There were celebratory scenes at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) this week as over 1,800 graduates were conferred with academic awards across the College’s 50+ undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Education and the Liberal Arts in the institution’s 125th anniversary year.
Three days of on-campus conferring ceremonies saw graduates from across Ireland and five continents being honoured for a variety of achievements and journeys “filled with challenges, triumphs, and countless memories which will remain with you for a lifetime” as Prof. Niamh Hourigan, Acting President of MIC, eloquently put it.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan TD, who is also an alumnus of MIC added his congratulations to the Class of 2024—urging them all to enjoy their careers and embrace change.
Drawing on his own experience as a primary school teacher and parent, he said: “In becoming a teacher, you get the greatest gift of all that can be given to anybody, which is the gift of being an educator. For those of us who are parents, every day of the week, we entrust to the teachers of Ireland the most important people in our lives: our children. It’s more than just a job. It’s more than just a vocation; it is a gift.”
Amongst those honoured was Clare Senior Hurler and All Ireland 2024 winner, Diarmuid Ryan, who received the Outstanding Achievement of the Year Award for his sporting endeavours. After an 11 year wait for the Banner County, the Professional Master of Education (Primary Teaching) graduate duly brought Liam McCarthy as one of his guests in a year that also saw him nominated for a third GAA All Star Award and play a part in securing a third Fitzgibbon Cup for the MIC Senior Hurling team. In recognition of his sporting achievements while studying at MIC, Diarmuid was awarded an MIC Gaelic Players Association Sports Scholarship in 2022 and again in 2023. He previously graduated from MIC with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Champion Irish athlete, Thomas Devaney from Castlebar, Co Mayo, had a photo finish for his Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) degree. An MIC Elite Sports Scholarship recipient in 2022/23, his accolades include gold medals as a member of the U23 team at the European cross-country championships in 2021 and at the Celtic Cross Country in 2022. He has won medals in athletics at county, provincial, national and international level representing Ireland but is also the only athlete in history to win both the 5000m and 10000m at the same Irish university athletics championships (setting records for University of Limerick in these events).
The sporting flavour didn’t end there. Waterford Senior Hurler, Dessie Hutchinson—an MIC Elite Sports Scholar in 2021/22—graduated from the BA in Education, Business Studies and Religious Studies, one of seven post-primary teaching programmes at MIC Thurles. Two-time MIC GPA Scholar (2021 & 2022) and Limerick Senior Camogie player, Caoimhe Costelloe, was awarded a Master’s in Education for her research entitled A Self-Study of a Novice Coach Navigating the Coaching Journey. From Adare, Co. Limerick, Caoimhe is a teacher at Our Lady’s Abbey NS, Adare where she coaches pupils in sports and she also coaches teams at MIC—truly putting her research into practice.
MIC’s 2024 Fitzgibbon Cup-winning captain, Colin O’Brien, from Liscarroll, Co. Cork, graduated with a PME and two members of MIC Limerick’s Basketball Ireland College Division 3 winning teams, Paul O’Leary and Kate Connaughton, swapped b-ball for B Eds with degrees in primary school teaching. Several Ladies Footballers, who reached the Moynihan Cup final in 2024 with MIC, graduated with B Ed (Primary Teaching) degrees including Ciara Hynes (Team Captain) and Rachel O'Brien (Sligo Senior Ladies squad). Limerick’s own, Fiona Bradshaw (Limerick Senior team) graduated with a BA in Education, Mathematics and Gaeilge from MIC Thurles—having togged out for MIC Thurles during her time there also.
The undergraduate Class of 2024 were the first and only students at MIC who commenced their college life online in September 2020 so it was only fitting to mark four ‘first’ cohorts. These included the first graduates of the four-year undergraduate programmes, the Bachelor of Education (International) and the BA in Education, Mathematics and Gaeilge, and the postgraduate programmes—the M Ed in Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship and the Master of Arts in Climate, Justice and Sustainability.
Prof. Niamh Hourigan, Acting President of MIC, spoke about the special year for the College as MIC celebrated 125 years since its foundation.
“It is a time to reflect on the road we have travelled, a time to reflect on the profound contributions the College has made to the state and a time to remember the enduring values that guide us. Looking forward, we recognise the challenges that lie before us. As graduates, you are uniquely positioned to address these challenges with the knowledge, skills, and values you have acquired during your time at MIC. Your education has prepared you to be leaders and advocates for positive change in your communities and beyond.”
Watch the MIC Graduation 2024 video below.
Among the graduation stories this year were several inspiring educational journeys. Mikey O’Doherty, originally from Montpelier, Co. Limerick but living in Limerick City started at MIC in 2011 with the Certificate in General Learning and Personal Development before progressing onto the Foundation Programme and then Bachelor of Arts programme, where his graduating subjects were English and History. He hopes to continue his studies with an MA in History in the future. On the occasion, Mikey said: “It feels wonderful to be graduating. It’s going to be the best day of my life. I put in a lot of work just to be here, just to be a part of Mary I. It is a wonderful campus. I had brilliant people in my class; we were all close friends and it was like one big family. I look forward to continuing my studies from here on.”
