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Pictured: Professor Eugene Wall, President of 91��Ƭ��, with Dr Conchúr Ó Brolcháin at the Regional Teaching Excellence Award ceremony.

91��Ƭ�� (91��Ƭ��) academic Dr Conchúr Ó Brolcháin has been awarded the Regional Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding practice in higher education teaching. Dr Ó Brolcháin, who lectures in the Department of Language and Literacy at 91��Ƭ��, was announced as the recipient of this year’s award at a recent ceremony held at the University of Limerick.

The Regional Teaching Excellence Award is a collaborative initiative between 91��Ƭ��, UL, and TUS, which aims to showcase and champion outstanding practice in Higher Education teaching from across the region. Since last October, a number of candidates from the three institutions have put themselves through the very rigorous process of compiling a detailed teaching portfolio comprising multiple sources of evidence of excellent practice. 

Speaking on the announcement, Dr Ó Brolcháin said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive this award in recognition of all the effort that is made at 91��Ƭ�� to enable our students to become competent and confident teachers. Teaching excellence is such an important part of our Institution’s ethos and heritage and I want to thank my colleagues in the LEAD team, in the Language and Literacy Department, and in the broader 91��Ƭ�� community for all their help throughout the teaching excellence award process.

"Tá áthas an domhain orm an gradam seo a fháil mar aitheantas ar an iarracht atá déanta againn ar fad i gcoláiste Mhuire gan Smál chun ár gcuid scoláirí a ullmhú le bheith ina múinteoirí cumasacha, muiníneacha. Is cuid thábhachtach d'éiteas agus d'oidhreacht na hinstitiúide é an barr feabhais sa mhúinteoireacht agus ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le mo chomhghleacaithe san fhoireann LEAD, sa Roinn Teanga agus Litearthachta, agus sa phobal CMgS i gcoitinne as a tacaíocht ar fad a thug siad dom le linn phróiseas na dámhachtana.”

Dr Ó Brolcháin’s research interests include bilingual and multilingual education in diverse contexts including language immersion, crosslinguistic pedagogy, and heritage language teaching at the primary level. Conchúr, who is from Barna, Co. Galway,  is a former primary school teacher and principal and has taught at many levels within the education system with his current teaching duties relating to language teaching within the initial teacher education.

Picutred: Professor Emer Ring, Dean of Education; Dr Ó Brolcháin; Sean de Brun, Head of the Department of Language & Literacy Education; and Triena Delaney, Director of Operations, Faculty of Education. 

Dr O’Brolcháin says his teaching beliefs are deeply entwined with his own experience as a language learner, teacher, activist and with his identity as a bilingual parent and educator: “My teaching philosophy has equality and inclusion at its core in which issues of diversity, fairness and learner autonomy are fundamental. I view the promotion and protection of Gaeilge and other minority languages as extremely important for Ireland’s societal cohesion and also as a means of empowering minority language communities to succeed in the education system.

"Tá comhionannas agus rannpháirtíocht iomlán lárnach i m'fhealsúnacht teagaisc agus déanaim iarracht ceisteanna a bhaineann le cuimsiú sóisialta, éagsúlacht a cheiliúradh agus neamhspleáchas an fhoghlaimeora a chur chun cinn i gcónaí. Measaim go bhfuil cur chun cinn agus cosaint na Gaeilge agus mionteangacha eile thar a bheith tábhachtach do shochaí na hÉireann agus do phobail mhionteangacha ionas go n-éireoidh leo sa chóras oideachais.”

Congratulating Dr Ó Brolcháin on his achievement was Dr Gwen Moore, Director of Teaching and Learning at 91��Ƭ��, who said: “The Regional Teaching Excellence Award showcases the excellence in, and dedication to Teaching and Learning in the region. It involves the compilation of a very detailed and reflective teaching portfolio supplemented by video recordings of the shortlisted applicant’s teaching which are adjudicated by a panel of international experts. Dr Ó Brolcháin has demonstrated professional excellence, scholarship and a commitment to reflective practice. We are extremely proud and delighted with his achievement.”

Nominated alongside Dr Ó Brolcháin was: Dr Rosie Gowran (UL), Dr Ingrid Hunt (UL), Dr Anne Marie O’Brien (TUS), and Dr Michael Russell (TUS). It is the second year consecutive year that an 91��Ƭ�� academic has won the prestigious award, with Dr Anne Dolan chosen in 2022.