Board of Trustees
The Mary Immaculate College Board of Trustees appoints An tÚdarás Rialaithe (the Governing Body of the College) which in turn governs and controls all the affairs of the College, subject to the Scheme of Incorporation and in accordance with the Instrument of Government. See the membership below.
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.
Most Rev. Prof. Brendan Leahy is also Chaiperson of An t-Údarás Rialaithe, MIC.
Sr Frances Minahan RSM
Fr. Gerard Whelan is an Irish Jesuit who teaches Fundamental Theology in the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Previously, he lived for fourteen years in Kenya and Zambia, including six years as pastor of a poor parish in Nairobi. Academically, he specialises in the thought of Bernard Lonergan, who wrote on a philosophy of education and was much influenced by the thought of St. John Henry Newman.
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.
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.
Facthna is a graduate of UCD B.Agr.Sc (Hons) 1970, M.Agr.Sc (1973) Thesis.
During his professional career worked as a Science Teacher (Dublin VEC). Adviser, Lecturer, Assistant Principal, Kildalton College, Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.
In 1985 was appointed Chief Agricultural Officer (CAO) for Co. Carlow and moved to Limerick as CAO in 1987 until retiring in 2009. He was a Governor of University of Limerick (UL) 1993-2012 and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) 2000-2005, chairing the Audit and Risk Management Committee 1997-2012. A former President of the Agricultural Science Association and served on the Limerick County Enterprise Board, Moyross Development Company, Ard Scoil Rís and Salesian Primary School Board’s of Management
Married to Attracta, they have three adult children.
Mary Considine is the CEO of Shannon Group, a commercial semi state Group comprising of Shannon Airport, Shannon Commercial Properties & Shannon Heritage. Mary is the former Shannon Airport Director and during her time as Airport Director she led the successful setting up of Shannon Group plc and the transition of Shannon Airport, the property element of Shannon Development and Shannon Heritage into the Group prior to its incorporation in 2014. She also managed the successful separation of Shannon Airport Authority from the DAA in 2012 leading to Shannon Airport becoming independent on 31 December 2012.
Mary was appointed President of Shannon Chamber in June 2018 and currently sits on the VHI Members Advisory Council. A qualified accountant by profession, she has extensive financial, commercial and governance services experience from a number of previous senior roles.
