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Education Nation

Education Nation

by State of the Nation

Government News

Season 2

The insurer that gives it all away w/ David Lane, MD of Ecclesiastical Insurance Ireland

David Lane, MD of Ecclesiastical Insurance Ireland (proudly part of the Benefact Group), tells The Irish Catholic podcast, Education Nation, why the company's unique ownership model means its profits go to charity — and why that matters for Catholic institutions Most people regard paying an insurance premium as, in David Lane's words, a grudge purchase. Nobody wakes up in the morning delighted to be writing the cheque. But what if the company cashing that cheque was giving its distributable profits away? Not to shareholders, not to directors, but to charitable causes — over €250 million of them in the past decade alone. That is the reality of Ecclesiastical Insurance, the specialist insurer whose Irish managing director sat down recently with the Education Nation podcast and its host Nicky Cuddihy, to explain a business model that is, in the truest sense, unique. Ecclesiastical is not a household name in Ireland, at least not in Catholic households. Founded 135 years ago to provide insurance for the Anglican Church, it arrived in Ireland about 45 years ago through the Church of Ireland portfolio, insuring everything from large Cathedrals like Christ Church and St Patrick's, to rural parish churches across the country. For many Irish Catholics, the company has simply been off the radar — associated, if at all, with another tradition. That, says Lane, is something he is keen to change.

A journey of faith and education from Tuamto Australia w/ Prof. Eamonn Conway

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 Dame, Australia in 2022.

A look at Catholic education in Northern Ireland w/ Fintan Murphy

Our guest on Education Nation this week is Fintan Murphy, CEO of the Catholic Schools Trustee Service (CSTS)—the sectoral body supporting the trustees of the approximately 450 Catholic schools across Northern Ireland. In this episode Fintan offers valuable insights into the context of Catholic education within the Northern Ireland education system—one that mirrors the experience in the Republic in many respects but which differs significantly not only in language but also in terms of structure, funding and governance.

Admission Act 2018: a major stumbling block for divestment - w/ Alan Hynes

The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 has undoubtedly improved fairness and transparency. The Act for the first time required that every school publish a clear, nondiscriminatory admissions policy and that they follow an agreed common national timeline. There is no doubt that parents now have greater confidence in how places are allocated. But one unintended consequence means that Catholic schools can no longer give priority to children of Catholic families. In the opinion of Alan Hynes this is the decisive factor that has prevented communities from supporting divestment. Parents are reluctant to relinquish a denominational school if they cannot be assured that their children will have priority access to the remaining Catholic option.

Seamus Mulconry: School management and the ‘new normal’ in Irish schools

This week’s guest on the Education Nation podcast is Seamus Mulconry, the CEO of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA), a key stakeholder in Irish education and the national body supporting the Boards of Management and leaders of almost 3,000 Catholic primary schools across the country. Originally from Kilkee, Co. Clare, Seamus fondly recalls his early school days in “the school around the corner,” where inspirational educators like principal Martin Boland and teacher Tom Lillis sparked his lifelong passion for Celtic mythology and ancient history. He summarises the core role of CPSMA concisely, “We represent schools and help schools stay out of trouble — or help them reverse out of it as quickly as possible.”

Simon Lewis: Ireland’s only primary school principal from an ethnic minority

With First Communion and Confirmation season in full swing, the Education Nation podcast is turning its attention to the primary sector for a while. Next week’s guest is Seamus Mulconry, CEO of the Catholic Primary School Managers Association. This week, in the first of our ‘focus on primary education’ series, the spotlight falls on someone from outside the majority Catholic nationalschool tradition: Simon Lewis, principal of Carlow Educate Together National School. Simon brings something rare to the national conversation on education: the lived experience of growing up in Ireland as part of a minority community, combined with the professional insight gained as both teacher and principal. He demonstrates tremendous energy, confidence, a willingness to listen, to dialogue, to challenge, and the courage to say some of the quiet things out loud.

Rachel O'Connor on School leadership – ‘the backbone of the school’

On this week’s Education Nation podcast, we turned our attention to one of the pinch points of our education system, perhaps the most pressurised and least understood roles in Irish education: school leadership. More specifically, the conversation focused on the lived reality of principals and deputy principals in post-primary schools. Our guest, Rachel O’Connor, a long-standing advocate for school leaders, painted a picture of a profession that is deeply committed, increasingly complex, and now facing challenges that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. In her current role as Deputy Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies, Rachel certainly has her finger on the pulse.

Use It or Lose It - Breda O’Brien on the Future of Catholic Education

In words that resonate strongly with those of other contributors to the Podcast, O’Brien sees the key challenges facing Catholic education as stemming not from a lack of goodwill or talent, but from a lack of formation. Ultimately this leads to a gap in confidence around leadership and the articulation of the Christian message that underpins the entire tradition of Catholic education.

The future of Catholic schools with Jonathan Tiernan

This week’s guest on EDUCATION NATION Jonathan Tiernan, CEO of the Jesuit Education Trust provides a clear-eyed assessment of what lies ahead for Catholic schools should we fail to capitalise on the opportunities before us or if we do not respond adequately to the challenges of the next ten years.

A love of learning - An interview with Dr Eilis Humphreys

For our first episode, Nicholas Cuddihy interviews Dr Eilis Humphrey about her love of learning and the education system in Ireland.

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