About

I am currently serving on the Land Use, Planning & Transportation Committee in SDCC.
I regularly attend the Business2Business (B2B) in the area to pick up on issues for local businesses.
Living in Lucan gives me the best on-the-ground knowledge of issues for constituents.
Each week I aim to have a “café clinic” locally in a variety of locations & times, to ensure constituents have access to me.
I follow up on issues to resolve them and update the constituent who raised it.

Although I’ve worked as a qualified librarian for the last 25 years (currently on a career break from Maynooth University Library), I originally qualified and worked as a field archaeologist, until 1997. You can view my LinkedIn profile here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-farrell/ In terms of my librarianship, I have working interests in methods of faculty engagement, project management, systematic reviews and literature searching skills. I’m also interested in ePublishing (XML & XHTML, AI-use, databases, digital projects), OER, LibGuide development, AI use in Higher Ed, Accessibility, Plain English, Disability Studies, UD, social media, and teaching & learning. I’ve presented at many academic librarian conferences in Ireland & the UK on issues such as faculty engagement and creative AI-use in higher education and teaching.

On the flip side, in 1998 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and I have blogged about living with aspects of this, with the MS Ireland blog team. An early, rare symptom of MS meant I lost all hearing in one ear and I rely on hearing aids. I live and work with a variety of mostly invisible symptoms, but I feel it is important to see the whole person when dealing with people with disabilities, and not just focus on, for what some find, an “interesting” or “different” aspect of the person, even if it is meant in an encouraging way. I personally long for the time when I see someone with a disability or long term condition introduced onto a chat show, TV or a podcast, and their hobbies, passions and achievements are discussed without once referencing their condition! People with disabilities and long-term conditions might need some adjustments and adaptations, but first and foremost we want to live our lives with as little hassle, and as much opportunity, as all of those without any health issues! But for that to happen, we need planning at every level in a way that includes all, so Universal Design is something that is very much needed, from our built environments, to education, to media and so on.

I am very grateful that I was co-opted onto South Dublin County Council by Paul Gogarty, TD, in December 2024 and this was seconded by both Councillor Liona O’Toole, Independent and Councillor Joanna Tuffy, Labor.