40 Fulbright Irish Awardees Bound For the USA
Innovative new research will have lasting impacts for society
PRESS RELEASE
Friday 10th June 2022: The Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Joe Hackett and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Alexandra McKnight, on behalf of U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Clare Cronin, are pleased to announce 40 Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2022-2023. Recipients were presented with Awards at a ceremony in Iveagh House last night.
The Fulbright Program has served to strengthen international relations for seventy-five years. The Fulbright Commission in Ireland’s vision of inspiring minds to create a global culture of understanding is more important than ever in today’s increasingly polarised world. This year’s Irish awardees will undertake research, teaching and study in the USA spanning many disciplines. They will address pressing societal issues, engage with U.S. society, and share their knowledge when they return home.
As a Fulbright-TechImpact Scholar to the UC Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence, Dr Angela Butler (Intel Ireland) will investigate the fascinating connection that humans forge with artificial intelligence (AI). Fulbright-National University of Ireland Scholar Dr Colette Murray (Technological University Dublin) will visit the Center for Indian Education at Arizona State University to map how Irish Traveller and Indigenous children (Southwest USA) experience Early Childhood Education and Care systems through a Tribal Critical Race Theory lens.
Fulbright-EPA Scholar, Dr Nuala Flood (Queen’s University Belfast) will work with the Parsons School of Design to explore innovative design for place-based climate resilience. Raphael Onwunali, the inaugural recipient of the Fulbright-Frederick and Anna Douglass Award and a graduate of Dublin City University, will travel to The University of Chicago to complete a Master of Public Policy.
These are just a few examples of the work that Fulbright Irish Scholars, Students, and Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) will undertake over the coming year.
The next round of applications for Fulbright Irish Awards will open on 31st August 2022, interested candidates should visit www.fulbright.ie for more information.
Joe Hackett, Secretary General of the Department of the Foreign Affairs said...
“I extend my warmest congratulations to the Irish Fulbright Awardees for 2022–2023. Fulbright scholarships provide a transformational experience for individuals and play a crucial role in sustaining the close relationship that Ireland and the United States share. Every year, Fulbright recipients have the exciting opportunity to study, work, and experience life in the U.S., and to represent the best of Ireland. I wish this year’s Awardees every success for their time in the U.S.”
Alexandra McKnight, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin said…
“Fulbright offers an unparalleled opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, while fostering understanding between nations. This Program is a vehicle for advancing knowledge across communities and improving lives around the world. Congratulations to this year’s Awardees who will serve as ambassadors for Ireland and bring what they learn in the U.S. back with them.”
Kevin Douglass Greene of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) said….
“The Fulbright-Frederick and Anna Douglass Awards were established to mark the 175th anniversary of abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ historic visit to Ireland. We at FDFI worked with the Commission in Ireland and the U.S. Embassy in Dublin to create these Awards that honour not only the legacy of Frederick Douglass, but also of his wife Anna. With the goal of increasing participation of diverse communities in Ireland-U.S. exchanges, these awards offer new opportunities to Irish and U.S. students in areas of civil rights, social justice and policy development. I congratulate the inaugural Irish Award recipient Raphael Onwunali, and look forward to seeing the fruits of this scholarship.”
Professor Diane Negra, Chair of the Fulbright Commission Ireland Board said…
“The Commission Board congratulates the 40 awardees travelling to the U.S. in the coming year and wishes them an enjoyable and successful Fulbright experience. They are joining a very vibrant network and will benefit from the professional recognition of being a Fulbright awardee. The excellence and expertise of Fulbright recipients continues to develop after 65 years of Irish-U.S. exchange, as they continue Senator Fulbright’s vision of creating a global culture of understanding that can erode mistrust that has historically set nations against one another.”
Dr Dara FitzGerald, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Ireland said:
“The Fulbright Program continues to be an enduring, rich and affirmative part of the relationship between both countries. In addition to the brilliance of Fulbright awardees, the programme is wonderfully supported by our stakeholders and sponsors. We thank our partners, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. We are grateful to have the enduring support of our Irish award sponsors: the Health Research Board, Enterprise Ireland, the Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey Ireland, National University of Ireland, Teagasc, the Creative Ireland Programme, the National Lottery and such notable U.S. Institutions as the Exploratorium, the Smithsonian, the Harry Ransom Center and Boston College.
