Professor Michael A Hayes

Born in Limerick in 1957, his post-primary education took place at St. Munchin’s College in Limerick. He went on to study at St. Patrick’s Pontifical College in Maynooth, before moving to the United Kingdom, where he lived and worked from 1980 until his appointment to Mary Immaculate College in 2011. He was a priest of the Archdiocese of Southwark in South East England.

Prior to his appointment at Mary Immaculate College, he worked in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Southwark, and later taught in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Roehampton University. He became Vice-Principal and Professor of Catholic Pastoral Studies at St. Mary’s University College, Strawberry Hill in Twickenham, London, where he had also been Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, as well as the founding Head of the School of Theology, Philosophy, and History. He was a Visiting Professor at St. Mary’s University College, London. Professor Hayes was committed to world class provision of initial teacher education and continuing professional development. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).

During the period of his presidency of Mary Immaculate College, Professor Hayes contributed greatly to the development of the College including the incorporation of St Patrick’s College into MIC, the opening of the Lime Tree Theatre, a growth in student numbers to almost 5,000 students, the acquisition and development of the Mount St Vincent Campus, now known as the John Henry Newman Campus, and the development of the Library Masterplan, which was granted planning permission by Limerick City and County Council in 2017.

He sadly passed away in April 2017 following a short illness. He is remembered by the College by the awarding of the Michael A Hayes Fellowship, presented to the graduate who achieves academic excellence in Education on the Bachelor of Arts in Education programmes at MIC Thurles.