Paul KeenanThe Catholic Schools Partnership (CSP), the body representing all stakeholders in Catholic education in Ireland has announced two major new appointments.
Fr Richard Byrne OCarm will become the body’s chairperson, while Mr Ferdia Kelly assumes to the role of chief executive. Fr Byrne is currently Provincial of the Irish Province of Carmelites. He has a long career in education and prior to this appointment was headmaster of Terenure College in Dublin. He has recently completed doctoral research in UCD on the contemporary Catholic post-primary sector in Ireland.
With previous links to the CSP in his role as General Secretary of the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (AMCSS), Mr Kelly held senior positions with the Joint Managerial Body and the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST)/Christian Brothers Northern Province schools – a remit that included primary and post primary schools in both jurisdictions. He is a member of the Teaching Council and the Boards of Governors of Mater Dei Institute and Marino Institute of Education in Dublin.
The new chair and chief executive take their positions to face ongoing challenges facing the Catholic school sector in Ireland.