We also have tremendous support from Irish institutions such as ATU Letterkenny, University College Cork, University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, National University of Ireland Galway, Maynooth University, University of Limerick, Technological University Dublin, Science Foundation Ireland, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Hugh Lane Gallery. The impact of their support is momentous, especially in terms of diversity and range of disciplines that enrich the Ireland-U.S. relationship. ”
ENDS
For further information, interviews, etc. please contact:
Emma Loughney, Fulbright Commission
Emma.loughney@fulbright.ie 01-6607670
Photography from Andres Poveda Photography
info@apphoto.ie
2022-2023 FULBRIGHT IRISH AWARDEE BIOGRAPHIES
14 FULBRIGHT IRISH SCHOLARS
Associate Professor Ciara Breathnach is Associate Professor in History at the University of Limerick. Hosted by Glucksman Ireland House, New York University, her Fulbright project entitled Death and the Irish in New York City 1880-1922 will examine how Irish immigrants planned for, and managed, death in the metropolis, from 1880, when vital registration of death was introduced, until 1922, when the Irish Free State was established. Breathnach is an Irish Research Council Laureate Awardee 2017 who has published widely on Irish social and medical history.
Dr Robert Conway-Kenny is the Science and Technology Programme Manager for one of Ireland’s longest established philanthropic organisations, and was a Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin. As a Fulbright Irish Scholar at the University of Southern California, he will develop small molecular probes capable of imaging and modulating the electrical activity of biological cells. A greater understanding of the electrical behaviours within cells is hoped to accelerate the field of tissue engineering, and to realise the ultimate goal of synthetic tissues and organs.
Dr Pierpaolo Dondio is a lecturer in Computer Science at Technological University Dublin, where he leads the “Intelligent Games Lab”, funded by SFI and TU Dublin, investigating the application of AI to game design and analysis. He has a PhD from Trinity College Dublin and extensive industry experience at IBM and AON. He is the founder of Happy Maths (www.happymaths.games). His Fulbright project investigates how digital games can be used to detect and treat math anxiety. He will be hosted by Professor Susan Levine at the Cognitive Lab, University of Chicago and Dr. Ian Lyon at the Math Brain Lab, Georgetown University.
Dr Sharon Feeney is a Senior Lecturer in Technological University Dublin, with over 30 years’ experience in the Irish higher education sector. She is a Chartered Director and a Board member of the Higher Education Authority, and a Board member of the Education Research Centre, and the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Her current research investigates the career pathways of academic staff in university level institutions. As a Fulbright Scholar to East Tennessee State University she will investigate Technological University academic career pathways, taking a comparative approach.
Dr Nuala Flood is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research focuses on codesign methods for spatial adaptation to global heating. As a Fulbright-EPA Scholar, Nuala will work with the Urban Systems Lab at Parsons School of Design. Her research will explore the pedagogy and practice of spatial design for resilience in the New York City region. This low-lying coastal city is extremely vulnerable to sea level rise and it has taken a distinctly spatial and design-based approach in futureproofing itself.
Dr Darragh Gannon is Head of Irish Studies at University College Dublin and Vice President of the Global Irish Diaspora Congress. He has published widely on the Irish diaspora and the Irish Revolution, and is currently completing a fourth book, entitled Worlds of Revolution: Ireland’s ‘Global Moment’, 1919-1923. As Fulbright Irish Scholar, he will teach Irish History at Georgetown University; research the influence of Irish America on the creation of independent Ireland at the Library of Congress; and collaborate with the Irish Embassy in Washington DC to mark the centenary of the Irish State.
Dr Ross James Gildea is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Oxford Programme on International Peace and Security at the University of Oxford. He holds a DPhil in International Relations (completed in 2021) from the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford. As a Fulbright-NUI Scholar, Ross will be affiliated to Columbia University to carry out research on the relationship between moral psychology, trauma, and norm entrepreneurship. He is especially interested in explaining why individuals and groups in the non-state sector commit to sustained transnational advocacy in areas of public policy that lack normative consensus.
