OUR MISSION

We’re making homeownership simpler, faster — and most importantly, more accessible for Irish people nationwide.

Rebuilding the homeownership journey

After 20 years in business, our focus hasn’t changed. We’re still transforming the way Irish people buy and own a home in this country. Step-by-step we’re taking apart the old infrastructure and replacing it with thoughtful technology and a better experience

Breaking the Status Quo

Mortgage approval has never been straightforward.

Dozens of different lending institutions, each with their own specific qualifying criteria and their own mortgage offerings.

As someone looking to buy their first home or refinance an existing home loan, trying to decide which lender and which offer best suits your individual circumstances can be a daunting and confusing experience.

Making the correct decision at the start of the process can literally save you tens of thousands of euro over the course of the mortgage term.

Established in 2000, First Choice Financial Services DAC is a multi-agency brokerage that deals with all the Irish mortgage providers. We are fully regulated by the CentralBank of Ireland and have vast experience in consistently delivering tailored mortgages for our clients.

We started with a mission to simplify the mortgage process. 20 years later, we’re still innovating.

Mortgage ABC was set up as an online mortgage application portal allowing clients to apply for a mortgage 24/7 from the comfort of their own home.

We save you the time and effort it would take to gather all the information separately and tailor a mortgage solution from beginning to end, designed with you in mind.

You become part of the story by joining thousands of happy homeowners.

Our Team

Barry White
Barry WhiteManaging Director & Head of Compliance

Barry has more than 30 years experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining First Choice Financial Services DAC, Barry was sales development manager for the mid-west for Royal Liver Assurance.
Barry is a recognised and accomplished industry professional who is a qualified financial advisor, a retirement planning advisor, special investment advisor (SIA) and a member of the Life Insurance Association in Ireland.

As Managing Director of First Choice, Barry is responsible for the overall strategic direction and growth of our business, as well as being the leader of our financial planning division.

Dave Kelly
Dave KellyRegional Manager

Dave has worked in the Financial Services industry for 18 years, gaining valuable experience in multiple disciplines across the banking sector.
Dave has held several senior relationship management & leadership roles in various high street banks, including Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank.
As a seasoned mortgage professional, he is passionate about helping his clients to purchase their dream homes. Dave understands that no two mortgages are the same and believes that the application process should be as personal to the client as their new home!

In addition to providing expert mortgage advice, he is also skilled in wealth management, insurance, business banking, and helping his clients to plan for their financial future.

Dave holds a Diploma in Financial Advice (Q.F.A) awarded by UCD and is a recent graduate of Technological University Dublin’s School of Business. Outside of the office, Dave enjoys dancing, gardening and all things fitness related. A Dublin native, he shares his home with his two Corgis, Doris & Donal.

Angela Leonard
Angela LeonardOffice Administrator

Angela joined First Choice in November 2015.  She is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and has APA in General Insurance.  She has 11 year retail banking experience with National Irish Bank/Danske Bank specialising in mortgages and personal banking.

Laura Mansbridge
Laura MansbridgeMortgage Advisor

Laura is a Qualified Financial Advisor and graduate from the University of Limerick. She has been working in the finance industry for the last 3 years. Customer service is a priority to Laura and she prides herself on helping her clients from the very first conversation they have until they have the keys to their new home.

Laura does everything she can to make the entire process as stress free and straight forward as possible for every client. She is highly motivated and remaining customer focused is at the centre of everything she does. Constant communication with clients is another key focus for Laura. If you have any queries or you are looking to get started with a mortgage application, get in touch with Laura today.

Peter Murphy
Peter MurphyMortgage Advisor

Peter is a highly motivated Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and comes to First Choice Financial Services with over 20 years experience in the Financial Industry. He provides a thorough and professional mortgage service from start to completion.

