An tÚdarás Rialaithe

Bishop Brendan Leahy was born in Dublin in 1960 and ordained Bishop of Limerick in 2013. He studied law in UCD and became involved in Free Legal Aid Centres (FLAC). He worked with UCD chaplaincy. In 1980, he entered Clonliffe College, Dublin and in first year studied theology, spirituality and psychology at the Mater Dei Institute of Education. At this time, he  also studied for the Bar in Kings Inns being called to the Bar in 1983. He became involved with the Focolare Movement.

On completion of philosophical and legal studies, he went to Rome to continue his study of theology (1983-1991). He attended the Jesuit-run Gregorian University, leading to a Doctoral award. During this time too, he spent a period at the Ecumenical Centre, Ottmaring, near Augsburg and continued his contact with the Focolare Community.

In 1991, Bishop Brendan was appointed to Clonskeagh Parish, Dublin and became chaplain to the German school there. He was appointed to the staff of Clonliffe College and of Mater Dei Institute of Education, becoming Registrar in Mater Dei in 2004 and a member of the Standing Committee of the Academic Council of DCU. He was appointed professor of Systematic Theology at St. Patricks College in 2006.

Since the mid 1990s, Bishop Brendan has been involved in ecumenism at both a diocesan and national level. In the 1990s, Bishop Brendan was Confessional Lecturer at the Irish School of Ecumenics. From 2007 to 2012, he was a member of a team from the Vaticans Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in conversation with the Salvation Army. In recent years, he has engaged in inter-religious dialogue, becoming a member of the Three Faiths Forum of Ireland and, more recently, working towards the establishment of an Inter-Religious Council in Dublin.

Bishop Brendan is a member of the Pontifical Theology Academy since 2004. He has written many articles and books on peace and forgiveness, faith questions, ecumenism, new movements and communities, Mary, Church, priesthood, historical treasures of Ireland and spirituality. He is a member of the Focolare Movements International Study Centre. He has been a Visiting Lecturer at the Sophia University Institute, Loppiano, Florence, since 2009.

Dermot Nestor was appointed as the 11th President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC) on 11 November 2024.

Before joining MIC, Professor Nestor established a distinguished academic and administrative career at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). As a Professor of Hebrew Bible in the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, he also served as the National Head of the School of Theology and for an extended period held the role of Executive Dean for the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy. Professor Nestor joined ACU in 2011 from the School of Religion and Theology at Trinity College Dublin (TCD).

At TCD, he completed his PhD on the topic of ancient Israelite identity under the guidance of Professor A.D.H. Mayes, and with the support of a prestigious Government of Ireland Postgraduate Fellowship. His initial doctoral thesis laid a strong foundation for further research and publication on the complex intersections of Israelite history, religion, and identity along with more recent work on materiality and participatory models of cultural heritage. 

Mr Michael J Keane was born in Limerick and educated at Clongowes Wood College. He graduated from UCD in 1989 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and then worked as an articled clerk with Coopers & Lybrand accountants (now PWC). He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1993 with the firm and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

From 1993 to 1995 he worked for the relief and development agency GOAL in Sudan and the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. On returning to Ireland he joined Shannonside Oil Co Ltd. an oil distributor servicing the mid-west region as Financial Controller. In 2000, he became Managing Director of Shannonside Oil. 

Michael studied with the Trinity College / Irish Management Institute during 2009 and 2010 earning a Master's of Science (Management) degree. In 2013, he joined Mary Immaculate College as Director of Finance and served in this role for three years. He also completed the TMP programme with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education during this time.

In 2016, he was appointed Vice President Administration and Finance at the College. He is part of the College Executive Team, Audit and Risk Committee, Finance and Resource Committee and Equality Committee. He is also a Board member of the Lime Tree Theatre.

Outside of Mary Immaculate College, Michael also sits on the Board and Audit and Finance Committee of Adapt Services in Rosbrien, Limerick. He lives in Ardnacrusha, Co Clare with his family and maintains a strong interest in local sports in particular rugby, swimming and triathlon. 

Prof. Niamh Hourigan is a Sociologist and Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Mary Immaculate College. She has worked for four Irish universities and has published widely on a range of themes including values, social protest, corruption and community violence.

