Founded in 1966, the organisation is based in Dublin, with nine regional offices throughout Ireland.

[1] The organisation was founded as the Irish Epilepsy Association on 4 October 1966 following an inaugural meeting held in the Royal College of Physicians on Kildare Street, Dublin among various physicians including Dr. John Bergin (Stewarts Hospital), Mr. George Burden (secretary general for the International Bureau for Epilepsy and general secretary for the British Epilepsy Association), Dr. Peter Fahy (consultant psychiatrist for the student health service of University College Dublin) and Professor Patrick A. McNally (associate professor of Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and senior physician at Mercer's Hospital) who presided over the meeting.

[2][3][4][5] On 30 October 1967, a seminar was opened by the then Minister for Health, Seán Flanagan in the Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin.

[6] The minister emphasised the importance of early diagnosis and educating the general public about the condition.

[11] [12] A former board member of Brainwave, the predecessor to Epilepsy Ireland, was the late Joe Doyle.