Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop is Chairperson of the National Women’s Council of Ireland and is a member of the Legal Aid Board. She also served on the Board of Gaisce and the Task Force for the Child and Family Agency and she was appointed Adjunct Professor at the School of Law in the University of Limerick in December 2015. She was selected by Fine Gael  in Dublin South West to be a candidate in the next General Election.

From 2006-2016 Ellen was CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre where she worked with other NGOs and Government agencies to raise awareness of violence against women in Ireland. She lobbied successfully, supported by Dr. Susan Leahy, Co-Director at UL’s Centre for Crime, Justice & Victim Studies for the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.

She is a Psychotherapist and Group Analyst by profession and was the first woman Chairperson of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy. With a group of colleagues she developed the Masters in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at Trinity College Dublin and worked on delivering the programme for 15 years. She holds a Masters Degree from UCD and is a member of the Institute of Directors of Ireland. She was the guest director of the Burren Law School 2018 entitled “Law and the Art of the Possible: The Firth Province?”

Ellen is married to Sandy Dunlop and together they co-founded the Annual Bard Summer School, Clare Island Co. Mayo in 1995.  They have 4 sons and 5 granddaughters. Ellen's interests include music, theatre, sport, Irish Mythology and Folklore.