The inspirational journey of Donegal’s Jay Gibson

From Foróige’s Leadership for Life programme to becoming Managing Director of Medicall, the leading and largest private ambulance service in Ireland, at the age of 32, Jay Gibson continues to be an inspiration to young people in Donegal.

Born in Derry, Jay grew up in Convoy and Raphoe and is a former pupil of St Columba’s College, Stranorlar, and Deele College, Raphoe. He later studied law at Letterkenny University.

From a young age, Jay had a passion for emergency response and leadership. His early experiences with Foróige’s Leadership for Life Programme at 16 years old taught him the value of ambition, perseverance, and giving back to the community.

Driven to help others achieve their potential, he later became a Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) mentor and encouraged young people to follow their dreams, values he carried into his professional career.

“I became interested in the ambulance area through a friend, Pat Behan,” Jay said “I met Pat on a First Aid course and through speaking with him I became fascinated with the industry. This was further enhanced when I met people like Pam Skerritt and those I worked with when I joined St John Ambulance.”

Jay’s career in emergency healthcare began with St John Ambulance, Dundrum Division, where he rose to the role of Regional Manager, overseeing training, operations, and pre-hospital care initiatives.

He then gained experience in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety while working with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA).

“Before joining the RCSI, I worked in the National Ambulance Service National Emergency Operations Centre in Tallaght.” Jay explained. “NAS has an extensive team of amazing staff across the country, both on the road and in the control room, and the work they do every day would easily inspire anyone to work in any part of the industry.”

His work in this sector led him to further his education, and through his involvement with Irish Youth Justice, he pursued an MSc in Human Rights and Criminal Justice at the University of Limerick, strengthening his expertise in law, healthcare policy, and emergency medical services.

Jay said: “I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity over the years to enhance my training through studying at the University of Pecs, Hungary, in Denmark and briefly in the US. Through meeting the right people, I was encouraged to develop my interest in the industry and have been fortunate enough to have been given many fantastic opportunities to develop and become involved in the industry in a variety of ways.”

At 32 years old, Jay was appointed Managing Director of Medicall, a family-run business founded in 1993 by Paul M ffrench-O’Carroll, marking a significant milestone in his career. Under his leadership, Medicall acquired Proparamedics in 2025, a strategic move that expanded the company to 12 bases across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

This acquisition cemented Medicall’s position as the largest private ambulance provider on the island, with a team of 320 medical professionals, a fleet of 70 vehicles, including 60 state-of-the-art ambulances, and official approval from Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).

“Medicall operate first and foremost as an ambulance service offering our services at a variety of disciplines from EMT to Advanced Paramedics.” Jay said. “We provide services in this area to hospitals across the country, the National Ambulance Service, private Health Insurance Companies, with Medicall being the sole provider to Irish Life Health, event medical services and medical repatriation ground ambulance services, both air and sea.”

Jay continued: “We also offer a wide range of event medical services from coverage of small solo medic led events, right up to large events requiring a range of ambulance, ATV, medical and logistics requirements. We are a leading provider to the Motorsport sector and a range of specialist events. We also operate a fully equipped nationwide training service offering a range of advanced medical and first aid/ health and safety training.”

His contributions to the sector have been widely recognised, with Medicall being nominated for the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards (ILTA) in February. Additionally, Jay has been nominated for the Future Achievement Award, reflecting his impact and leadership in the industry.

From a young person inspired by Foróige to a leader in the emergency medical sector, Jay’s journey is a testament to the power of hard work, ambition, and the belief that anyone can achieve their dreams with the right support and determination.

If Jay could give advice to his younger self, he said he would tell him, “You likely won't know for sure what you want to do career wise when you are older, but don't be scared to try different things and broaden your skills in areas that you are passionate about. Make a list of things that you want to achieve in your career and work toward them, even if they are all completely different fields or industries. You will be surprised at how things link in and support each other.”

Jay continues to support young people and advises them: “Work hard. Nothing worth doing in life is easy, when you have made it, move the goal posts further and keep giving yourself something to work toward.

“You won't always win and there will be setbacks, that's life. In the good times and the bad always be able to say I did my best and I learned something. Not all lessons are easy, but that's OK too.”

“Don't compare yourself to others (ever), only ever compare yourself to you, the you from last month, last year - only ever improve on yourself and make you a better you. Take care online and on social media. Be safe and never compare yourself to others there either. After all, likes, views and interactions can be all bought nowadays.”

Jay advocates that the help of others should never be underestimated, and “If a win belongs to the team, share it with the team. We are stronger together and when we work together.”

As Jay continues to build on his successes, he adds one last piece of wisdom: “Small wins are as important as big wins. Always!”