Avila Kilmurray was educated in Dublin, Canberra (Australia) and Belfast, where she studied History, Politics, International Relations and Governance respectively. She has a long standing interest in both Labour History and the history of Social Movements and Community Action.
Avila has lived in Northern Ireland since 1975, working with local communities and the University of Ulster (Magee) in Derry until 1980. She moved to Belfast to work with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICSS) until 1985, when she became Coordinator of the Rural Action Project (NI), supporting rural development in South Armagh; the Glens of Antrim; West Fermanagh and the Sperrins. For a period of four years Avila filled the role of Women and Equality Officer with the Amalgamated Teansport & General Workers' Union, having responsibility for the Irish Region. Over this period Avila was a member of both the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Northern Ireland Committee of the ICTU. Since 1994, Avila has worked as Director of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
Avila was a member of the Industrial Development Board (1995-2000) and was appointed as the Northern Ireland reprsentative on the Board of the Community Development Foundation UK (1997-2002). She is currently a Board Member of the Global Fund for Community Foundations.
Over the years Avila has been involved in supporting a wide range of community based initiatives and she has had a particular interest in community education being a founder member of the Ulster People's College. She has also been actively involved in the Women's Movement and a number of voluntary sector organisations in areas of social need. Avila has published a number of articles on community and social development in Northern Ireland and retains her interest in history.