PPU President, Pat Neill and committee, are delighted to announce that Vivian Guerin (class of 1974) has been selected as ROW Person of the Year for 2026. Vivian will be presented with the PV Doyle Trophy at the PPU annual dinner in the Westbury on Saturday November 1st. 2025.
Vivian’s Biography –
Born (1957) and raised in Windy Arbour, Dublin. Eldest in a family of six children. Having attended Holy Cross National School, Dundrum, went on to secondary school at Westland Row CBS starting in 1969, completing the Leaving Certificate in 1974. Joined the Department of Social Welfare as a Clerical Officer in early 1975, before leaving to complete a Bachelor in Social Science degree (UCD – 1979 to 1982). Subsequently worked as a social worker with Dublin County Council, before joining the Irish Probation Service as a probation officer in 1987.
Worked in the Probation Service, in various roles and levels, for almost thirty-three years. Completed research master’s degree (MLitt) in social policy (TCD) in 1996, a Masters in Social Work (UCD) in 1997, and Diploma in Leadership and Management (ILM – 2010). Appointed national Director of the Probation Service in 2012, a position held for seven years, up to retirement at the end of 2019. While Probation Service Director, built organisational effectiveness, which saw proven reductions in rates of reoffending by people under probation supervision in Ireland and the Probation Service received a number of Public Service awards. (The Probation Service engages with and supervises around 15,000 people who have offended and been sanctioned by the criminal courts each year, managing community-based sanctions [including probation, community service and restorative justice] imposed by the Courts and helping the individuals involved towards reduced reoffending, rehabilitation and reintegration).
Since retiring from the Probation Service in 2019, appointed in 2020 to position of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, TCD. Teaches modules on the two TCD social work programmes. Also guest lectures each year in UCC, Maynooth University and the Law Society. Commissioned by then Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD in 2020 to complete a review and report on drugs, crime and community safety and wellbeing in Drogheda, following the brutal murder of seventeen year old Keane Mulready-Woods there earlier that year. The report – Drogheda: Creating a Bridge to a Better Future – and its set of 73 recommendations for action was submitted to the Minister in January 2021, and the Drogheda Implementation Board was established to implement the recommendations of the report.
Was Chair of the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) from 2021 to 2025. Currently Chair of the Ana Liffey Drug Project; member of the Judicial Council’s Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee; Board member of CUAN, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency; and Fellow of the (London based) Probation Institute. One of Ireland’s three representatives on the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation (IPPF). Former member (up to end of 2023) and past-President (2016-2018) of the Council of Europe’s Council for Penological Cooperation (PC-CP), which develops European practice standards for prisons and probation services in Member States.
Undertakes consultancy projects for various criminal justice bodies, and specifically on behalf of the Academy of European Law (ERA), the Council of Europe and the United Nations Office of Crime and Drugs, including work on two international handbooks on implementation and delivery of probation programmes. Has had numerous articles published in academic journals and presented at various national and international social work and criminal justice conferences. In 2022, co-authored with Dr Shane McCarthy a book – Probation and Parole in Ireland: Law and Practice, which won the Irish Law Book of the Year award at the Irish Law Awards, 2022.
Married to Paula (Fitzpatrick) – from Stepaside – since 1983. Two children; son Karl, who lives in Kildare, and daughter Nicole who lives in Frankfurt, Germany, with her partner, Tim. One granddaughter – Lauren, 14 years – Karl’s daughter. Nicole is expecting a baby (Vivian and Paula’s second grandchild) at the end of 2025.
Interests: Community development, Spanish language and culture, travel, walking, reading, football, basketball, cycling, table tennis, theatre. Over the past couple of years, it has been great to reconnect with many former Row classmates in our class WhatsApp group and to meet up a couple of times a year.
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