Friends of the Earth Staff Team

Oisín Coghlan has been the chief executive of Friends of the Earth since 2005.

Oisín co-founded the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition in 2007 and the Environmental Pillar of social partnership in 2009, and led the 14-year campaign for a climate law which culminated in the passing of the Climate Action Act 2021. He leads Friends of the Earth's work to ensure that legal framework is translated into the transformative action required to eliminate Ireland's polluting emissions.

Oisín sits on the Board of the Irish Environmental Network, and the steering committees of Stop Climate Chaos, the Environmental Pillar and Coalition 2030, the Irish civil society coalition championing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Before joining Friends of the Earth, Oisín worked for 10 years in the areas of overseas aid and human rights. He was the founding coordinator of the Latin America Solidary Centre in 1996, moved to Belize as a community organizer among immigrant banana workers and went on to become the Fresh Fruit Manager for Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International in Bonn. Oisín returned to Ireland in 2002 to become head of policy for Christian Aid, working on trade justice, aid policy and Israel/Palestine.

Oisín's primary degree was Sociology and Political Science in Trinity College Dublin and he has a Masters in International Relations from Dublin City University.

Tweets from @OisinCoghlan

My role in Friends of the Earth is focused on ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of our operations. I support our 5 Circles with anything from project management, planning and grant oversight, to HR and wellbeing matters. I also work closely with our Board.  I feel privileged to work with such talented colleagues and dedicated supporters on the most important issue of our time.
Before joining friends of the Earth in October 2022 I worked in a variety of not-for-profit roles for over 15 years including Operations, Fundraising, Volunteer Management, Grant & Project Management, etc (Oxfam, Youth Work Ireland, Irish Girl Guides) and for 10 years before that I worked in the software industry as a consultant and project manager. I also had a parallel career as a Yoga Instructor for many years.  

My mission at Friends of the Earth is to support best practice in governance and management. Aside from managing admin and finance with transparency and accuracy to remain compliant at all times, I look for, and create, ways to make the team's work easier so that they can focus on what they do best.

That's what I'm passionate about: helping others do what they do best, and their hardwork and success are what inspires me. What better place to witness the passion, the struggle, the hope, the persistence and the achievement than being at the core of the action?

Jerry Mac Evilly leads Friends of the Earth’s policy circle which is responsible for delivering research, advocacy and stakeholder engagement in support of the organisation’s campaigns. Jerry is responsible for driving policy change by informing policy-makers and building alliances, with a particular focus on energy efficiency, fossil fuel phase-out and climate governance. He is a member of Ireland’s National Economic and Social Council, EirGrid’s National Advisory Committee, as well as the Monitoring Committee for Ireland's EU Just Transition Fund Programme.

Jerry has over 15 years' of experience in developing, researching and influencing policy in the government and Not For Profit sectors. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, he held policy positions in the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Oireachtas, the CRU, as well as Trócaire and Self Help Africa. He also ran his own consultancy specialising in policy research and communication strategies and supported a variety of NGOs including Concern Worldwide and the Mary Robinson Foundation. Jerry has a BA and Masters degree in history, with qualifications in leadership & management, EU studies, and human rights law.

My role at Friends of the Earth is to engage our supporters in the work that we do and to find ways to give back to those who keep us going.

I’m passionate about community, and that’s what I get when I come to work at work at Friends of the Earth. I want our wider network of supporters to know that they are important members of our community too. A strong community is essential for building and driving a strong and lasting movement for change.

Emma Jayne Geraghty is a trainer, facilitator and a youth and community development worker with strong climate justice & feminist analysis. She is passionate about creating the necessary conditions that center and support young people and communities that have been marginalised by systemic injustices and or are facing the frontlines of climate change impacts to play a central role in the just transition. She has led and implemented innovative projects for climate justice, youth education and empowerment, human rights and Traveller rights in Ireland, at an EU level and internationally.

I lead Friends of the Earth’s Communications circle. I’m responsible for our communication with the public, our supporters and the media. I work closely with our Policy Change, Movement Building and Supporter Care & Fundraising circles - making sure that our campaigning, advocacy, movement building, supporter care and fundraising activities have the communications support they need to achieve their goals.

Before joining Friends of the Earth Ireland I worked for one of our sister organisations - Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland - as a fuel divestment campaigner and community organiser. Also in the UK, I worked for the global health charity Medact, leading its Fossil Free Health and climate campaigns.

I first got involved in activism as a student, catching the campaigning bug thanks to the fossil fuel divestment movement. I was very active with People and Planet as a postgrad and spent some time as a People and Planet Regional Organiser where I enjoyed facilitating student workshops and actions in both Ireland and the UK. I was also involved in setting up the All Ireland Student Activist Network.

My primary degree is in biochemistry and I have a PhD in cancer research. Outside of work and activism I love hiking, cycling and spending time outdoors.

My role at Friends of the Earth is to keep the administrative wheels turning smoothly between the different management circles and campaigns. I keep the tech on spec, the policies polished, and the governance good. 
I am also the person you will meet when you reach out to our CEO, as I assist him with his workload in keeping the whole ship on course. My duties are varied and interesting, and I so much enjoy playing my part in fair and just climate action. 

My role at Friends of the Earth is to implement best practice in governance and look after the day-to-day finance of the organisation.

In my voluntary work, I started as a social justice and environmental activist over 30 years ago, and was involved as a volunteer with Friends of the Earth in the early 2000’s.