Dr John P Gilmore is Assistant Professor in Nursing at University College Dublin. His research, teaching and scholarship broadly centres around themes of inclusion health, social justice, LGBTQ+ Health and broader sexual health. His PhD, awarded with examiners commendation in 2021, explored Irish Gay Men’s experiences of discussing sexuality with healthcare practitioners. He continues to practice clinically and has over a decade of experience in areas of Critical Care, Emergency, Sexual Health, Intellectual Disability and Rehabilitation. As a Fulbright-HRB HealthImpact Scholar John will visit the Center for Gender and Sexual Minority Health at the University of California San Francisco to explore enablers and barriers to community-led LGBT healthcare.
Dr Sharon Glynn is Associate Professor in Pathology at the Lambe Institute for Translational Research at National University of Ireland Galway, and a Funded Investigator in Cúram SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices. Her Fulbright Scholar Award with be hosted at Houston Methodist Hospital Weill Cornell and will explore the use of multiplex spatial digital pathology to understand tumour microenvironment in patients with breast cancer responds to cancer therapy, and to identify factors that contribute to successful treatment response. Her Award will also include a visit to the Harper Cancer Center at Notre Dame University to build new collaborations.
Dr Clíodhna McHugh, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Clíodhna is interested in cardiovascular diseases and risk factors with a particular dedication to prevention. As a Fulbright-NUI Scholar she will work in the School of Medicine at Harvard University and the Cardiovascular Performance Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center. Clíodhna will develop skills in athlete specific electrocardiogram interpretation and long-term cardiovascular care in athletic populations.
Dr Jenny Mc Sharry is a chartered Health Psychologist, a lecturer in the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, and Assistant Director of the Health Behaviour Change Research Group at NUI Galway. As a Fulbright-HRB HealthImpact Scholar at City University New York, she will complete “Student Experiences of Health Psychology in the US (STEP-US): A mixed methods study with US Health Psychology doctoral students and programme leads”. The project will facilitate the development of international recommendations to support students from a diversity of backgrounds in training as Health Psychologists and to become the future leaders needed to address global healthcare challenges.
Edel Meade is a vocalist, composer, songwriter, performing artist, recording artist and educator from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. An original artist working in the field of jazz, folk and contemporary music, her Fulbright-Creative Ireland Professional Fellowship Award research will explore the intersection between jazz and traditional music and song from Ireland. Her Award will culminate in a world premiere live concert performance in collaboration with Bay Area musicians at the California Jazz Conservatory in June 2023. Edel is a recipient of the Fulbright Ireland Mary McPartlan Fund.
Dr Ruth Melia is a Senior Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead at HSE Mid-West, and a researcher on the use of mobile health technology in suicide prevention at the University of Galway. She is Principal Investigator on the SafePlan trial, a National Office for Suicide Prevention-funded study of mobile-based safety planning within Irish mental health services. Ruth is an Adjunct Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Galway, and provides teaching and research supervision to psychologists across institutions. As a Fulbright-HRB HealthImpact Scholar, Ruth will further her work on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Suicide Prevention with researchers at the Joiner Lab, Florida State University.
Dr Colette Murray currently lectures on the Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) ECEC degree programme. She founded the Irish Equality and Diversity Early Childhood National Network (EDeNn) and is a board member of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre. She has written and published primarily on social justice, equality, diversity and Traveller issues. As a Fulbright Scholar, Colette will visit Arizona State University where she will be working in the Center for Indian Education (CIE). Colette will be mapping how Irish Traveller and Indigenous children (Southwest USA) are positioned and experience ECEC systems through a Tribal Critical Race Theory lens developed by Professor Bryan Brayboy, director of the CIE.
3 FULBRIGHT TECHIMPACT SCHOLARS
Dr Angela Butler is a technology and performance researcher. She works as a Program Manager at Intel Ireland, focusing on research and policy. She has published on a range of topics from immersive technologies to postdigital communities. As a Fulbright TechImpact Scholar to UC Berkeley, Angela will explore the degrees of connection that humans forge with artificial intelligence (AI) through an examination of three AI-led art experiences. The research addresses the ways humans not only interact with AI but also develop bonds and personal attachments in cultural and domestic settings. By interrogating the societal impact of human-AI connections, the knowledge generated has the potential to inform future policy in this area.
