Noel Wynne former Superintendent sold Kilmainham Division of St John Ambulance named in Seanad as the sexual abuser of children who will not be prosecuted
Mick Finnegan
@mickfinnegan.bsky.social
International Social Work Student Mental Health Advocate Campaigner
It's hard to put into words what this moment feels like. A mixture of overwhelming love, gratitude, pride, and awe. Watching her arrive and seeing the strength and courage of her mother has been the most humbling experience of my life. Welcome to the world, Saoirse. ❤️
Listen, I’m so very very weary this evening, but I just wanted you to know that the Irish Government has introduced a Bill to justify biometric police surveillance that doesn’t follow EU Law and their idea is based it on having a definition of biometric processing different from in the AI Act.
Soon I’ll be a dad to a little girl, and honestly, that still feels surreal to say out loud. Knowing she’ll grow up with both Dutch and Irish roots feels really special to me, two cultures, two stories, and a whole life ahead of her. She’s changed my perspective on everything ❤️
The smallest feet leave the biggest mark. Not long now 😊 ❤️
When I arrived in the Netherlands, I'd very little, but I did have hope, hope that my circumstances would change. Since then, I’ve been working towards building a new path and I’m now training to become a social worker here. It’s been a challenging journey, but a life changing one.
Sociaal werk studeren in Nederland en tegelijkertijd werken met mensen die dakloos zijn, is zowel uitdagend als waardevol. Nederlands leren is niet makkelijk, maar elke stap vooruit helpt me om beter contact te maken en me meer thuis te voelen. #Nederland #SociaalWerk
Sitting here having a coffee after my shift today reflecting on the last couple of weeks. Some big changes on the horizon
As I continue my journey in the Netherlands as a student social worker & Woonbegeleider with Leger des Heils, I’m proud to share that I’m now a member of BPSW. This is an important step in my professional development and in staying connected to the wider social work community.
Leaving everything familiar behind, starting over somewhere I didn’t know anyone, not even the language. It felt overwhelming at the time. But somehow, taking that leap turned into the best decision I’ve ever made. Funny how the scariest choices can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.
From inner city Dublin to the cobblestones of the Netherlands. 958 days sober. What once felt impossible is now my everyday life. I fucking love the life I’m slowly building for myself. Sobriety gave me more than freedom. It gave me a future 😊 #nederland #holland #soberlife
Today’s Sunday Independent article shares part of my story. It’s not easy to keep talking about this, what happened to me should never have been allowed to happen, and there are still serious questions to answer. I’m focused now on rebuilding my life and training to help others.
If you had told me back when I was homeless in Dublin then that life could be like this, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am, proving it to myself every single day. Sobriety didn’t just change my life, it gave me one.
Great to be at Leger Des Heils Social Work Day in the beautiful city of Leiden and reconnect with my team and colleagues from across the Netherlands. As long as there are vulnerable people in our communities, I will continue to stand with them and advocate for change. #SocialWork #SociaalWerk
Cracking day today. Heading to a social work conference tomorrow & looking forward to meeting colleagues from across the Netherlands Weer een mooie dag vandaag. Morgen naar een conferentie over sociaal werk en ik kijk ernaar uit om collega’s uit heel Nederland te ontmoeten #SocialWork #SociaalWerk
Today I shared my research on The Journey of Syrian Refugees as part of my social work assessment. Grateful to everyone who trusted me with their stories and allowed me to amplify their lived experience. #SocialWork #RefugeeVoices #StudentResearch
On placement today at a homeless drop-in centre as a student social worker. It was a cold day, but thanks to a local bakery donating bread, no one went hungry. Moments like this reinforce why community, compassion, and practical support are so important and why I choose this path #SocialWork
There was a time I was just trying to survive being homeless, traumatised, and numbing pain with alcohol. This year, I lived. From marathon finish lines to my 3rd sober Christmas and now heading into Year 2, Semester 2 of social work. Roll on 2026. Happy New Year 🎊
This was my 3rd sober Christmas. Hardest work of my life. I got here by facing the trauma I spent years trying to outrun. I drank to survive my childhood. I got sober to take my life back. #TherapyWorks #SoberLife
This Christmas was genuinely so nice. My third Christmas sober, and it just keeps getting better. I was present, calm, actually felt everything, the laughs, the quiet moments, the gratitude. No chaos, no regret, just real joy. I fucking loved it.
Sitting on the sofa watching Love Actually and having a bit of a Hallmark moment. Feeling the love tonight. Thanks for all the kind messages, they mean more than you'll ever know. I hope you all have a great Christmas🎄🎁 ⛄ 🎅🏻 😊
I’ve never been big on Christmas, but the last couple have been good ones. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I hope it treats you kindly. Wishing everyone a good one, in whatever way that looks for you. Merry Christmas 🎄
Grief is like living two lives. One is where you pretend that everything is alright and the other is where your heart silently screams in pain. 8 years ago today, my little brother Ciarán overdosed on heroin and died alone in a homeless night shelter in Dublin.
I finished year 2, Semester 1 today. Really proud of the progress I’ve made so far. It’s been challenging and rewarding, and a great reminder of why I chose social work in the first place. Looking forward to semester 2 and pushing on to complete my second year.
134 years between us and we're still playing rugby 😂
