About us Who we are Our board Our board Arthritis Ireland is governed by a board of directors who give their time freely and generously to further the cause. None of our directors are paid for their work but are volunteers in their own right. Our board meets on a regular basis and has a number of sub-committees that progress the work outside of the board, fully engaging in a supportive role with the staff of Arthritis Ireland. Our board is made up of three constituent parts, each constituent contributing skills and expertise in their own way. The three constituent parts, clearly defined in our articles of association, are: Elected directors This type of director is nominated by the volunteer branch network and elected by our members at our AGM. Elected directors are generally people living with arthritis and bring a personal experience of the disease area to the board, but in all cases bring other skills to further the cause. Society directors This group is made up of three representatives from The Irish Society for Rheumatology and one from The Irish Rheumatology Health Professionals Society, providing a very important link to our medical stakeholders and patients alike. Ordinary directors Directors making up this grouping are co-opted from time to time based on the needs of the organisation, whether they be fundraising, marketing, governance, specialist interest areas or other needs. Board of Directors Seoirse Smith (Chairman) Eric Boyle Martina Cooney (IRHPS)** Stephen Crowe Prof. Ursula Fearon Andrew Kinsella Dr Emma MacDermott (ISR)* Andrea MacMahon Keith Nix Dr Barry O'Shea (ISR)* Dr Miriam O'Sullivan (ISR)* Tim O'Sullivan *ISR - Irish Society of Rheumatology ** IRHPS - Irish Rheumatology of Health Professionals Society President The honorary president of Arthritis Ireland is John O'Flynn.