Dr Eoin Whelan is a Professor of Business Analytics and Society at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics in the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also a visiting professor at the Institute d’Economie Scientifique et de Gestion (IESEG), France, and a visiting researcher at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His research explores the psychology underlying engagement with interactive digital media. As a Fulbright-TechImpact Scholar in the Summer of 2023, he will work alongside colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder to determine if an abstinence from social media, commonly known as a digital detox, is an effective intervention strategy for promoting a healthy way of life for teenagers.
Dr Moninne Howlett is the Chief Pharmacy Information Officer for Children’s Health Ireland. She was awarded a PhD in 2019 from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland for her research on the impact of health information technology on medication errors in paediatric intensive care. As a Fulbright-TechImpact Scholar, she will visit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The aim of this partnership is to inform the planned implementation of closed-loop medication management in Ireland’s new children’s hospital involving an electronic health record and a number of auxiliary interfaced systems. She will also conduct a research study on semi-automated medication build processes.
13 FULBRIGHT STUDENTS
Aaron Gallagher is a PhD student at Dublin City University's School of Communications. His PhD investigates the relationship between sporting organisations, athletes and the media. As a Fulbright Awardee at the Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park, he will compare sports communications strategies between Europe and the United States, looking at how sport is covered by American journalists and media professionals. Aaron has worked for a number of years as a sports journalist, his work being published in national publications.
Conor Hammersley is a Teagasc Walsh Scholar based in the National Center for Men’s Health, South East Technological University. His PhD explores the socio-cultural context that shapes gendered behaviour among rural men in Ireland, focusing on identities and masculinities among the farming community and their association with farmers' health and help-seeking behaviour. As a Fulbright-Teagasc Awardee at Columbia-Bassett Medical School in New York, Conor will compare and contrast evolving socio-cultural and economic challenges U.S. farmers face in relation to their health and those encountered by farmers in Ireland. This will support the development of strategic health interventions developed in the US, to further inform the development of supports in Ireland.
Kate Haley is a screenwriter and film director from Co. Donegal, Ireland. Her film credits include writing and directing the short films ‘Risk’ (2017), ‘A Park Bench’ (2017) and more recently ‘A Death in the Family’ (2020) which was shortlisted for Screen Ireland’s Short Film Programme. Kate is an alumni of Trinity College Dublin where she completed both a first class honors B.A. in English Literature and a M.Phil. with distinction in Screenwriting. Kate will spend her Fulbright year at American Film Institute Conservatory, advancing her critical and creative skills with the hope of expanding her directorial career.
Rose Higgins is a graduate of University College Dublin. A passionate advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, upon graduation Rose took up a position with the Irish Refugee Council. As a Fulbright-Notre Dame LLM Awardee, she will undertake research on the role of visa law and policy in the context of family reunification in the wake of humanitarian emergencies. She hopes to demonstrate the capacity of compassionate visa policy to contribute to multifaceted and effective responses to disasters and to the establishment of safe and legal pathways to safety.
Stephanie Joyce is a final year student at Maynooth University. On her Fulbright Award, she will pursue a Masters of Education / Teaching credential program at The University of California, Berkeley. This Master’s degree puts an emphasis on embarking on a continuous journey of naming and interrupting systems of oppression, including white supremacy, settler colonialism, patriarchy, ableism, and heteronormativity, and centering the knowledges, values, and experiences of marginalized communities.
Dara Kerins is a social scientist with a BSc (Applied Social Sciences), as well as a Higher Diploma (Economic Science), from NUI Galway. In recent years, Dara has worked as a community development officer, a director/trustee of a marine conservation organisation, and an award-winning fundraiser for the humanitarian-aid organisation Concern, and has founded (and currently coordinates) a sustainability initiative at NUI Galway entitled Glassary. Building upon his passion to help people through the development of a more safe, sustainable, and equitable world, Dara will use his Fulbright-EPA Award to undertake a master’s programme in financial economics at Columbia University, before embarking upon a PhD in public policy in the years to come.
Ross Malervy is a graduate of Law and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin. He has written articles on a wide range of areas and worked as a Judicial Assistant in the High Court of Ireland. As a Fulbright Awardee, he will undertake an LLM degree at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. With a focus on comparative constitutional law and US Administrative Law, he will conduct research into how executive power molds the Administrative state in the U.S., comparing this to the current academic models in the Irish constitutional context.