Three graduates, Kate Upton, Lauren McMahon and Pamela Downes entered the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) programme from the MIC Teacher Education Access Programme—an access route for mature students.
Pamela, from Ballinacurra in Limerick, started studying to be a teacher at the age of 52—sharing her journey with the readers of RSVP Magazine in its series, ‘Your Best Life’.
"It means the world to me as a mature student to finally realise my dream of becoming a primary school teacher. I couldn't have done so without the support of family, friends, fellow students and of course, Mary Immaculate College," she said. Pamela is now pursuing Master’s in Education at MIC.
Limerick-woman Lauren joins her mother, Dr Jennifer McMahon (currently Head of the Department of Educational Psychology, Inclusive and Special Education at MIC) and her grandmother, Eileen O'Brien, as MIC Alumni. It was also a family affair for two other graduates—mother and daughter, Sarah and Amy Maher, from Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Amy was conferred with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Irish and History Thursday morning and Sarah was conferred with a BA in Education, Mathematics and Business Studies on Thursday afternoon. Numerous siblings were also conferred together.
Three graduates from Malawi were ecstatic to be present for their conferring this week. Martha Msowoya, Charles Ofesi and Rabecca Banda joined the Graduate Certificate in 2022 in Middle Leadership & Mentoring and then progressed to Master’s in Education level in that programme. They completed the programme entirely online with funding via an initiative to promote upskilling of teachers in Malawi, supported by MIC and the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi. They attended from their three respective colleges using Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility secured by the International Office at MIC.
From East Africa to West Cork for prestigious College awards. A number of award winners were recognised for their remarkable achievements over the course of the five ceremonies and graduates from the Rebel County really stood out. Hannah O’Driscoll from Bantry was awarded the College Gold Medal for achieving first place on the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) programme as well as the Peadar Cremin Fellowship, Bonn Vere Foster Award, presented by the INTO for obtaining first place in Teaching Practice on the same programme, and a Certificate for the highest results in Music Education. Another Cork-woman, Sarah Ryan-Purcell from Blackrock received the College Gold Medal for first place on the B Ed in Education (Primary Teaching) and Psychology programme. Sarah also received a Dioceses of Limerick medal and a scholarship to study at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, USA.
BA in Education, Business Studies and Accounting graduate, Chloe Troy from Leamlara, Co. Cork, was awarded the MIC Thurles Gold Medal along with the TUI Medal, awarded in recognition of academic excellence in the education portfolio, on a post-primary teaching programme. She was also the proud recipient of the Bonn Cumann na Meánmhúinteoirí Éire, Sármhaitheas san Oideachas agus Socrúchán Scoile, a medal awarded by the ASTI for Excellence in Education and School Placement.
The PME Gold Medal went to Jenny Bent from Nenagh in Co. Tipperary, who was also the winner of the Bonn Vere Foster Medal (awarded by the INTO for achieving first place in curriculum education modules) and an award for Excellence in Education Research and Dissertation.
Multiple honours were bestowed on other graduates. Bébhínn Brosnan, from Killarney in Kerry, was awarded the Carlisle & Blake Prize, presented by the Department of Education and Skills, for coming first place in Education, Theory and Practice in the B Ed in Education (Primary Teaching) & Psychology programme. She was also the recipient of the Bonn Vere Foster Award, as well as a separate award for Excellence in Psychology.
Sarah Kelly—a BA in Education, Business Studies and Religious Studies graduate from Thurles, Co. Tipperary was awarded the Professor Michael A. Hayes Fellowship, the Saint Bonaventure Trust Prize and a Special Award for Academic Excellence in Religious Studies.
Áine Gleeson from Castleconnell, Co. Limerick and Aisling Knox from Meelick, Co. Clare were awarded Bachelor of Arts Gold Medals and Certificates for Highest Results in English Language & Literature and Drama & Theatre Studies respectively.
The BA in Early Childhood Care and Education College Gold Medal went to Megan O’Sullivan from Caherdavin, Limerick as well as an award for Excellence in Professional Placement on her programme, while Callum McGeary from Waterford, got a College Gold Medal for achieving first place in the BA in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies.
Reaching the highest academic level possible were 24 Doctoral candidates— in Liberal Arts disciplines and in Education, including 11 graduands from the Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology (DECPsy), a three-year, full-time professional training course for those pursuing a career as an educational psychologist. PhDs were awarded for research into numerous educational topics as well as History, English, Philosophy, Geography and Drama and Theatre Studies.
On Saturday 19 October, 537 Inclusion Coordinators were conferred at MIC as part of the Leadership for Inclusion in the Early Years (LINC) Programme.
