Siobhan O'Connor

Siobhan's work in wellness and aging didn't start in an office — it started with a simple observation. Back in 2010, working as a health promotion officer with the Irish Health Service Executive, she noticed something important. Clinical programmes were helping people avoid disease, but they weren't really helping them live well. There's a difference.

That gap drove her to study harder. She completed postgraduate training in mindfulness-based stress reduction and earned her diploma in Adult Learning and Development from Trinity College Dublin in 2015. But more importantly, she spent nine years working directly in Ireland's senior community — with Age Action Ireland, local community centres, parish networks, and rural health initiatives. She's seen what works when you actually listen to older adults.

At joenamathscoat Ltd, she now leads the development of educational resources specifically for this audience. Her approach combines rigorous research with authentic storytelling. She's worked with community groups across urban Dublin and rural County Cork, designed mindfulness programmes for parish networks, and created self-discovery workshops that actually feel relevant to people's lives. The workshops aren't abstract — they address real challenges: rebuilding social connections after loss, navigating life transitions, finding meaning in this stage, discovering new interests when work ends.

Her education spans gerontology, public health, mindfulness-based interventions, and adult learning theory — but what matters most is this: she's spent nearly a decade in rooms with older adults, listening to what actually helps. That's where her real expertise comes from.