She has led research projects funded by the Irish Research Council, Universities Ireland and Irish Aid. Her monographs including Escaping the Global Village: Media, Language and Protest (Lexington Books, 2003, 2004) and Rule-breakers: Why ‘being there’ trumps ‘being fair’ in Ireland (Gill and Macmillan, 2015). She has also edited a number of collections: Understanding Limerick: Social Exclusion and Change (Cork University Press, 2011), Minority Language Media: Concepts, Critiques and Case Studies (with Mike Cormack, Multilingual Matters, 2007) and Social Movements and Ireland (Manchester University Press, 2006 with Linda Connolly).

Her PhD, which focused on minority language nationalisms in Europe was highly commended under the European Union Committee of the Region’s Doctoral Thesis Prize Competition. In 2010, she co-authored The TEACH Report (Traveller Education and Adults: Crisis, Challenge and Change) with Dr. Maria Campbell which mapped challenges faced by young Mincéirs (Irish Travellers) in dealing with adult transitions in the Irish education system. In 2011, she was awarded a CACSSS Special Research Commendation Award for her three year ethnographic study of social exclusion and community violence in Limerick city which was published as part of the Understanding Limerick collection.

She is a former editor of the Irish Journal of Sociology and former Chair of the Editorial Committee of Cork University Press. She served as Head of the Department of Sociology at University College Cork for three years and in 2018 was appointed Vice-President of Academic Affairs at MIC in her native Limerick. Having worked as a journalist and presenter while completing her PhD, she is a frequent contributor to the Irish media on themes of sociological interest.

Tracie Tobin is Principal of St Michael’s Infant School in Limerick City. She graduated from Mary Immaculate College in 1996 with a B.Ed. degree and in 2008 with a Graduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs. She is particularly interested in the Maths Recovery Programme and completed a Master’s in Education on this topic in 2009. Tracie is dedicated to educational disadvantage and has worked in DEIS schools for all her teaching career. She was a member of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s National Equality Committee from 2012-2024 and was chairperson from 2015-2017. She was elected to the Teaching Council in 2016 where she represented the primary teachers of Munster until April 2024. She is currently a member of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s Central Executive Committee where she represents the primary teachers of Limerick and Kerry. Tracie was seconded to Mary Immaculate College in September 2021 and worked as implementation lead for City Connects, a Boston College initiative, which is being piloted in the North East Inner City of Dublin before returning to school in September 2023.

Tom is a past student of Mary Immaculate College. He graduated with the last class of NT Diploma before the transition to the B. Ed. degree. During his time in College he was elected to the Student Union and was secretary of the Sports Council. After graduation he served as a primary teacher and principal in St. Senan’s Primary School in Limerick City. He was elected as a member of the INTO National Executive in 1989. He was then appointed Assistant General Secretary of the INTO in 2002 where he served for 13 years. During that time he was involved in developing and negotiating policy on Special Education, School Leadership, Educational Disadvantage and Equality. Other responsibilities included Communications and Publications, Information Technology, and Professional Development and Training. He also acted as liaison with the student bodies in the various Colleges of Education.

Tom served a number of terms on the National Council for Special Education. He was a member of European Educational Trade Union committees on School Leadership and Education Policy. More recently he has been a lay member of the Law Society of Ireland Client and Customer Relations Committee.

Joe is a native of Limerick city and was educated in CBS Sexton Street, NUI Galway and the University of Manchester. He has served as a post-primary school principal in St Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla Co. Clare, was founding director of St Senan’s Education office supporting the Boards of Management of the Catholic dioceses of Limerick, Kerry and Killaloe and was Director of Limerick Education Centre. Joe has taught education legislation and governance as part of the MIC MA in Christian Leadership in Education. 

Joe currently supports a wide range of organisations and professional bodies in addressing issues such as leadership and organisational development. He has previously served as a member of the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick and is a Director of Limerick’s Hunt Museum. 

Niall O’Callaghan leads Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) as CEO, an organisation synonymous with Limerick’s transformation over the past 25 years. LEDP is a unique model, a self-funded charity which generates revenue from its commercial property portfolio and reinvests these funds in community projects of impact across Limerick’s most disadvantaged communities. 

Niall is a member of a number of regional social and economic inclusion committees and boards, including Our Lady of Lourdes CSG (Ballinacurra/Weston) and UL Student Life, amongst others. Niall chairs Limerick Regeneration’s Employment and Work sub-committee and also sits on UL's Citizens Assembly Expert Panel and is a former past Chairperson of AVEA – The National Association of Visitor Experiences and Attractions. Niall is a graduate of UL, with a Masters from UCC, and was identified as ‘Global High Performing Talent’ in his early years with consumer goods giant, Unilever. Following his tenure with IDA Ireland, leading the Mid-West through its most successful period of foreign direct investment on record, Niall took on the role of Managing Director of the Shannon Heritage portfolio of tourist attractions in 2017, transforming the company’s organisational structure and financial performance.