Andrew Neill is a PhD student in the Botany Department, School of Natural Sciences at Trinity College Dublin. He holds an M.Sc. in Development Practice from a dual UCD-TCD program and has spent time working on environmental projects in Ireland, Fiji, and Luxembourg. His PhD research is part of the SFI funded BiOrbic bioeconomy research centre and explores the impacts and dependencies between people and nature. As a Fulbright-EPA Student Awardee to the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University, Andrew will investigate ecosystem service modelling—an approach that shows how the environment provides benefits to people, and how this can support future decision-making.
Raphael Onwunali holds a Master of Laws from University College London and a B.A. in Law & International Languages from DCU. Raphael is a Visual Artist and recently founded The Leonardo da Vinci Initiative which focuses on mentoring and coaching. As the inaugural recipient of the Fulbright-Frederick and Anna Douglass Award, Raphael intends to enhance his civic engagement. He will pursue a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) degree at The University of Chicago and focus on topics including regulatory capture, effective supervision and governance, strategy and CSR.
Dr Claire Potter is a Specialty Trainee in General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry and ICAT Fellow in Queen’s University Belfast. A second year PhD student in the Centre of Public Health, her research involves studying life course impact of stress and negative psychological experiences on biological and cognitive ageing across ageing cohorts. As a Fulbright Student Awardee to the Institute of Social Research, University of Michigan, Dr Potter will explore this further in the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study (HRS) gaining additional technical and analytical skills to develop longstanding collaborations with global ageing researchers.
Cathal Ryan is a PhD student in the Department of Biology, Maynooth University. As a Fulbright Scholar, he will travel to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, where he will perform a variety of next-generation RNA sequencing studies such as PAR-CLIP and Ribo-seq. He will use this sequencing data to explore how a particular RNA-binding protein regulates mRNA translation during viral infection, and the consequences this has within the infected cell.
Aoibhín Sheedy is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering and CÚRAM centre for medical devices at National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). Her PhD is funded by the SFI LiFTETIME CDT Programme and investigates advanced immunotherapy and delivery strategies to treat ovarian cancer. As a Fulbright-Enterprise Ireland Awardee at the University of Minnesota (UoM), she will investigate the currently developed therapeutics at the Miller Lab (UoM) through the device developed at the Dolan Lab (NUIG).
Ciara Shortiss is a PhD student in the Anatomy Department and Regenerative Medicine Institute, National University of Ireland Galway. Her PhD research is funded by the Irish Research Council and investigates viral gene therapy vectors to reduce the production of molecules in spinal cord injury scarring. The scar that forms after injury is one obstacle stopping nerve re-growth, preventing signals from being transmitted to and from the brain. Therapies that target multiple obstacles preventing regeneration show the most promise in treating spinal cord injury. As a Fulbright-Enterprise Ireland Awardee at the Neurobiology Lab, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, Ciara will investigate combining her gene therapy with a biomaterial scaffold developed in the Mayo Clinic to further promote nerve growth after spinal cord injury.
10 FULBRIGHT FLTAs
Cailin Fox is a Drama and English teacher in Coláiste Feirste, Belfast. She completed her BEd Degree in St. Mary’s University College where she was chairperson of ‘An Chumann Gaelach’ and acted as ‘Irish Language and Cultural Officer’ on behalf of the Student’s Union. Cailín ran ‘Áisling Óg’ Drama School in Belfast for a number of years and currently directs ‘An Chumann Drámaíochta’ in the school she currently works in. She will be a Fulbright FLTA to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.
Alswyn Hennessy Doyle is a graduate of Nua-Ghaeilge and Media Studies at Maynooth University. She is currently completing an MA in Scríobh agus Cumarsáid na Gaeilge at University College Dublin, where she teaches Irish to international students. She has worked with Conradh na Gaeilge, Gael Linn and Foras na Gaeilge. Alswyn’s other interests include broadcasting on RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2FM, Raidió Rí Rá and Raidió na Life. As a Fulbright FLTA, she will teach the Irish language and take classes at Villanova University, Philadelphia.
