This series hopes to build educational leadership capacity in Ireland and beyond by facilitating the sharing of the leadership journey of people in a variety of educational settings supporting them with teacher and Principal job applications. If you would like to reach out to avail of interview or life coaching from Ann, an ACC ICF accredited coach, email her on leadthewaycoaching8@gmail.com or click on link to my website and resources in the podcast preview show notes below.
Ep 95 A Principal's Support Network and a Call for more Coaching within Education
Leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about creating the conditions where others can succeed. In this episode, we are joined by Pat Curran, an experienced leader in the Irish education sector. With over 30 years of experience in post-primary education and more than 16 years steering St Angela’s College, Cork (https://stangelascollege.ie/) as Principal, Pat brings an incredible wealth of practical wisdom to us in this episode. His commitment to leadership development extends far beyond his own school gates; he actively mentors aspiring school leaders, supports senior management teams, and helps educators confidently navigate complex organisational change and high-stakes decision-making. On a national level, Pat also serves as the Chief Advising Examiner for Design and Communication Graphics with the State Examinations Commission (https://www.examinations.ie/), directly contributing to the standards and assessment of Irish education.
In this episode, we explore:
The Power of Networks: The vital role peer support plays in mitigating the inherent loneliness of the Principalship.
Stress Management: Practical strategies for school leaders to navigate high-pressure environments and prevent burnout.
The Case for Early Coaching: Why systemic investment in professional coaching at the front end of a Principal's career is crucial for long-term retention and success.
Connect with Pat Curran
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-curran-237aa611a/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-curran-237aa611a/)
Connect with Ann for interview or / and Life Coaching and Mentoring
https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/ (https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annbyrnecoach/ (https://www.instagram.com/annbyrnecoach/)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-byrne-3a7779179/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-byrne-3a7779179/)
27 Sept 2026
Ep 94 Learning about LIFT Ireland with Co-founder Joanne Hession
LIFT stands for leading Ireland's Future Together . It is a social enterprise aimed at increasing the level of positive leadership in Ireland. LIFT is being rolled out nationwide via a facilitator network in LIFT's partner organisations and individual volunteers.
The LIFT programme is an eight-part, group learning programme. It is a 5-step self-reflective roundtable personal leadership process focusing on core human values. When consistently repeated, it creates lasting change through small but conscious actions.
In this episode, Ann talks to co-founder Joanne Hession about her own leadership story, the origins of LIFT and the vision behind it, how schools can get involved and how the roundtable model could also work to support school leaders.
Anns website:
https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/ (https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/)
https://liftireland.ie/ (https://liftireland.ie/)
https://www.instagram.com/liftireland/ (https://www.instagram.com/liftireland/)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51030908-don-t-get-a-job-build-a-business (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51030908-don-t-get-a-job-build-a-business)
10 Sept 2026
Ep 93 Why a Principal is leaving the role after 5 years
Máire Coates has been the Principal of Monaseed National School (https://monaseedns.ie/) for 5 years up to 2026, a vibrant, rural primary school situated in Gorey, County Wexford. She has decided to step away from this teaching Principal role for a few reasons and talks also about why she set up her Instagram page PrincipalTemplates to help other new Principals starting out. Máire kindly informed me these podcasts really helped her in the early days of being a Principal so she is now paying it forward!
https://www.instagram.com/principal_templates/ (https://www.instagram.com/principal_templates/)
Màire's website:
http://www.principaltemplates.com/ (http://www.principaltemplates.com/)
Ann's website
https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/ (https://leadthewaycoaching.my.canva.site/)
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