Ruth Jedidja Stael is the Supporter Care and Fundraising Officer for Friends of the Earth and is here to ensure our supporters feel they are members of the community. She is passionate about engaging and sustaining the relationship between FoE and their (future) supporters as a strong community and cooperation is essential for creating positive change.

Ruth Jedidja holds an MPhil in Sociology “Race, Ethnicity and Conflict” and has a professional background in Customer Relationship building, Inside Sales and Management. Prior to joining FoE, she was involved in a number of volunteer organisations focused on social justice and climate action, including Dublin University Gender Equality Society and Dublin Friends of the Earth.

Clare O'Connor is Friends of the Earth's Energy Policy Officer. She works within the Policy Team to drive an energy transition that prioritises climate and social justice. She coordinates Friends of the Earth's research on energy efficiency, decarbonisation of heat, and energy poverty. Clare holds a BSc in Neuroscience from UCD and a MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media & Society from DCU, where her dissertation focused on the energy modelling-policy interface in Irish climate policy. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, she held roles across the environmental and cultural sector. Clare was a member of the Citizens' Assembly from 2016-18 and is a former Welfare Officer of UCD Students' Union. Outside of climate policy she loves sea swimming, yoga & her daughter Ré.

Sadhbh O’ Neill is the Senior Climate Advisor at Friends of the Earth. She has held positions as a lecturer and researcher at the DCU School of Law and Government and UCD School of Politics and International Relations. She is currently lecturing at TUD in EU and national energy and climate law as part of its MSc programme in energy management, as well as completing a research project for the Climate Change Advisory Council. She previously held the position of policy coordinator for the Stop Climate Chaos coalition in 2020-1. A former policy advisor to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action between 2018 and 2020, she also acted as coordinator and spokesperson for Climate Case Ireland during 2019 which took a successful legal challenge to the State’s National Mitigation Plan. She is currently a member of the EPA Advisory Committee and writes a monthly column on climate change for the Irish Times.

David Rossiter, as Friends of the Earth's dedicated Fossil Free Campaigner, spearheads our 'No New Gas' Campaign and Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty efforts. With an interest in climate justice and a background in international climate advocacy, David brings political insight from Ireland and the UK. Additionally, he serves as a local government Councillor in Northern Ireland. David has taken the helm of global climate campaigns at the annual UN COP conferences, and his extensive experience includes mentoring youth climate activists worldwide. Before joining Friends of the Earth, he led climate and plastic waste campaigns at Tearfund in Northern Ireland.

I have worked as a senior campaigner and advocate for social change for the last 15 years. I have led campaigns focused on securing human rights, corporate accountability, equality, and justice.

Before joining Friends of the Earth Ireland, I developed and implemented successful campaigns for Amnesty International, Trócaire, the Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights and the Social Democrats.

I am passionate about campaigning and creating opportunities for people to stand up and show solidarity with those most affected by social justice issues.

Rosi Leonard is the Network Development Coordinator with Friends of the Earth Ireland. She works as part of the Movement Building Team to support local grassroots groups in their struggle for fairer and faster climate action across Ireland - in particular supporting One Future groups. This includes supporting groups with training requests, co-operation between groups, and generally building up capacity. Her work is rooted in the aim to build power at local level and to deepen solidarity between different groups who are fighting climate change and its effects on lives and livelihoods. She has a background in youth arts and environmental design, and has worked in play and youth settings across Dublin, Glasgow and London. Outside of work she has been involved the struggle for tenants rights and public housing in Dublin, and outside of all these things she likes woodwork, history, and the radio.

Aaron is the Global Citizenship Education and Activism Support Officer for Friends of the Earth as part of the Movement Building team. This means delivering training and helping grassroots activities to grow our strength, cultivate our community, and make positive change. Aaron has a strong passion for social and environmental justice, particularly in terms of addressing inequality and poverty, and has been active in supporting struggles in the workplace and community for years. His interests include hiking, dog-minding, music, football, and mycology.

At Friends of the Earth my role is to provide communications, logistical, technical and digital support, and feed into the design and delivery of events. My IT and social media background has given me a range of skills across many business and campaign areas. Additionally I bring my experience as a facilitator with groups and workshops into organising and collaborating. I hold a BSc in Computing from the South East Technological University (SETU). 

As a longtime campaigner I’ve worked with a range of groups in the civil society space in Ireland to date including in the areas of active travel, heritage, climate action and biodiversity. Previously I served as a volunteer director with Dublin Food Co-Op.

A staunch believer in the dictum ‘the personal is political’, I’m passionate about deploying intersectional and equitable approaches in working towards climate and social justice. I believe in the power of collective action - ‘people power’ at large - in driving systemic change as well as in dismantling deep-rooted economic models that prioritise profits and extractivism over people and sustainability. I am deeply passionate about being a crusader for human rights and social justice, and within this, in integrating a human-rights based and intersectional approach to climate action.

I started my career as a journalist with a leading financial daily in India, wherein I took concerted efforts to report on wide-ranging topics and shed light on issues of public interest; speak truth to power; amplify stifled voices; and tell people’s stories in engaging ways. I’ve reported on a slew of topics like politics, the environment, social justice, business, health etc. I thereafter pursued an MSc in International Politics from Trinity College Dublin. I’m joining FoE after having worked as Programme and Publications Officer with a Dublin-based civic and social organisation for a year.

My other interests include literature, psychology and anthropology, in addition to being an avid diarist. Inquisitive to a fault and forever in the pursuit of nuances, I've always been enamoured by the power of words and enjoyed reading and writing.