​Board of Directors 

The Board of Directors of the Sexual Violence Centre oversees the organization to ensure transparency and best practices across all its operations. Acting as the governing body, the Board provides leadership and stewardship for the Centre. All members serve on a voluntary basis.

The Board meets regularly to ensure effective governance systems and processes are in place and that all legal obligations are fulfilled. The Board delegates the day-to-day management and policy implementation to the Chief Executive Officer.

 

The Sexual Violence Centre Cork adheres to the Charities Governance Code.

​

 

Catherine O’Sullivan, Chairperson

Dr. Catherine O’Sullivan, a law lecturer in U.C.C., is a graduate of U.C.C. (B.C.L, LL.M.) and completed a Ph.D. at Osgoode Hall Law School, Canada. Her main research interests lie in Criminal Law, Criminology, Gender and the Law, Children’s Rights and Law and Popular Culture. She has trained to provided Bystander Intervention workshops and Consent workshops for third level students. She is a regular contributor to student-run LawSoc and FemSoc events on the issue of sexual violence. She is a co-author of a leading student and practitioner text, Criminal Law in Ireland: Cases and Materials, 2nd ed (2021), and of Fundamentals of the Irish Legal System (2016). She has authored articles in a variety of national and international publications including the Irish Jurist, the Dublin University Law
Journal, the Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, Legal Studies and Human Rights Quarterly.

 

 

Vittorio Bufacchi

Dr. Vittorio Bufacchi is Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at University College Cork. He completed his PhD at the London School of Economics under the supervision of Professor Brian Barry. He has taught in the UK (Manchester), the US (Yale; Colorado,
Boulder; Dartmouth), and Ireland (University College Dublin; University College Cork). His main area of research is political philosophy, focusing on questions of social justice, the ethics of violence, the philosophy of human rights, and the political theory of Cicero. He has
published eight books, with his work translated into Chinese, Spanish, Polish, Slovenian, and Italian. He has written opinion pieces for various newspapers and media outlets, including The Irish Times, The Irish Examiner, The Guardian, The Business Post, and RTE
Brainstorm.

 

Olive Long, Secretary

Originally from Co. Tipperary, Olive qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1981 and as a Midwife in 1983. Olive then practiced as a midwife in St. Finbarrs Maternity hospital and transferred to Cork University Maternity Hospital when it opened in 2007. Having completed a B.Sc and M.Sc. at UCC Olive worked for 10 years in the area of Midwifery Education and Practice Development. In 2014, she became Director of Midwifery at Cork University Maternity Hospital and retired from the HSE in 2020. Olive is currently assisting with the HSE Vaccination Programme.

 

 

Barry McPolin

Barry worked in An Garda Siochana for 38 years retiring in 2021 as Chief Superintendent in charge of policing for Cork City Division having previously worked in branch banking with Bank of Ireland. He holds honours degrees from University College Cork (B.C.L.), University of Limerick (B.A. in Police Management) and the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, University College Dublin (Advanced Management Diploma). He is also an Associate of the Victoria College of Music, London (piano forte). He is a native of Macroom.

 

Honor Carroll

Dr. Honor Carroll is a psychotherapist and drama therapist with extensive experience in both clinical and academic settings. She currently serves as the Head of Student Counselling at Munster Technological University in Cork. Prior to her current position in MTU, Honor worked as a psychotherapist within the Sexual Violence Centre Cork. Honor earned her Doctorate in Psychotherapy from Dublin City University, where her research focused on the experience of childhood neglect and its lasting impact on adulthood. She holds a master’s degree in Drama and Movement Therapy with distinction from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, and a Bachelor of Applied Psychology from University College Cork. Honor was also Co-Chair of Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI) from 2023-24.

 

Lanlih Keane

Originally from Cork, Lanlih holds a BSc in Finance from UCC, with additional certifications in Business Accounting (CIMA) and Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge. At Accenture, Lanlih advanced in management consulting, leading growth and change programs across various global locations. Her most recent role was Chief of Staff to Accenture Ireland’s Country Managing Director, where she leveraged her skills in relationship management, financial analysis, and strategy. An advocate for workplace equality, Lanlih is currently leading a pro bono strategic review for the Sexual Violence Centre in Cork. She also championed diversity initiatives at Accenture, including leading the Ireland Anti-Racism and Racial Equality Taskforce and serving as a founding member of the Asia Pacific and Middle East network.