Founding Parents
About
The Parents Who Started It All
Pictured above are members of the original founding committee and wider founding team at the official opening of The Down Syndrome Centre North East on 9 March 2019.
Top row: Eddie Laverty, Annemarie Cassidy (with Caolán), Sinead Fidgeon, Martin McBreen (with Grace), Orla Monaghan, Gary Hall, Mary Hall, Caitriona Keenan (with her daughter)
Front row: Caitriona Crosby (Office Administrator at the time), Sinead Lennon, Arthur Finegan, Karen Treanor, Caroline Macken, Eva Peppa, Marie Hurley
Where It All Began
The story of Hub 21 began in 2017, when a group of parents of children with Down syndrome came together in Cootehill, Co. Cavan, frustrated by the lack of locally based services and supports for families in the North East. Through surveys and conversations with families across the region, they set out to understand what children and parents needed and wanted. What became clear was that there was a strong need for accessible, family-centred services closer to home.
From those first meetings grew the vision for a dedicated centre where children with Down syndrome could access therapy, education and opportunities to learn, develop and thrive, while families could find support, friendship and community.
What followed was an enormous voluntary effort - meetings, fundraising, planning, funding applications, phone calls and countless hours of work behind the scenes.
The doors of The Down Syndrome Centre North East opened on 21 October 2018, beginning a new chapter for families across the region. The centre was officially opened on 9 March 2019, when many of the people who had helped make the vision a reality gathered to celebrate.
Our Founding Members
Among those founding parents were Mary Hall, Martin McBreen and Orla Monaghan. All three went on to give many years of voluntary service to the organisation as Board Directors and remain members of Hub 21 under its Constitution.
Mary Hall
A founding parent and long-serving Company Secretary, Mary brought extraordinary commitment, knowledge and attention to detail to every aspect of the organisation. Her contribution spanned governance, HR, staff support, fundraising, planning and family advocacy. Mary was the person who asked the important questions, checked the detail and made sure decisions were thoughtful, responsible and centred on the needs of families. She became a trusted support to staff and a valued friend, always putting the needs of the organisation and the families it served ahead of her own.
Martin McBreen
Martin served as Chairperson and was instrumental in helping the organisation grow. Famous for his rallying cry, “Everyone get the shoulder to the wheel!”, Martin was always ready to champion the centre - whether selling calendars at Christmas markets across the North East, meeting politicians, speaking to the press, fundraising or simply getting stuck in wherever he was needed. His enthusiasm, warmth and willingness to help became part of the fabric of the organisation.
Orla Monaghan
Orla, another of our founding parents, gave many years of voluntary service to the organisation, including serving as Treasurer. Her commitment, advocacy and belief in the importance of parent-led services helped shape the organisation during its formative years.
Orla retired from her formal role in May 2025, while Mary and Martin retired from theirs in May 2026, each leaving behind a remarkable legacy.
A Lasting Legacy
The contribution of Mary, Martin and Orla goes far beyond their individual roles.
They were parents who saw a need, believed something better was possible and
gave their time, energy and expertise to make it happen.
Today, Hub 21 supports a growing community of children, young people and families.
Our services, facilities and programmes may look very different from those early days,
but the founding vision remains at the heart of everything we do.
We are here because they believed we could be.
We will always remember and celebrate the parents who helped make that vision a reality.
