Our Downpatrick Team

Elaine Holland

Elaine has been with M.B. McGrady & Co since 1996 having previously worked in BDO Belfast.  She provides administrative support to staff members and is normally the first point of contact for clients either phoning or visiting the office.  Her familiarity with clients enables her to point them in the right direction.  She is responsible for ordering office supplies, maintaining office equipment, distributing mail and scheduling appointments for staff.

Denise Fitzsimons

Denise has been with M.B. McGrady & Co for 8 years having previously worked in the voluntary sector in Belfast for a number of years where she provided secretarial support. She continues to provide an administrative role and support to staff and clients by dealing with queries etc either on the phone or at reception, typing off letters/reports etc, work book entries etc. Other duties that she is responsible for is organising diary appointments, distributing mail, and ordering office supplies.

Anne Heaney
FCA

Anne, a chartered accountant, is responsible for the every day management of audit assignments. Her role incorporates audit planning and technical assistance for a wide range of business clients. Anne ensures that audits and accounts’ preparation assignments are completed in an effective manner. Her position requires her to give general and technical advice to many small businesses to ensure they have the financial information required to effectively manage their business.

Gerry Castelli
BA (Hons), AFA, ATT

Gerry, a Financial Accountant, joined M.B. McGrady & Co in 1989. a graduate of South Bank University, Gerry joined a London based firm of Chartered Accountants where his role as Audit Senior saw him involved in a varied role ranging from audits of Stock Exchange quoted companies to the provision of advice and support to sole traders. He subsequently held Management Accountant portfolios with international firms both in the UK and Europe. Gerry’s current role is to provide both an accounting and taxation service to all businesses within the client base of the firm.

Jennifer Murphy
BSc, FCA - Audit & Accounts Manager

Jennifer is a qualified Chartered Accountant who has been with M.B. McGrady & Co for 10 years. She is responsible for accounts and audit preparation for a range of clients such as sole traders, partnerships, charitable organisations and corporate entities. Jennifer is a computer/ business graduate from Queens University Belfast and has previously worked in a Kilkeel/Newry based firm for seven years. She is responsible for dealing with a portfolio of clients from a wide range of industry sectors, such as retail, construction and farming and has experience of many of the business and accountancy issues faced by SME’s. Jennifer also specialises in providing advice and training for new and existing computerised accounting packages such as Sage 50.

Judith O’Hare
BA (Hons), MIATI- Accounting Technician

Judith trained as an accounting technician with Moore Stephens qualifying in 2002. She went on to join M.B. McGrady & Co in 2007 as an accounting technician. Judith has a broad range of experience in the preparation of financial statements for sole traders, partnerships and non audit companies. She also has experience in the audit and preparation of charity accounts and clubs. Judith is also responsible for the preparation of VAT and PAYE returns for businesses.

Ann McGurnaghan

Ann is a qualified Accounts Technician. She has over 25 years’ experience working in various accountancy firms in Newry, Kilkeel and Saintfield where she gained invaluable experience on a wide range of businesses. She joined M.B. McGrady & Co in September 2015 and is responsible for the preparation of financial statements for sole traders, partnerships and non-audit companies from a wide range of industry sectors. She is a member of the Board of Governors of a local primary school and a member of the Finance Committee on that Board.

Karl Gilchrist
BA (HONS) ACA

Karl, a chartered accountant since 2006, joined M.B. McGrady & Co in 2014.  Karl previously held a managerial role in an accountancy practice in Lisburn.  He has extensive experience in the accounts preparation, business advisory and taxation of owner managed businesses and the audits of charities and credit unions.  Having come from a practice with an office in Republic of Ireland, Karl has a broad range of knowledge of the ROI tax issues affecting Northern Ireland businesses.  He also has extensive experience in the installation, training and operation of the various Sage accounting and payroll packages.