Colm O'Brien left school in Dublin in 1980 wanting to be a schoolteacher, but fate took him in a different direction.

Following a very satisfying career in hospitality instead, a highlight of which included a stint as General Manager of Bewley's Grafton St, Dublin, Colm stepped out of the corporate world in 1998 to begin his journey to Business Ownership. With his wife, Aideen and their three (now adult) children, they upped sticks from life in Dublin and moved to Limerick in Ireland’s Midwest to take on a Bewley's Cafe Franchise there. 

It all went very well until a perfect economic storm – culminating in a rent review upwards to €1,000 per trading day in 2002 - caused that million-euro business to fail and it sadly closed in March 2005, heralding in a period of retail uncertainty in the city centre, from which it has never fully recovered.

However, from the ashes, and from the lessons learned, he went on to co-found Carambola, a School Meals Company in 2003, with Aideen. Twenty-one years later that business has annual revenues approaching €20 million employing more than 300 people nationwide. 

Colm is also a Published Author, a Professional Speaker and Emcee, Podcaster, and Coach and has served voluntarily on the Boards of various charities, including a five-year stint as Chair of the Board of the Lime Tree Theare.

Born in 1963, he is excited about the future for Limerick, the Midwest, as well as Ireland Inc at large.

Colm’s energy, enthusiasm, and general joie de vivre is infectious to all who meet him whether online or in-person.

Aoife, a Limerick native, graduated from Mary Immaculate College in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies. 

Following her studies, she served as Vice President of Mary I Students' Union (2021–2022) and went on to become MISU President from 2022 to 2023. 

She now works as a Housing Advisor with Threshold, a charity dedicated to preventing homelessness by offering free advice to individuals facing housing challenges and advocating for a fairer housing system.

Fr. Tom Fogarty, B.A., M.A., PGDE., studied for the priesthood in St. Patrick’s College, Thurles, and was ordained in June 1979. He served as President of St. Patrick's College, Thurles, from May 2004 to July 2016, as a lecturer in Pastoral Theology, and as Vice-President of the College from 1993 to 1995. Diocesan Secretary and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly from 1989–1997. He presided over St. Patrick's College, as it developed into a College of Education, developing links with the Tipperary Institute (Technological University of the Shannon, TUS), the University of Limerick, and its incorporation into Mary Immaculate College.

He was appointed Parish Priest of Moycarkey/Two-Mile Borris/Littleton in September 2017. He is Chairman of the Council of Priests in the Archdiocese of Cashel/Emly; Moderator of the parishes of Thurles/Moycarkey/Moyne Templetuohy/ Gortnahoe Glengoole and a member of the Council for Clergy.

He is is a former Manager of the Tipperary minor, under-21, and senior hurling teams. He also managed the Offaly senior hurling team in 2021.

Chaith Maedhbh Uí Chiagáin a saol oibre i gColáiste Íosagáin, Baile Átha Cliath, i dtosach mar mhúinteoir ceoil agus ansin mar phríomhoide. Ó d’éirigh sí as tá sí gníomhach ar dhá bhord bainistíochta  meánscoile, chomh maith le roinnt oibre a dhéanamh ó am go chéile don JMB. This includes, in 2012, the editing of Catholic Schools – Faith in our Future, a collection of essays to mark 25 years of the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools. 

As a parish volunteer, she prepares and accompanies a group of young singers for one of the weekend Masses.

Mary is the Chief Executive Officer of The Shannon Airport Group. In her career, Mary has held a number of senior roles, including, Airport Director, Deputy CEO and CFO/Company Secretary of the Group. Mary was instrumental in the establishment of Shannon Group in 2014. She has extensive experience in roles such as aviation, commercial development and finance. Mary leads the Group in maximising the potential of its airport and surrounding lands and property while embedding sustainability across the business, all of which are pivotal in driving economic advancement.

Mary is a Board Member of Ibec & President of the Ibec Midwest Regional Committee. She is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Governing Authority of Mary Immaculate College. She also currently serves on the Board of Limerick Chamber of Commerce, was a past President of Shannon Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce. 

