Maguiresbridge native Oonagh McAvinney has retired as South West Area Manager with the Housing Executive after more than four decades of service.

Oonagh, a mum-of-two and grandmother-of-five, started with the organisation on November 1, 1979.

A former student of Mount Lourdes Grammar School, Enniskillen, Oonagh went on to graduate with a degree in Modern History and Celtic Studies at Queen’s University, Belfast before taking up her first housing post.

She said: “Even back in the late Seventies, I knew I wanted to work in a rural environment and reach out to those living in isolated communities.

“I had an empathy and a desire to help people, which was the main focus of my 42-year career in the Housing Executive.”

Oonagh gradually progressed through promotion to Housing Officer, and Senior Housing Officer, and was the first appointed Housing Support Services Officer for South Region.

She had a pivotal role in establishing the processes and protocols for this position, after taking up the new post in Craigavon.

“I came back to Fermanagh as Assistant Manager in 2001, and then in 2004 I moved to the Cookstown District as Manager.

“In 2008, I moved back to Omagh to set up its first Housing Service Centre, and oversee all of the associated processes.”

Oonagh returned to her native Fermanagh as District Manager in 2012, and then Assistant Area Manager in the South West Area, before permanently taking the helm as South West Area Manager in 2017.

While working and raising a family, Oonagh went on to complete a diploma in Community Development and studied for a Masters in Rural Community Development at Queen’s University, Belfast.

She added; “My desire for self-development came from my dedication to help local communities and tenants in the South West area.

“When I got feedback that a job was well done and the individual was happy with the results, it gave me a real sense of satisfaction.

“Out of all my posts, I remember my time as a Housing Officer most fondly, and at times I experienced some both very sad and also some happy cases with tenants.

“I also remember with fondness my first District Manager, the late Violet Thornton MBE, whom I worked with for 17 years, and from whom I learnt a lot.

“As Area Manager it has also given me great personal satisfaction for our local offices and teams to receive excellent Customer Service Accreditations over the years, which demonstrated our standard of service to our customers.”

Retiring to spend more time with her grandchildren and focus on her tour guide position with the National Trust, Oonagh’s mantra towards work over the past four decades has remained the same.

“In this job, you have to enjoy meeting people, and also have an empathy too with people who may be vulnerable and need extra support.

“However, whatever I was doing with my job, I always did it to the best of my ability, and I would also encourage people to continue with self-development in your career, and to always do a job thoroughly.

“I am looking forward now to spending more time with my grandchildren and continuing my work with the National Trust. Overall, I will miss the interaction with other staff members, tenants and community representatives.

“I would like to thank past and present colleagues in the Housing Executive and partner agencies who have supported and encouraged me during my time with the organisation,” she said.

Oonagh also wished to thank her family, who have been part of her career journey over the decades, and who have supported her throughout this time.