In the latest episode of Education Nation, I sat down with Peter Admirand, Associate Professor and director of the Centre for Interreligious Dialogue at Dublin City University. As debates intensify around patronage, governance, curriculum reform, and the future of Religious Education (RE) in Irish schools, Admirand offers a compelling personal, and experience-driven case for why…
As the Presentation Sisters mark the 250th anniversary of their founding, their story, rooted in the life, vision, and courage of Nano Nagle, feels strikingly contemporary. For the congregation worldwide, this anniversary is not only a milestone but an opportunity to honour and commemorate the past and to reflect on the remarkable evolution of a…
Education Nation returns with Claire Kilroy as first guest Education Nation returned this week for its second season, and it was fitting that the first guest was Claire Kilroy, CEO of the Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools (APTCS). Her appointment in September 2025 marked a significant moment for Catholic postprimary education in…
As the classrooms go quiet and the schools close their doors for the summer, the Education Nation podcast also takes a break. As we do, we want to highlight a gross inequity hidden within the system which has emerged in our preliminary conversations with guests for season 2. School principals in Special Schools are being…
The final episode of the 2026 season of Education Nation brings listeners a rich and compelling conversation with one of the most authoritative voices in the world of Catholic education: Prof. Eamonn Conway, a priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam was appointed as the inaugural Professor of Integral Human Development at the University of Notre…
Last week, I was delighted to join the National Association of Diocesan Advisors (Post Primary) at their annual Conference in Athlone. In my presentation, I invited the DAs to look to the future. I walked them along a familiar path, examining trends in secularisation, demographic shifts and the changing and growing demands and expectations placed…
When Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton stepped up to address the 39th Annual Conference of the Joint Managerial Body (JMB) this week, she did so against a striking backdrop. The Europe Hotel, overlooking Killarney’s Lough Léin and framed by the McGillycuddy Reeks, offered a majestic setting. But lurking beneath the depth of the still waters…
Questions around an emerging trend and the rise of an ‘evangelical Catholicism’ emerged during a roundtable discussion on the changing patterns of Catholic practice across the island of Ireland. The event, hosted by the Marino Institute of Education on Monday on April 27, brought together representatives from Catholic school trusts, patrons, and management bodies and…
The Minister of Education and Youth’s announcement of the opening of “Inclusive special classes” in September has sparked criticism from advocacy groups who say they were not consulted. The initiative, announced last week, represents the latest phase in the ongoing rapid expansion of provision for students with additional educational needs. Five postprimary schools have been…
The CEO of the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) has welcomed the release of the first set of data from the national survey on school patronage, but has warned that the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 has become a major barrier to real progress on divestment. Speaking to the Education Nation podcast, Alan Hynes reiterated…