Peter started his career with Scottish Legal Life in 1999 before entering the Mortgage Broking Industry with Irish Mortgage Corporation in 2004 and later with Irish Mortgage Brokers. Peter has worked in many roles across the financial services sector, most recently with Ulster Bank as a Mortgage Manager where he secured excellent corporate relationships with many of Ireland’s leading companies to provide first class banking services to employees. Following his time working for a Retail bank, Peter is delighted to bring his extensive experience delivering superior client service, and now is adding something extra for his clients as a broker……….. Choice!!

Joanne Madden
Joanne MaddenMortgage Advisor

Joanne has attained various academic qualifications including the Institute of Bankers QFA and a Masters in Financial Services.  She has significant banking experience from her various roles in both AIB and Ulster Bank across their Corporate and Retail divisions, including relationship management, business development & debt restructuring.

Joanne has excellent interpersonal skills; she delivers exceptional customer service and builds trust to develop robust relationships. She has the skills required to deliver results; drawing on her vast experience to deal with any challenges that may present on your mortgage journey and a proven ability in negotiating successful outcomes. In this competitive mortgage market, Joanne will act as your trusted advisor to communicate, negotiate and secure the best mortgage package for you.

Michelle Powell
Michelle PowellMortgage Advisor

Michelle is a Qualified Financial Advisor and a graduate from the University of Limerick. She has been working in the finance industry since 2019. Michelle is highly motivated about providing a client focused service throughout the mortgage process, keeping the client informed and ensuring she is at hand to answer any queries.

Michelle does everything she can to make the process as smooth as possible for each client and making sure each mortgage is tailored to a client’s specific needs. She prides herself on customer service.

Deirdre McGrath
Deirdre McGrathMortgage Advisor

Deirdre is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and graduate from the University of Limerick.  Deirdre joins First Choice Financial Services with significant banking experience from her various roles in Aib over the past 15 years.  Customer service is a priority to Deirdre and she prides herself on helping her clients throughout the mortgage journey by doing everything she can to make the journey as stress free & straight forward as possible for every client.  Having worked as a dedicated mortgage advisor for the past 6 years, she has the skills required to deliver results & overcome any challenges which may arise during your mortgage journey.  If you are looking to get started on your mortgage journey, get in touch with Deirdre to secure the best mortgage package for you.

Ruairí Mac Donnacha
Ruairí Mac DonnachaMortgage Advisor

Ruairí is a Mortgage Advisor at First Choice Financial Services, bringing over 5 years of experience in the finance industry to his role. Committed to putting his clients first, Ruairí takes great pride in ensuring his clients fully understand the mortgage process and assist them finding the best mortgage to suit their needs. He believes that securing a mortgage is the most important financial decision one can make and understands the significance of owning a property.

Ruairi is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) awarded by Atlantic Technological University. Academically, he also holds a Diploma and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from NUI Galway and Masters of Science from Ulster University.

Outside of work, Ruairí enjoys running and is partaking in the Dublin Marathon 2023.

Martin White
Martin WhiteBanking Consultant

Martin has more than 25 years’ experience in financial services. He is a co-founder/director of Sonas Nursing Home group. Prior to founding First Choice Financial Services, Martin was branch and area Manager for Permanent TSB. He is a professional, knowledgeable and accomplished dealmaker who
offers ‘hands on’ practical experience when dealing with his clients.

Martin’s expertise includes providing solutions on development sites, particularly for Nursing Home projects. He also specialises in securing investor finance for debt resolution and dealing with day-to-day mortgages, deposits and invoice finance/leasing.

Paul Kerr
Paul KerrBanking Consultant

Paul has a lifetime’s experience in commercial and retail banking, having worked in various managerial roles to Sales Director level. In 2010 Paul was appointed to the role of Senior Reviewer with the Government’s Credit Review Office that oversees declined SME lending, and has provided detailed opinions on this important subject. Paul was also involved in the project team that set up Microfinance Ireland and holds a role as an external credit assessor here. Paul has worked on various SME lending projects with Linked Finance, Grid Finance, Frank Mortgages and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland.

