End of era as Mount Temple’s Seán Campbell retires as CEO of Foróige

By Rebekah O'Reilly

The close of an extraordinary era came for Foróige on Friday, October 3, as Mount Temple's Seán Campbell retired as CEO of Foróige after 40 years of service to the organisation, 23 of which he served as CEO of the organisation.

Across four decades, Mr Campbell played a central role in shaping Foróige into what it is today, an organisation that reaches into every corner of Ireland, impacting countless thousands of young people and families.

From his earliest days working directly with clubs, through to his time leading the organisation, his commitment has been unwavering. He helped steer Foróige through times of change and growth, strengthening programmes, supporting volunteers, and keeping the needs of young people at the heart of every decision. His vision and dedication leave a legacy that will continue to shape lives long into the future.

"It’s been the greatest professional pleasure of my life,” Campbell said, reflecting on his 23 years with the organisation. “To have had the opportunity not only to work for, but to lead Foróige, has been an incredible honour, and incredibly enjoyable as well.”

When he joined Foróige, the organisation had just 24 staff. Today, it boasts over 700 employees and more than 5,000 volunteers supporting young people across both urban and rural Ireland.

“It’s grown hugely,” Campbell said. “What was once a small, almost rural organisation has become the largest youth organisation in Ireland, and a real movement for good.”

Among his proudest achievements, Campbell points to the introduction of youth mentoring in Ireland, through the Big Brother Big Sister programme in the early 2000s.

“That really has been incredibly successful and has impacted hugely on the lives of thousands of young people,” he said. “Having a mentor to guide and look out for them through the ups and downs of adolescence — that’s life-changing.”

He also highlighted Foróige’s suite of non-formal education programmes, which teach leadership, entrepreneurship, wellbeing, and life skills.

“Programmes like Leadership for Life or the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship give young people the tools they need to thrive - to set up businesses, to develop resilience, and to navigate the challenges life throws at them,” he said.

The Mount Temple man believes that Foróige’s work is more vital than ever.

“Every generation faces challenges, but the modern generation is facing some extremely difficult ones. Having an organisation like Foróige to guide, support, and empower them is really, really positive, and absolutely essential.”

While many take their retirement as a time to step back and unwind, Campbell intends to use his to continue his dedicated work. He’s already turning his attention to new projects focused on empathy education and intergenerational solidarity.

“I might have retired, but I certainly haven’t stopped working,” he laughed.

The first project is the development of an empathy education programme, which is a collaboration with the University of Galway and Penn State University aimed at embedding empathy into education systems worldwide.

“I’m very interested in the whole area of empathy education,” he said. “We’re working to develop programmes that foster understanding and compassion, qualities that are essential in today’s world.”

His second project centres on intergenerational solidarity, exploring ways to connect young and older people for mutual support.

“Ireland has been described as one of the loneliest places to be a young person — and loneliness is a huge issue for older people too,” Campbell said. “Bringing generations together as mentors and companions just makes sense. It strengthens communities.”

Eric O’Brien, formerly Area Manager in Cork, now takes up the role of CEO, bringing his own energy and perspective to guide the organisation forward. As he steps aside, Campbell expressed full confidence in his successor, who has been part of Foróige for two decades.

“Eric is an incredibly good choice,” he said. “He’s someone I admire greatly. He knows the organisation inside out and is perfectly positioned to take it to the next level. I have no doubt he’ll do an excellent job.”

After 23 years of leadership, Sean Campbell leaves behind an organisation transformed, larger, stronger, and more embedded in Irish life than ever before.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” he said simply. “And I’ve loved every minute of it.”