SESS Staff Profiles

Joan Crowley O'Sullivan

Director
Joan Crowley O’Sullivan is seconded from Our Lady’s Abbey, Adare, Co. Limerick, where she was a shared learning support teacher amongst four schools.

She was a trainer with the Primary Curriculum Support Programme and was subsequently appointed as Assistant National Co-Ordinator with specific responsibility for English and Learning Support.

She has had continuous involvement in the design and delivery of professional development and support initiatives at regional and national level.

Madeline Hickey

Deputy Director
Madeline is a Teacher of the Deaf and is currently on secondment from St. Mary’s School for Deaf Girls, Cabra. Madeline is a post-primary teacher in Mathematics and Science and has developed a keen interest in the possibilities of using ICT in Education.

She joined the SESS as an associate in 2004. She was subsequently appointed an Assistant National Co-Ordinator in 2005 and a Deputy National Co-Ordinator in 2008.

Madeline is currently involved in the design and delivery of courses to teachers of deaf students at primary and post-primary level.

Séan Ó Leary

Deputy Director
Sean is seconded from St. Caimin's Community School, Shannon, Co. Clare where he has taught mathematics, science and biology to mainstream classes, which included students with a wide range of learning disabilities. He is interested in the use of ICT to create differentiated lessons.

Sean writes regularly on differentiation and has created a differentiated resource pack for science teachers, which includes PowerPoint presentations, worksheets, lesson plans and practical tips for differentiating lessons.

Ann Marie Byrne

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Ann Marie Byrne is on secondment from St. Brendan’s National School, Sligo where she worked as a resource teacher.

She has been involved in special education since the start of her teaching career and has worked in a variety of special educational settings where she has taught students with a wide range of learning needs.
Ann Marie joined the SESS in September 2004 as an Associate member of the Dyslexia team.

Tom Daly

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Prior to joining the SESS in 2006, Tom co-ordinated a range of initiatives including the Laptops Initiative and the SOLAS Project. He has researched and published on issues such as inclusion, ICT and school culture over a number years - work on books related to SEN include Engaging Learners: Mobile Technology, Literacy and Inclusion (2006), Enabling Technologies: Guidelines on the use of Assistive Technologies in Education (2001) and Hidden Voices: Young People with Disabilities Speak about their Second Level Schooling (2000). He has conducted doctoral research on inclusion, school culture and the mediation of values-related change effort in Irish post-primary achools.

Tom is on secondment from Boherbue Comprehensive School in Co. Cork.

Mary Downey

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Mary Downey joined the SESS in 2006 and originally worked on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Team as Associate and Advisor. She is seconded from St. Columba’s Boys NS, Douglas, Cork, where she worked as a teacher in a unit for children with ASD, as part of the mainstream school.

Ailbhe Dunne

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Ailbhe is seconded from St. Bernadette’s Special School in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. She has taught in a variety of educational settings and has worked with children from 4-18 years of age. Before joining the SESS in 2008, Ailbhe worked in St. Angela’s College of Education in Sligo where she was involved in the design and delivery of the SEN programmes. Having taught children with a wide range of learning difficulties, Ailbhe has a particular interest in the area of communication and social skills to include, Challenging Behaviour, Specific Speech and Language Disorder and ASD.

Johanna Fitzgerald

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Johanna joined the SESS in September 2006. She is currently on secondment from Castletroy College in Limerick where she worked as a resource teacher.

Johanna spent several years teaching in Inner City London. Much of this time was spent in a disadvantaged mainstream school as a SENCo (SEN Co-ordinator) and a disability co-ordinator where many students presented with challenging special educational needs.

Helen Ginty

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Helen is seconded from Scoil Iosagain, Buncrana, Co. Donegal where she has taught students with a wide range of learning disabilities.

Previously Helen worked in St. Angela’s College of Education, Sligo where she was involved in the design and delivery of courses such as the Higher Diploma in Special Educational Needs and the Certificate in Special Educational Needs for Special Needs Assistants. She is based in Letterkenny in Co. Donegal.

Fiona Kearney

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Fiona is on secondment from Castleknock Community College, Dublin. She has worked as a mainstream, learning support and special needs teacher. She was the Learning Support Co-ordinator prior to joining the SESS.

Fiona has facilitated the S.E.N. Dublin 15 and Dublin 7 Cluster group in the design and delivery of seminars relating to special educational needs, Child Protection Guidelines and Induction of International Students. Her particular interest is in provision of appropriate education for students with special educational needs at second level.

Siobhán Kingston

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Siobhán is seconded from St Gabriel’s Special School, Bishopstown, Cork. She served as Deputy Principal in the school and taught pupils with Severe/ Profound General Learning Difficulties and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

During her teaching career, Siobhán has worked in a variety of educational settings and has been working in the area of ASD for the last ten years. She joined the SESS in September 2006 as an Associate and was appointed Assistant National Co-coordinator in 2008.

In collaboration with the NCTE and the Education Centres, Siobhán has delivered courses relating to the use of ICT in Special Education based on her experience of both Classroom and Administrative applications of ICT in schools.

Nora O' Connor

Assistant National Co-Ordinator
Nora is seconded from St. Mary’s Secondary School, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, where she enjoyed working as a mainstream home economics teacher, learning support teacher and co-ordinator of Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA).

She then worked as a regional dev. officer for the LCA and Second Level Support Service (SLSS) and for the past three years has worked in Mary Immaculate College of Education as an assistant co-ordinator of the Post Graduate/Masters in Learning Support.