Past Judges
Judged by the Industry's Elite: The Education Awards 2026 Our esteemed panel of past judges is composed of renowned experts who have made significant contributions to the education industry. They come from diverse backgrounds in academia, business, and related sectors, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the judging process. Their involvement ensures that entries are evaluated by the highest standards of excellence, objectivity, and fairness. The calibre of our past judges is a testament to the rigorous and impartial nature of the awards.
Declan Allen
Head of Logistics, Supply Chain and Project Management, Technological University Dublin
Garry Allen
CTO, Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB)
Georgina Andrews
Vice Chancellor and CEO, Bath Spa University
Dr. Alison Porter-Armstrong
Senior Lecturer Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ulster University
Larry Banville
lecturer in Supply Chain Management, IT Carlow, IT Carlow
Finneen Bradley
Careers Academy Manager & Deputy Head of Learner Services, North West Regional College
Prof. Louis Brennan
Trinity Business School, Trinity Business School
Dr. Robert Butler
Lecturer, Department of Economics, UCC, UCC
Dr Joe Collins
Director of Further Education and Training, ETBI
Joseph Collins
Director of Further Education and Training, ETBI
Matt Cotterell
Head of School, Munster Technological University
Dr Jennifer Cowman
Lecturer, School of Global Business, TU Dublin
Claire Cox
Deputy Head of the International Office, Griffith College
Dr. Patricia Cremen
Applied Social Studies, Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT)
Gerard Culley
Chief Information Officer, University College Cork
Dr. Valerie Cummins
Senior Lecturer, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, University College Cork
Triena Delany
Director of Operations, Faculty of Education, Mary Immaculate College
Willie Donnelly
Director of Research and Innovation, The Technical Higher Education Association THEA
Dr. Tomás Mac Eochagáin
Director of Academic Programmes, Griffith College, Griffith College
Robert Farrell
Senior Lecturer, Griffith College Dublin, Griffith College Dublin
Dr. Alan Fernihough
Queen’s Management School, Queens University Belfast, Queen’s Management School, Queens University Belfast
Tomas Finneran
Co-founder & Director, Fluirse Education Solutions
Seamus Fitzpatrick
Head of Business Faculty, Griffith College Dublin, Griffith College Dublin
Dr. Sheila Flanagan
Vice President for Academic Affairs & Registrar, Dundalk Institute of Technology
David Ganly
Founder & Director, Future Learning Ireland
Lisa Griffith
Director, Digital Repository of Ireland
Ciarán Ó Hannracháin
Project Manager - Internationalisation and External Engagement, Atlantic Technological University
Richard Hayes
Vice President for Strategy, South East Technological University
Graham Heaslip
Head of School of Engineering, Atlantic Technological University
Gavin Henrick
CEO, Brickfield Education Labs
Professor Colette Henry
Head of Department of Business Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT)
Dr. Kieran Hickey
Senior Lecturer & Head of the Department, Geography & Head of the School, Human Environment, University College Cork
Helen Higson
Professor of HE Learning and Management, Aston Business School, Birmingham, UK
Paula Hodson
Director of Education and Development, The Insurance Institute of Ireland
Dr. Ingrid Hunt
Senior Educational Developer & Lecturer, Supply Chain Management, University of Limerick, University of Limerick
Dr. Teresa Hurley
Former Head of School of Management, Technological University Dublin
Padraig Hyland
Head - Education Technology , Information Technology Division, University of Limerick
Bertie Kelly
Commercial Director, National College of Ireland
Mary Kelly
President, Hibernia College
Allison Kenneally
Vice President for Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, South East Technological University
Rachael Langford
President and Vice-Chancellor, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Emma Leahy
Research Strategy Lead, University of Limerick
Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd
CEO, English Education Ireland
Donal McAlister
International Affairs Manager, South East Technological University
Donal McAllister
International Affairs Manager, Institute of Technology Carlow
Karen McAvinue
Europe & Erasmus Manager, Technological University of the Shannon
Eoin McCarthy
Head of Creative Media, College of Further Education & Training, Mulgrave St. Campus, Limerick
Anne McGlynn
Accreditation & Curriculum Manager, Insurance Institute of Ireland
Dr. David McKevitt
Lecturer, Management, University College Cork
Aine McManus
Head of Faculty, Graduate Business School, Griffith College Dublin, Griffith College Dublin
Denise McMorrow
STUDENT EXPERIENCE MANAGER / CHAIR OF UNESCO DUBLIN LEARNING CITY, IADT
Lisa Moran
-Dean of Graduate Studies and Head of the Graduate School, Technological University of the Shannon
Paul Mullally
Director, Education Lighthouse
Siobhán Murphy
Assistant Principal, Kerry College
Rory O'Boyle
Head of PPC, Law Society of Ireland
Martin O'Connell
Head of EU Programmes (Photonics), UCC-Tyndall
Gerard O'Donovan
Head of the Faculty of Business and Humanities, Munster Technological University
Dr. Jane O’Keeffe
Director of Supply Chain, NMCI/CIT, NMCI/CIT
James O'Malley
Maths Tutor, Maynooth University, Maynooth University
Robert O'Neill
Director of IT, Hibernia College, Hibernia College
Liam O'Reilly
Director of IT, University of Limerick
Rory O'Sullivan
Adjunct Professor, FET Research Centre, Institute of Education, Dublin City University
Danielle McCartan-Quinn
Vice Dean Undergraduate Studies, School of Business, National College of Ireland
Dr. Kushan Rathnasekara
Researcher, University of Kelaniya
Elaine Rea
International Marketing Manager, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, NUI Galway
Celestine Rowland
MD, Galway Business School / Galway Cultural INstitute
Dr. Seán Rowland
Founder & President, Hibernia College, Hibernia College
Eoin Smith
Course Director, Pulse College
Dr. Penpatra Sripaiboonkij
Lecturer/Assistant Professor, University College Dublin
Patricia O Sullivan
Executive Director, The Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA)
Prof. John Sweeney
Emeritus, ICARUS Research Centre, Maynooth University, Maynooth University
PATRICE Twomey
Director, Cooperative Education & Careers, University of Limerick (UL)
Dr. Shelagh Waddington
Emeritus Lecturer, Geography Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth University
Stephen Easley-Walsh
Maths, Physics and ICT Lecturer
Yuxin Wang
CEO and Co-Founder, GoMappED
John Wells
Head of Faculty, South East Technological University
Shauna Whyte
Vice President People, Culture & EDI, South East Technological University
Claire Woods
Head of the School of Education, Ulster University
Cllr Naoise Ó'Cearúil
Kildare County Council & KWETB, Kildare County Council & KWETB
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