Le Chéile Leadership Team
Gerarda Lawler RJM – Interim CEO
Claire Kilroy – Head of School Services
Claire graduated with a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Home Economics & Biology from St Angela’s College, Sligo in 2004. She started her career in Mount Sackville Secondary School Chapelizod and subsequently made the move back to Galway. Claire spent 10 years in The Mercy Secondary School, Tuam, Co. Galway, the final two years she was Acting Deputy Principal. In 2017, Claire moved to Microsoft Showcase School Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, Claregalway where she was appointed into the position of Deputy Principal and took on the role of Ethos Co-ordinator of Galway Roscommon Education & Training Board (GRETB).
In 2014 Claire completed a Post-graduate Diploma in School Leadership with Maynooth University and progressed to study a master’s in education (M.Ed.) with NUIG where she investigated through action research “How to Lead a Practice of Teacher Peer Observation”. Claire also has a diploma in Public Relations and Coaching. Claire was a tutor on the University of Limerick Post-graduate Diploma in School Leadership (PDSL) 2020-2023 and has mentored newly appointed Deputy Principals with the National Association of Principals & Deputy Principals (NAPD). All of this experience has encouraged Claire to write various articles for the NAPD Leader on issues such as “Building a collaborative school culture”, “How to successfully PR a school” and “Implementing a process of Teacher Peer Observation”. She has facilitated workshops based on these writings with various education centres over the past few years.
As part of her Deputy Principal role Claire has years of experience leading Special Educational Needs and promotes an inclusive environment, she has overseen the establishment of ASD and MOGLD classes. Claire is a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Expert and has led various Erasmus+ projects for her school, creating links with partners in other countries through schools and universities. Claire has volunteered in the past for the charity “Global Schoolroom” and travelled to India to deliver a UCD accredited Education programme to Indian teachers.
Claire is passionate about education, ethos, values, leadership, excellence in teaching and learning, collaborative practice and student voice. Claire can be contacted at: [email protected]
Mary Fleming – Ethos, Leadership and Governance Executive
Mary Fleming is Emeritus Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, University of Galway. As Senior Lecturer within the School, she was Director of Teacher Education with primary responsibility for initial Teacher Education and was also Head of School of Education. At different intervals during her career in the University, she has held lectureship and teaching positions related to professional learning and development programmes. These were situated in the Adult Learning and Professional Development Centre, the School of Medicine as well as the School of Education. She retired from full-time employment in University of Galway in 2019.
She was appointed by the Minister of Education to the Teaching Council in 2016 as a Higher Education Institution (HEI) Nominee, and while on the Council was a member of the Registration Committee and Chair of the Qualifications Panel. Her main research area was in School Leadership, Change Management and Teacher Professional Learning at all stages of the continuum, and over her career she has supervised 6 PhD research students to completion. Throughout her career she has presented on leadership and management topics and themes at professional learning conferences and events, including the Le Chéile conference in 2022. Prior to embarking on a PhD research study in 2001 and her career in third level she worked at second level as a Science and Mathematics Teacher and Principal for 16 years.
Post-retirement Mary has continued to be actively involved in Education both at third and second level. Currently she is a member of the Steering group, Course board and Leader of the module-Developing Leadership Capacity on the Postgraduate Diploma in School Leadership (PDSL). She is a chairperson/member on the Teaching Council’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) accreditation and OIDE/CSL endorsement panels. She is Chairperson of the Board of Management in Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Salerno, Galway and is a member of the Board of management of St Josephs (Bish), Secondary School Galway. She has been nominated to many interview boards for leadership and Management positions at all levels in Post-Primary Schools.
Email: [email protected]
Deirdre McFeely, Head of Trust Services
Deirdre McFeely was appointed to the role of Head of Trust Joint Services in July 2024 having first joined the Executive Team on a part-time basis in late 2021. Deirdre’s career background lies in two main areas: property/facilities management and academia. While working for a large facilities management company in London, she undertook a BA (English) and MA (Victorian Studies) at Birkbeck, University of London. Upon her return to Dublin, Deirdre obtained her Ph.D. at Trinity College while raising her young children. She subsequently taught Irish theatre history at Trinity on a part-time basis for several years, and her publications include a monograph based on her doctoral research: Dion Boucicault: Irish Identity on Stage (Cambridge University Press, 2012). Her most recent publication, as joint-editor, is The Plays of Maura Laverty (Liverpool University Press, 2023).
Deirdre first encountered Le Chéile when one of her children was a pupil at Scoil Chaitríona in Glasnevin, and she too attended a Dominican school, Muckross Park College, now also part of the Le Chéile family.
Deirdre can be contacted at [email protected].
Dr. Olive Laffoy – Ethos Leadership and Governance Executive
Olive joins our team part-time from October 2023. Olive began her teaching career in 1986 as a science teacher at Dominican College Griffith Avenue; where she taught Science and Maths at junior level and Biology and Chemistry at senior level. Olive obtained an MSc in Chemistry in 1992 from DCU. In 2005 after completing her MEd in Leadership and Management and a Diploma in School Development Planning, Olive moved to St. Finian’s Community College in Swords to take up a new role as Deputy Principal. In 2008 Olive was appointed Principal of a new greenfield site in Donabate. In 2013 Olive returned to Dominican College Griffith Avenue as Principal of and retired in June 2023. Olive has been active in the area of School Leadership and Management and was awarded her Doctorate in 2013. Nationally Olive has been involved with CSL (Centre for School Leadership),has mentored Newly Appointed Principals, as a Mentor with CSL, and as an Associate for PDST on the Leadership Team. Olive lectures on MEd and PGDELM courses at Maynooth University. You can contact Olive via [email protected]
Pat Flynn – Property Advisor
is joining the Le Chéile team on a part time basis as Property Advisor from November 2021. Pat will be assisting with all matters Property and School Building related. Pat worked as a teacher of Woodwork and Construction Studies in Firhouse Community College (1986-2002), and St. Colmcille’s Community School Knocklyon (2002-2005). He was appointed Principal of Tullow Community School (2005 – 2011). In 2011 he was appointed as the first Principal of Kildare Town Community School, a new school formed through the amalgamation of the De La Salle Secondary School, the Presentation Secondary School and Kildare Vocational School. As Principal he led the development of the new school and its move to the new school building constructed under Public Private Partnership. Pat is currently Chairperson of Blakestown Community School. Pat can be contacted: [email protected]
Alisha Rebello – Administrative Officer
Eleanor Chambers, School Accounts