Paul is always keen to help SMEs and/or persons burdened with debt. He also assists clients with funding and fundraising, either as part of, or completely unrelated to bank debt settlement negotiations. Paul and his team have an extremely high success rate in bank debt negotiations, where his expertise is unrivalled.

David Sommerville
David SommervilleFinancial Advisor

David is a QFA and is also one of Ireland’s first Certified Financial Planners – (CFP®). He holds an honours degree in Economics and has an MSc in Financial Planning from U.C.D.

David has worked in the financial markets since 1985 primarily in London and Dublin. He has worked for amongst others Salomon Brothers , Citibank, Sanwa, NCB and Standard Life.

An expert in financial products and markets David enjoys working closely with clients and families to help them clarify and simplify financial issues. In all personal financial situations our aim is to outline all options for our clients, assess the merits of each and help clients choose the most appropriate solution for them.  As part of the First Choice team  based in Dublin, you can call David  at our offices in Blackrock to arrange an appointment .

Thomas Fitz-Gough
Thomas Fitz-GoughFinancial Advisor

Thomas has worked in the Financial Services Industry since 2002. He joined Irish Life in 2006, moving on to become a Senior Financial Adviser as part of the financial planning team dealing with personal clients, along with retail and commercial business partners.

A Qualified Financial Adviser with LIA/UCD qualifications, Thomas was awarded a higher-level Diploma in Personal Financial Planning from the Canadian Institute of Bankers & National College of Ireland and was recently awarded a Professional Diploma in Retirement Planning Advice from UCD. He is a member of the Life Insurance Association of Ireland.

With over 12 years in the industry, as a Professional Financial Planner, Thomas has an excellent and thorough understanding of clients’ needs. His in-depth knowledge of Retirement Planning and Portfolio Management, along with his ability to personalise financial plans to meet clients’ requirements is a distinct advantage when doing business.

Thomas is a consummate professional adept at dealing with people and meeting their individual customer requirements. Focused on presenting financial and investment solutions in a clear and understandable manner, he develops customised strategies based on client’s needs and budgets.

Olive Coyne
Olive CoyneFinancial Advisor

Olive Coyne RPA QFA joined First Choice in September 2014. She is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and recently qualified as a retirement planning advisor. She previously worked in Caledonian Life (now Royal London). She has a strong background in business administration and specialises in the administration surrounding the life & pensions business for the office.

Adrian Healy
Adrian HealyFinancial Administrator
Adrian Healy BA (Hons) APA is a Financial Administrator who specialises in the Life & Pensions area of the business.

Adrian began his career in Financial Services working for Aware Super, an Australian pension fund, while living in Australia.

He prides himself on simplifying the complexities of the financial services industry and guiding our clients through the various stages of the financial planning process.

Outside of work, Adrian is a keen sport enthusiast, with a particular interest in Clare hurling & Munster Rugby.

Jennifer Riordan
Jennifer RiordanFinancial Administrator

Jennifer has been in the Insurance Industry since 2002 beginning her career with Standard Life in Dublin. She is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) and Retirement Planning Advisor (RPA).

Jennifer joined First Choice in April 2024, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise from her various roles within the industry. She prides herself on excellent customer relations ensuring the client always comes first. She specialises in the financial administration for the office for Life & Pension clients. She will always go above and beyond for our clients.

Jennifer is also a member of the Life Insurance Association in Ireland.

Ann Harnett
Ann HarnettFinancial Administrator

Ann is a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA) & Financial Administrator, who spent 27 years with Permanent TSB, working in numerous branches across Dublin and around the country.

Ann gained extensive experience in all areas of retail banking, including new mortgage applications, mortgage arrears, financial planning/budgeting, general banking, as well as working in their Customer Resolution Department. Known for being approachable, she always prioritised customer service, tailoring solutions to meet each client’s unique needs.

Ann has now joined First Choice in their insurance section, continuing her dedication to an exceptional client-focused service.

Our Partners

Ready to get started?