Catherine Joyce – Joint Manager
Catherine Joyce is an Irish Traveller and has been a member of the Irish Travellers human rights movement for over 25 years. In 1991 she won Person of the Year award for her contribution to progressing Traveller human, social and cultural rights.
She is currently joint manager of the Blanchardstown Traveller Development Group, a local Traveller organisation which she has been for the past six years, she was coordinator of the Irish Traveller Movement for 6 years and was its Chairperson for a number of years.
Catherine represents Traveller issues at a local level through her involvement in a range of different groups including the Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committee, Local Drugs Task Force, Blanchardstown Area Partnership and the Local Traveller Interagency group …just mention a few.
At a national level she has represented the Irish Traveller Movement on the National Traveller Monitoring Advisory Committee and for a number of years was an active member of the National Traveller Accommodation consultative committee and the Task force on Travellers. She has also represented Irish Travellers at a number of international conferences. She was part of the Irish Government delegation to the World conference on Racism and Inter-culturalism in South Africa and also attended the International Conference on Social Development in Copenhagen, the World conference on youth affairs in Tasmania and Re-imagining Ireland in Richmond Virginia, USA.
Catherine and her husband were foster parents for a number of years and have delivered Training to a number of groups nation wide.
Ester Brenan – Financial Administrator
Esther is the organisation’s Financial Administrator, Financial Bookkeeper and Finance Sub-Group member. She has worked with BTDG since 2002 and over those years has taken on various financial roles.