Meet Your Recently Qualified Accountants Team in Leinster

Barden Leinster Newly Qualified Accountants Advisory Team

Barden’s Recently Qualified Accountants Team (most of who are qualified accountants, just like you) are here to help you make your very best first step as a qualified accountant.

Below you’ll find out more about each of the team. Drop a quick email to one of our team and they’ll take it from there…

Aoibhín Byrne | Business Lead | Expert Recruiter in Tax, Treasury & Practice | Barden Leinster

Aoibhín Byrne is a Business Lead at Barden, and an expert in tax, treasury and practice careers.

A proud Cork/Dublin woman she joined in October 2019. Aoibhín studied commerce with French in University College Cork (UCC). Before joining Barden she worked in KPMG.

Aoibhín is based in the Dublin office and works as part of the recently qualified team. In particular she works on recently qualified tax, audit, advisory and treasury careers. Her role involves bridging the gap between the clients and the candidate’s needs and ultimately matching the right person to the right role.

Contact Aoibhín at aoibhin.byrne@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Bernie Duffy ACA | Senior Associate | Expert in Recently Qualified Accounting Careers | Barden Leinster 

Bernie Duffy ACA is an Senior Associate at Barden, and an expert in recently qualified accounting careers.

Bernie is a qualified Chartered Accountant having completed her training with the ICT Assurance and Audit teams in EY. Before this she completed a BA in Accounting & Finance in Dublin City University (DCU) followed by a Master’s Degree in Accounting, also in DCU.

Bernie is based in the Dublin office and works directly with the recently qualified team to support recently qualified accounting professionals in Leinster.

Contact Bernie at bernie.duffy@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Brian O’Connor ACA | Team Lead | Expert in Recently Qualified Accounting Careers | Barden Leinster

Brian O’Connor ACA is a Team Lead at Barden, and an expert in recently qualified accounting careers.

Brian qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2017, completing his training with Deloitte. He is a graduate of UCD and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business/Commerce and a Master’s Degree in Accounting.

Following his training in Deloitte he spent some time travelling and working in Australia gaining experience within industry, working in financial accounting roles with Vocus Group Limited, Toll Group and Independent Cement & Lime Group.

Contact Brian at brian.oconnor@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.


Ed Heffernan | Managing Partner | Barden Ireland

Ed Heffernan is Managing Partner of Barden Ireland. In 2014 he founded Barden, with Elaine Brady. He has worked for many years in recruitment both locally and internationally, within the accounting and tax space.

Ed has worked with 1000s of accountants nationally on career moves and is a regular contributor to industry publications, including Accountancy Ireland & Accountancy Plus.

A UCC grad Ed holds a number of qualifications in personnel management, human resources and later completed an MBA with Trinity College Dublin.

Contact Ed at ed.heffernan@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Elaine Brady | Managing Partner | Barden Leinster

Elaine holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Trinity College Dublin, and since graduation has worked nationally and internationally with some of the world’s leading recruitment companies. Throughout her career Elaine has specialised in accounting and tax recruitment and is an expert in qualified accounting careers across practice and industry.

In 2014 Elaine founded Barden recruitment, with Ed Heffernan and since then has grown organically into a thriving team of recruitment experts in Dublin and Cork. Barden was founded by people passionate about recruitment and its impact on people’s lives. We are a partner led expert recruitment firms consumed with supporting professionals on their chosen career journey. Our expertise covers accounting & tax, financial services, IT and legal recruitment.

Contact Elaine at elaine.brady@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Niall O’Keeffe ACA | Senior Associate | Expert in Recently Qualified Accounting Careers | Barden Leinster 

Niall O’Keeffe ACA is an Senior Associate at Barden, and an expert in recently qualified accounting careers.

Niall works directly with the team to continue to support recently qualified accounting professionals. He successfully qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2021 having completed his training contract with the Audit team in Deloitte Ireland. Prior to this Niall completed an accounting degree and masters in University College Cork.

Niall works directly with the recently qualified team in Dublin to support recently qualified accounting professionals in Leinster.

Contact Niall at niall.okeeffe@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Sarah Barry ACA | Partner | International Appointment | Barden

Sarah Barry ACA is a Partner with Barden’s international practice. She is an expert in international careers and specialises in the recruitment of accounting, finance and legal professionals across the world.

She is a graduate of University College Cork, holding a BA in Economics and Computer Science, and an MBS in Business Studies. Sarah then went on to complete her Chartered Accountants Ireland qualification working with KPMG.

Contact Sarah at sarah.barry@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.


Get in Touch With Us

Barden is where recently qualified accountants go before they start looking for a job.

When you meet Barden you will be meeting Ireland’s most experienced financial recruitment and talent advisory team, many of whom are themselves accounting and tax qualified.

Your future is too important to leave to chance. Take control, get informed and plan your professional future with Barden. Drop us an email at hello@barden.ie and we’ll get in touch to arrange a time and date that suits you to start planning your professional future.

At Barden we invest our resources to bring you the very best insights on all things to do with your professional future. Got a topic you would like us to research? Got an insight you would like us to share with our audience? Drop us a note to hello@barden.ie and we will take it from there. Easy.