahey

Regional Development Officer

Tús Initiative Team

Linda Beirne

Tús Supervisor

Mairead Dooley

Tús Supervisor

Brian Finn

Tús Supervisor

Trevor Grimes

Tús Supervisor

Tony Hynes

Tús Supervisor

Walks Scheme & Rural Recreation team

Martin Dillane

Rural Recreation Officer & Walks Scheme

Western Region Drug & Alcohol Task Force (wrdatf) team

Gillian Conway

Drug Education Support Worker

Mags Dillon

Community Liaison Worker

Our Team

 Registered in Dublin 182222. Recognised by the Revenue Commissioners as a Charity No. CHY 10482 Copyright © 2021 South West Mayo Development. All Rights Reserved.