A well-known Limerick City businesswoman and voluntary community activist, Helen was Limerick Person of the Year 2012. She is the proprietor/manager of the Hunt Museum Café and bespoke event catering business, and also chairperson of the Board of Management Crescent College Comprehensive SJ.

Helen is Chairperson of Limerick City Tidy Towns committee; a member of the JP McManus Benevolent Fund committee; past Chairperson of Adapt woman's refuge; past President Limerick Federation of Women's Organisations and has served on the board and executive committee Limerick Chamber of Commerce. At national level served as a member of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation and is presently Chairperson of the Safefood Advisory Board, a North South body established under the Good Friday Agreement. A native of Sligo, she was educated at Grange National School, Grange Vocational School, Convent of Mercy Claremorris, and College of Catering RTC Galway.

Married to Tom, a former Government Minister and MEP, they have one son—Thomas.

Aisling Knox was elected as President of MISU for the academic year 2024/2025.  

Aisling is from Clare and is a recent graduate of the BA in English and Drama & Theatre Studies at MIC. 

As SU President, she is the chief spokesperson of the Student Union and the main representative for the students of MIC. Their role is to coordinate all aspects of the union and its dealings with students.

Jimmy Ogwal was elected as Vice President Academic of MISU for the academic year 2024/25. 

Jimmy has experience in teaching, tutoring, educational leadership and administration, and lecturing. He hails from Uganda and has achieved several academic milestones, including a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration and Management (PGDPAM), a Postgraduate Certificate in Theological Training, a Bachelor of Teacher Education (BTE), a Diploma in Education (Dip Ed), Uganda Certificate in Education(UCE) and a Certificate in Primary Teaching. Currently, he is pursuing his MEd from MIC and is expected to graduate soon. 

In his capacity as the academic officer of the student's union, he deals with academic-related student issues on a daily basis and coordinates the class rep system at the College.

Rory McGann is a Lecturer in Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) with a notable career in education spanning significant contributions to policy development, legislative reform, and regulatory advancements across diverse educational contexts. Supported by a comprehensive range of postgraduate qualifications, including a B.Ed, M.Ed, Graduate Diplomas in Special Educational Needs and Educational Leadership, and an Advanced Diploma in Law and Education, Rory brings a holistic perspective to the evolving challenges in education. Through his teaching, research, and advocacy, he is committed to advancing the professional development of educators.

Rory’s early career as a primary school teacher and Regional Advisor with the Department of Education and Skills professional development service sparked his enduring interest in technology-enhanced and practice-based pedagogical innovation, alongside an emerging exploration in the intertwined potentials of creativity and professional growth. Currently completing his doctoral research, Rory’s work explores the interplay of perception, product, and press in nurturing creativity within initial teacher education, contributing valuable insights to contemporary education practices. He is also actively engaged in national and international projects that support the advancement of these areas.

As a passionate advocate for academic staff rights, Rory serves as Chairperson of the IFUT-MIC Branch and as a member of the National Executive and Council of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT). In these roles, he represents staff interests on collective and individual matters, advocating for academic freedom, increased investment in higher education, and greater recognition of academic contributions to universities and society at large.

Outside of his academic and professional commitments, Rory is an avid supporter of all things sport, with a particular penchant for Gaelic Games and culture. He is a member of the executive of Cora Chaitlín GAA Club, serving as Irish Language and Culture Officer, and is also a member of the Competition Controls Committee of Clare GAA.

Dr Catherine Swift lectures to students in both faculties and is an elected Staff Representative to An t-Údaras Rialaithe.  Her career began with a Double First in History and Archaeology in University College Dublin in 1985 and she subsequently gained scholarships to the University of Durham (where she completed a Research Masters on the influence of the early Irish church in  Scotland) and to the University of Oxford where she did her doctorate on the early hagiography of St Patrick. She also holds a Masters in Old Irish Language and Literature from Trinity College Dublin and is currently completing a Masters in Theology at the Loyola Institute (TCD) on the influence of the Cappadocian Fathers with a view to completing her second doctorate on the theological formation of concepts of Christian community in the early Irish church.

Before coming to Mary Immaculate College, Dr Swift held lecturing posts in University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Maynooth University, Galway University and the University of Liverpool as well as research posts as a DAAD Stipendiatin at the University of Konstanz and as a Celtic Studies scholar at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. She has been awarded numerous research grants by the Irish Research Council as well as the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the UK.  She has an extensive publication record, both nationally and internationally.  She was Secretary and Conference Convenor for the Irish Conference of Medievalists for fifteen years as well as review editor for the Journal of the American Society for Irish Medieval Studies and, most recently, Secretary to the Thomond Archaeological and Historical Society.  Her latest work is an edited collection of essays on the history of the mid-West entitled Limestone and River in honour of the retired Head of History in Mary Immaculate College, Liam Irwin.

