Formed in March 2014, the Council manages the development and operation of the society. Each member has a specific role but contributes to the whole.
Sarah Smith (UK): Journal – Assistant editor and Social media
Sarah Smith (nee O’Donoghue) is a recently retired business woman, whose career spanned many roles over 47 years, culminating in the sale of the training business she co-owned and ran to a Swedish plc. She has a keen interest in history, music and literature and enjoys helping out with editing and copyediting contributions from O’Donoghue Society members concerning their ancestors’ lives and times. She loves West Ham.
Sarah’s O’Donoghue ancestors come from Cork/Kerry.
Paula has worked as a teacher and a charity shop manager, but now spends part of her week caring for her grandson. She developed her keen interest in genealogy after she left teaching and found time for a hobby. Paula eventually decided to study the subject, first completing an online diploma in Irish genealogy at the Universities of Limerick and Cork and then moving on to complete an MSc in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies at the University of Strathclyde.
Paula’s maternal grandmother was an O’DONOGHUE from Limerick and Dublin.
Laura is the granddaughter of Lemuel Larkin Donoho. Lemuel was a WWII veteran that was photographed at the Elbe River on April 25, 1945 and appeared in NewsWeek magazine on that date. Laura lives in San Jose, California (USA). She’s married to Ronald (39 years), has three daughter’s, and three grandchildren. Laura has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from University of Phoenix. She loves researching family genealogy, and attends RootsTech yearly. Laura is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) where she’s held positions as Regent, Recording, Corresponding Secretary, and Membership Chair. Laura is a board member of Santa Maria Urban Ministry where her participation helps provide food, clothing, free tax services, and education to underserved clients in the local community. She retired from Ernst & Young as a Project Manager after 33 years of service.
Michael Donahue (USA) – Co-Administrator of the Society DNA Programme
Bio and picture awaited
Roger Key (Australia) – The O’Donoghue County Clusters Project
Bio and Picture awaited
Mark O’Donoghue is the son of ‘The Rod’, Rod O’Donoghue. He is mentally scarred by many years visiting Cork and Kerry with his father, fruitlessly scanning parish registers, Griffiths valuations and Tithe Applotments. The seemingly vain hope of finding the link back to our Irish emigrant ancestors was countered by the opportunity to play golf, drink Guinness and talk nonsense with his father and a variety of wonderful people we met along the way, some of whom are on this Council. In a parallel life, he is Chief Executive Officer of Inspired Education’s Online Schools business, a father of two and lives in West London.
Richard O’Donoghue (UK): More moral support
Richard O’Donoghue is the son of Rod O’Donoghue and a teacher by profession. Before doing his training he worked as a journalist and researcher.
He has fulfilled many roles in the two large schools in which he has worked, but teaching geography is his passion.
Taken to the west of Ireland at an early stage he was introduced to his north Kerry roots and ‘made aware’ of his father’s obsession with all things O’Donoghue.