Emer Maguire is a Primary School Teacher in Ardee, Louth and holds Bachelor of Education degree from St Patrick’s College, DCU. She is a founding member and Chairperson of a branch of Conradh na Gaeilge in Drogheda. She also sits on the executive committee of Conradh na Gaeilge as a representative for the East & Mid-Ulster. She is an Irish dancer and a keen musician, playing whistle and piano. She is the Irish Language Officer with the Drogheda Branch and the Louth County Board of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. She will be a Fulbright FLTA to Elms College, Chicopee.
Eimear Millane holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and is currently undertaking a Masters in Literacy and the Curriculum in St. Mary’s University, Belfast. She is a primary school teacher in Bunscoil Bhríde in Co. Kildare, where she oversees the Coiste Gaelach. Eimear has a keen interest in GAA and plays camogie with Naas in Co. Kildare. She is also a Clare traditional musician who plays the concertina and sings in the sean nós style. She has competed successfully at Fleadhanna Ceoil throughout Ireland. She will be a FLTA to the University of Connecticut.
Niamh Murray holds a Bachelor of Education Degree from Dublin City University. As part of her Erasmus to Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, she provided Irish classes to international students. She is a primary school teacher in Dublin and has always had a passion for instilling a love for the Irish language in students. An esteemed singer songwriter and musician, she has appeared in Hot Press and performed at festivals such as Electric Picnic and Vantastival. She uses her music platform to promote Irish language and Irish Culture. She holds a Distinction in Grade 8 Musical Theatre Performance with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She will go on her Fulbright FLTA Award to Davidson Community College.
Clíodhna Ní Chorráin graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Irish and Spanish. She has since been working in the Irish Language television industry as an Assistant Producer. Clíodhna spends her summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht teaching the Irish language, traditional music and dance. A keen language-rights enthusiast, Clíodhna is a member of Conradh na Gaeilge’s Coiste Gnó. As a Fulbright Irish FLTA, Clíodhna will teach the Irish language and take classes at the University of Notre Dame.
Sorcha Ní Ghallachóir is a native Irish speaker from the Gaeltacht in Gaoth Dobhair, Co. Donegal. She holds an Honours Bachelor degree in Early and Modern Irish, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Trinity College. She is an Irish Teacher and Drama Director/Producer in St. Michael’s College, Dublin, and works part time in Coláiste Ghaoth Dobhair. She is also a recent graduate of The Honorable Society of King’s Inns’ Advanced Diploma in Legal Translation. She is an active member of na Gaelic Óga C.L.G and a founding member and player with the Ladies’ Football team. As a Fulbright Irish FLTA, Sorcha will teach the Irish language and take classes at Villanova University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eilís Ní Iarlaithe is a native Irish speaker from Baile Mhúirne in the Múscraí Gaeltacht. She holds a Bachelor of Education from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and is currently enrolled in the Master of Education programme there. Her research focuses on methodologies used in the teaching of a second language. She also teaches in Gaelscoil Chaladh an Treoigh, an Irish medium primary school in Limerick. As a Fulbright FLTA, Eilís will teach the Irish language and take classes at the University of Montana.
Sophie Ní Riain holds a BA in Irish and English from University of Limerick and is currently completing a Masters in Irish there, where she tutors Irish to undergraduate students. She teaches in Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire and tutors Irish-language classes at a variety of levels to adults. Her undergraduate thesis focused on language shift in the 18th century. Her MA research thesis focuses on satire in Early Modern Irish. She plays camogie with her local GAA club. As a Fulbright FLTA, Sophie will teach the Irish language and take classes at the Catholic University of America, Washington D.C.
Darragh Ó Caoimh is a Law and Irish student in University College Cork and a native of Kanturk, Co. Cork. He was awarded the Dr. H H Stewart Literary Scholarship for Irish by the NUI in 2019 and the Quercus Academic Scholarship for the College of Business and Law UCC in 2020. Darragh was Chairman of An Chuallacht Ghaelach and is Irish and Cultural Officer on the UCC Students’ Union. A writer and member of the editorial team of student magazine Breac, his poetry has been published in journals such as Comhar and Aneas, and featured on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and BBC Radio Ulster. As a Fulbright Irish FTLA, Darragh will teach Irish and take classes at the University of Montana.