Prior to being elected to Governing Body, Dr Swift was elected Staff Representative to An Chomhairle Acadúil and to AFMC in the Faculty of Arts and she is a previous Chair of the MIC Branch of the Irish Federation of University Teachers. 

Jeannette Ferguson is a passionate and dedicated professional who has worked in both the public and private sectors. Born in Ayrshire, in the south-west of Scotland, Jeannette attended Kilmarnock Technical College and the University of Paisley, and has worked across various sectors, including the National Air Traffic Services and North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust, before relocating to Limerick in 1998 with her husband. Initially planning a short-term stay, 26 years later, Limerick has become home.

For over two decades at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Jeannette has served in multiple administrative roles, working closely with both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her professional journey also includes research interests that have led her to engage with international academic networks. Notably, she participated in the Erasmus+ EU Staff Mobility Programme at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, where she explored the correlation of educational practices between higher education institutions across Europe.

In 2022, Jeannette expanded her expertise by completing a Professional Diploma in Event Management at UCD Professional Academy. She then went on to complete the Advance HE Aurora Programme, which seeks to empower and develop women in higher education leadership roles.

Jeannette's commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive community during her leadership of the MIC Staff Social club has become a key avenue for staff to engage in social and cultural activities in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. In addition, she serves as a Professional Services Staff Representative on the Environmental & Sustainability Committee at MIC, advocating for a greener, more sustainable future for the institution.

In December 2023, Jeannette helped recreate the magic of Christmas at MIC by organising a Student Parent Christmas Party with the help of staff from the MIC Student Life and the MISU. The event brought together students and their children to celebrate the holiday season, together with the help of MIC student volunteers who contributed to the festive atmosphere, fostering a sense of community and tradition that they hope to continue.

Beyond her work at MIC, Jeannette was recently elected to the Board of the Limerick Clare Education and Training Board, and she serves on the Board of Management at Coláiste Chiaráin in Croom and Croí na Coille in Fedamore. Her voluntary work extends to local sports, where she has been an ambassador for the National Parents Council, a member of her local soccer club and committee member to the local GAA club. 

Ciara Ní Shúilleabháin, from Killarney, is the Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing at MIC having joined in 2007 as the College’s first PR & Marketing Officer whereupon she built and developed the function from the ground up before her promotion to Director in 2019. 

With over 25 years’ experience working in managerial positions, both in the private and public sector, Ciara brings a wealth of experience to the role and sits on a number of key strategic committees and working groups within the College. 

Prior to joining MIC, Ciara worked in the arts sector for 20 years; first as a founding member of Bricriu Performance Arts (Killarney), then as Company Administrator with internationally acclaimed theatre company, Druid (Galway), Managing Director with Cork Midsummer Festival and General Manager of Everyman Palace Theatre (Cork) in addition to sitting on the Board of the Lime Tree Theatre for ten years and serving as the Board’s representative on the Belltable Committee.  

Ciara currently resides in Killarney where she is involved with a number of organisations including Flesk Valley Rowing Club, Dr Crokes, Loreto NS Parents’ Association and St Brigid’s Secondary School Parents’ Association.

Ailbhe Kenny is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Mary Immaculate College. She is author of Communities of Musical Practice (2016), co-editor of Musician-Teacher Collaborations: Altering the Chord (2018) and Sonic Signatures: Music, Migration and the City at Night (2023). Ailbhe is an Irish Research Council Laureate, Fulbright Scholar, EURIAS fellow, and holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Ailbhe was a PI on the HERA-funded (Humanities in the European Research Area) project Night Spaces: Migration, Culture and Integration in Europe (2019-22) and is currently PI on the IRC-funded Music in the Intercultural School: Uncovering Spaces for Agency and Belonging (2022-26). Ailbhe serves on a number of boards and committees including the NCCA Arts Education Development Group, as an Executive Board member of the Irish Centre for Transnational Studies and as Vice Chair of the International Society for the Sociology of Music Education (ISSME). Ailbhe is actively involved in community projects, including directing the MIC Children's Choir and working with forcibly displaced adults and children.