Our Committee
The Basel Irish Club operates from a core committee elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of its members. We welcome volunteers with different skills, if you would be interested in joining the committee, please contact us.
Jim McKiernan
President
Jim McKiernan grew up in Dublin and graduated in Engineering from UCD. His career has seen him work across the globe with extended stays in the UK and Egypt. In 1989 while working as a consultant for Coopers & Lybrand he was asked to help out with a workshop with Ciba Geigy. The rest is history having moved to Basel in 1992. Jim has spent most of his career in the pharmaceutical industry and has lectured Masters’ programmes at universities in Copenhagen, London as well as UCD. A keen traveler and cook, always trying out new recipes, Jim is also an enthusiastic, if average, golfer and has had the honour of organizing the now annual BIC Golf Outing. Married with grown up kids and grand-kids, Jim lives in Oberwil.
Marion Bächlin-Cunningham
Vice President
Born and reared in Galway city attending Irish-speaking schools and later graduating in English, French and Mathematics with a teaching Diploma from Galway University. In 2000 she completed an MA in English Literature with the Open University London.
Marion got caught by the travel bug early – travelling to England, France and the USA in student days, then lived and taught English in Algeria where she met her Basler husband. In 1987 they moved to Indonesia with their 2 children Saoirse and Aonghus. After 7 years teaching at International schools in Indonesia, she returned to Switzerland in 1992 with her husband Michael and daughters Saoirse and Órla. She started teaching English at the FMS Basel in 1994.
Marion is passionate about Irish dancing, attending classes in Basel, loves jogging, hiking and travelling. On quieter days she has a book in hand getting ready for her next bout of socialising. Marion continues to compete and win Irish dancing competitions. She is also very interested in the Irish language and would love a chance to practice it with other Irish enthusiasts.
Una McKeever
Secretary
Entrepreneur, Health/Wellness/Pharmaceuticals/Pharmaceutical Regulation. Dublin born and bred, arrived to Basel in 2002 after adventurous times living in the US, France and Austria. Passions include snow sports in winter, road biking, running, hiking and swimming during the rest of the year. An avid traveller, interested in music, fiction, theater, language, politics and nutrition.
Liam Maxwell
Treasurer
Originally from Magheracloone, Co. Monaghan, Liam lived in Dublin for eleven years before coming to Basel in 2009, along with his wife, Olivia. Between 2011 and 2015 Liam lived in Hong Kong before returning to Basel. He works in Risk Management at the Bank for International Settlements. Liam enjoys the outdoors and loves living in Switzerland with its wealth of outdoor activities, which, due to the mountains, are year-round. He joined the Basel Irish Club as a great way to stay connected with 'home' and meet people who enjoy having a bit of craic!
Louise Smyth
Communications
Louise moved from Tipperary to Basel in 2020. She graduated Pharmacy in 2012 from Trinity College Dublin, and after completing her Masters with RCSI worked in community pharmacy in Ireland for seven years, often taking extended time off to travel the globe. She joined the Basel Irish Club to meet more people in Basel and attend social events like the Sekt festival and the annual summer BBQ. She enjoys hiking, skiing, eating delicious food and playing her ukulele.
Mary Dempsey McArthur
Events
Mary grew up in the south of Dublin, the youngest of 5 children, and studied European Business and French at the National College of Ireland. After spending several years in her hometown in Dublin working for a small internet start-up she moved to her husband’s home city of Stirling and completed a MSc in Marketing at the University of Stirling. Arrived in Basel in 2008 and loves the Swiss lifestyle, getting the train for a skiing weekend, the mix of cultures and languages, and the ability to hop over the border to France or Germany. Two kids born here at UKBB made integrating into family life in Basel easier. Pastimes include Pilates, reading, skiing, and of course cooking for the family.
Aideen McCarthy
Membership & GAA Liason
Aideen is a proud Galway girl, but hasn't lived in her home county since she left to study Pharmacy in Trinity. After many years in Dublin she spent 10 years in her husband's native city of Cork, before she embarked on an adventure that took herself, her husband Len, and their three young children to the Netherlands in 2012. After almost six happy years there, they made Basel their home in July 2017. She loves being part of the dynamic Irish community here in Basel and enjoys all of what Switzerland has to offer including hiking, skiing and generally enjoying life. Other hobbies include yoga, reading, baking and most importantly chatting!
Mary D’Arcy-Baguley
Past President
One of the founding members of the Basel Irish Club.
From Ballinamore Co. Leitrim, Mary is the eldest of 10 children. Living in Basel since 1994 with her husband and two children. Having gained extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry Mary established CTC - a Life Science recruitment and training company. Enjoys skiing, travelling, golfing, good food and wine, and meeting interesting people.