Aisling Murdock

Aisling joined M.B. McGrady and Co in August 2015, having graduated from University of Ulster with a degree in Business Studies. Aisling has over 5 years’ experience working within the Finance industry. She is currently working towards her accounting technician diploma. Aisling is the Practice Manager and works closely with the directors to ensure the smooth running of the 3 offices.

Brooke Shilliday

Brooke joined M.B. McGrady & Co in September 2018 and is currently progressing through her Accounts Technician qualification.

Brooke is currently involved in the Making Tax Digital team within M.B. McGrady & Co dealing with online accounting software and also preparing accounts, Vat returns and tax compliance for a variety of Sole Traders, Partnerships and owner manged limited companies.

Mary Radley

Mary joined M.B. McGrady and Co in 2018 as a payroll and book keeping assistant having previously worked in the admin and HR sectors.

Mary assists our clients with ensuring they remain compliant with their various vat and payroll obligations. Mary also carries out accounts preparation work for Sole Traders, Partnerships and small businesses.

Mairead Trainor

Mairead graduated from Ulster University, Jordanstown with a degree in Accountancy in 2021 and worked in an accountancy firm in Belfast for a year and a half. Mairead joined M.B. McGrady & Co in August 2023. She is currently progressing through her Chartered Accountants Ireland exams. Mairead works on VAT returns and preparing year end accounts.

Shane Milligan

Shane, a full member of ACCA since 2016, joined M.B. McGrady & Co at the beginning of 2024. Following nine years working in the Northern Ireland Civil Service in various finance roles, Shane left to join the private sector in 2016 where he worked in roles in smaller practices and then onto one of the UK’s larger practice firms. In these roles Shane gathered experience in the preparation of statutory accounts for audit clients and later as a Management Accountant in which Shane would take on the role of an outsourced finance function for global clients investing in the UK. These clients would come from various industries ranging from renewable energy infrastructure to ship building to financial advisory.  Shane also gained extensive experience in Xero, successfully moving clients over from remote server-based software to the cloud-based system.

Aoife McGrady

With a strong foundation in accounting and auditing, Aoife brings over four years of expertise to the M.B. McGrady & Co team as an Audit Manager. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast with a BSc in Accounting, Aoife further honed her skills by completing a Diploma in Advanced Accounting at Ulster University.

Beginning her career at Hill Vellacott, a well-regarded accountancy firm, Aoife completed a four-year training contract, gaining extensive experience across a wide range of industries. Over the years, Aoife progressed from trainee to Assistant Manager, overseeing audits for clients of various sizes and complexities. This experience provided invaluable insight into business operations, financial reporting, and risk management.

In September 2024, Aoife joined M.B. McGrady & Co as Audit Manager. She is responsible for managing a variety of audits, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, and driving strategic improvements to financial processes.

Rachel Gilroy

Rachel qualified as an Accounts Technician Ireland in 2021 and continued her studies with Chartered Accountants Ireland, becoming exam qualified in September 2024. Before joining M.B. McGrady & Co in June 2024, Rachel gained valuable experience working with Cunningham and McPartland in Kilkeel and KPS Chartered Accountants in Newcastle. Rachel specialises in the preparation of accounts for sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies, as well as handling personal and corporation tax compliance.

Holly Frazer

Holly joined M.B. McGrady & Co in September 2024 as an Accounts/Tax assistant. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a master’s degree in Accounting and Finance and gained two years of experience in Edinburgh specialising in personal tax. Holly now assists with personal tax, partnership and sole trade tax, accounts preparation, and the preparation of VAT returns.

Danielle Keenan

Danielle is a Chartered Accountant who joined M.B. McGrady & Co in April 2024. She holds a Diploma in Accountancy from Ulster University and qualified with ACCA in June 2023. Danielle trained in the tax department at KPMG, specialising in personal tax, corporation tax, and R&D. At M.B. McGrady & Co, Danielle focuses on accounts preparation, audits, and tax returns for a diverse range of clients, including sole traders, partnerships, charitable organisations, and corporate entities.