Norah Gibbons obituary: Tireless advocate for children

Born: June 6th, 1952
Died: April 8th, 2020

Norah Gibbons, the children’s rights campaigner and tireless advocate for children in vulnerable situations has died of cancer. A social worker by profession, Gibbons worked as director of advocacy at Barnardos from 2005-2012 and served as the first chairwoman of the child and family agency, Tusla, from 2014- 2018.

Gibbons also chaired several bodies addressing historic child abuse and was the co-author of the Child Death Review (2000-2010) with former special child protection rapporteur Geoffrey Shannon. From 2005-2013, she served as a director and chairwoman of the board of Alcohol Action Ireland, a campaigning charity working to reduce harm as a consequence of alcohol. And in 2019 she was appointed by Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to lead the independent study on familicide and domestic homicide in Ireland.

Driven by a profound sense of social justice and empathy, Gibbons changed many children’s lives for the better. “Being a social worker was a key part of her identity. She had a great capacity to listen, to have empathy and to think about the best way to help children and their parents,” said Barnardos chief executive Suzanne Connolly.

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Generous with knowledge

During her time working for Barnardos, Gibbons was pivotal in the establishment of that agency’s post-adoption services, its Solas services for bereaved children and its Guardian ad Litem services that support children to have their voices heard and perspectives represented in court. Gibbons also campaigned for adequate income supports for children living in poverty.

She supported the establishment of the Children’s Rights Alliance which was originally housed in Barnardos’ head office in Christchurch Square, Dublin. She was generous with her knowledge and mentored and championed women in the early stages of their careers.

Gibbons was committed to the establishment of Tusla as Ireland’s first child and family agency and worked with then minister for children Frances Fitzgerald to set up the agency at a difficult financial time when Ireland was coming out of recession. As Tusla’s first chairwoman her vision for the agency was child centred with their safety and welfare at the agency’s core.

Born the fourth of 11 children to James and Bridget Cassidy, she grew up in the townland of Knockarush, outside Boyle, Co Roscommon. She was awarded a secondary education scholarship to board at Roscommon Convent of Mercy. She went on to complete an arts degree at University College Galway (now NUI Galway). While there, she met her husband to be, Sean Gibbons, who was studying medicine. As a student, she was involved in the Workers Party and advocated for the rights of Chilean refugees in Galway in the early 1970s. She maintained friendships with politicians in left-leaning political parties throughout her life.

Sean and Norah married in Salthill, Galway, in 1973. Following their marriage, the couple moved to Newcastle in England and then Liverpool where Sean worked as an anaesthesist and Norah began her career at a social worker. Their children, Myles and Maireas, were born while they lived in England.

Love of family

The Gibbons family returned to Ireland and settled in Leixlip, Co Kildare, in 1989 and Norah joined Barnardos as a social worker in 1990. She brought with her invaluable insights into how the British services were ahead of Ireland in terms of training and supporting social workers to help children best. When their children had grown up and left home, Norah moved to live in Clontarf, Dublin, where she remained for the rest of her life.

Throughout her career Gibbons listened to people with empathy and compassion. She was a formidable manager and a great networker who encouraged lively discussion around boardroom tables.

Outside of work, she was dedicated to her extended family and a loyal friend. Those who knew her well said she had a gift of connecting with people and could talk to anyone. She was pragmatic yet great company and, despite her small stature, a larger than life character towards whom people gravitated. She continued working on the independent study on familicide and domestic homicide in Ireland until shortly before her death.

Norah Gibbons is survived by her husband, Sean, son Myles, daughter Maireas, mother Bridget Cassidy, sisters Mary, Angela, Helen, Jacqueline, brothers Seamus, Tom, Peter, Dermot and Gerard. Her father James and sister Margaret predeceased her.