At Curam Care Homes, our mission — delivering exceptional, person-centred care for our residents — begins with our team. Every day, their compassion, teamwork and commitment help create a home that feels warm, respectful and supportive for our residents and for one another.
Employee of the Year Awards – Winners
Our Employee of the Year Awards are a powerful reminder of what makes Curam special: colleagues who care deeply for our residents and their families, who support each other, and bring our values to life in everything they do.
We are thrilled to announce the winners of 2025 Employee of the Year Awards are as follows:
- Knockrobin Hill Care Home: Nicola Kelly
- Oakfield Nursing Home: Eldhose Johny
- Curam Care Home Navan Road: Dayana Cicil Kurian
- Curam Care Home Carrigaline: Rannel Arbie Parales
- Curam Care Home Dundalk: Kathleen McArdle
- Head Office: Lisa Walsh
About our Winners
Below, our Directors of Nursing and Chief Operations Officer share in their own words why they chose their award recipient — highlighting the values and dedication that truly set them apart.
Winner: Knockrobin Hill Care Home – Nicola Kelly (Reception)
“Nicola is truly worth her weight in gold at Knockrobin. She arrives every morning with a smile on her face and consistently brings a positive, can-do attitude to the workplace. She is incredibly supportive and willingly assists all departments with any issues that arise, always going above and beyond what is expected of her.
Nicola is, without question, highly deserving of this award.”
Mel Jermyn Taylor, Director of Nursing Knockrobin Hill Care Home
Winner: Oakfield Nursing Home – Eldhose Johny (Catering)
“If spotless kitchens were an Olympic sport, Eldhose would bring home the gold… after pulling an all-nighter.”
Spergeon Franklin, Director of Nursing Oakfield Nursing Home
Winner: Curam Care Home Navan Road – Dayana Cicil Kurian (Clinical Nurse Manager)
Dayana is a deserving winner of this award. She consistently leads with compassion and professionalism setting the highest standards of care within our home.
She is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our residents, and always shows support and kindness to her team. She creates a positive clinical environment where residents feel safe and staff feel supported, making a lasting impact on both the quality of care and the culture in our home.
Camillus Cooke, Director of Nursing Curam Care Home Navan Road
Winner: Curam Care Home Carrigaline – Rannel Arbie Parales (Senior Healthcare Assistant)
“Arbie is a natural leader who works seamlessly with all departments to promote excellence in care. His professionalism, kindness, and unwavering focus on residents’ wellbeing make a meaningful difference every day to our residents, and our team.”
Emma Moynihan, Director of Nursing Curam Care Home Carrigaline
Winner: Curam Care Home Dundalk – Kathleen McArdle (Activities Assistant)
This year, Kate made the transition from HCA into Activities and has done wonderfully in the role. She is consistently kind, gentle, and caring with our residents, and she puts real thought and effort into making activities as meaningful and enjoyable as possible. Kate brings such a positive presence to the team and is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Mary Sweeney, Director of Nursing Curam Care Home Dundalk
Winner: Head Office – Lisa Walsh (Accounts Receivable Administrator)
I selected Lisa on the basis of her continuing commitment to Curam, her willingness to support and assist any staff member that contacts her, her extensive knowledge of the processes in use by Curam particularly in relation to Epicare as it applies to residents financial matters and her broad and detailed knowledge of the Nursing Home Support Scheme.
She readily travels to our homes to assist as required and is an accomplished mentor to administrative and reception staff.
Seamus Killeen, Chief Operations Officer Curam Care Homes