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Having served 91��Ƭ�� (91��Ƭ��) for over a third of its 125-year history, Professor Eugene Wall’s impending retirement from a remarkable career in education was celebrated at a special event held in 91��Ƭ�� on Friday 23 August.

Honouring the immense contribution of Professor Wall to the College in his seven years as President and 44 years in total at 91��Ƭ��, there were congratulatory messages from Taoiseach Simon Harris; Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Minister for Education Norma Foley along with many other colleagues across the Irish Education sector. The celebratory event also acknowledged the work of the 91��Ƭ�� Trustees and Governing Body at the end of their five-year term.

Presentations on the night included a personalised letter from President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins to Prof. Wall in which he wrote: 

“Your tenure at 91��Ƭ�� has been marked by your deep commitment to academic excellence, the development of innovative educational programmes, and the fostering of an inclusive and supportive environment for students and staff alike, remarkable contributions to the College and to the broader academic community in Ireland…As you embark on this well-deserved retirement, I hope that you take pride in the legacy you leave behind, one of dedication, innovation, inclusivity, one that has left a profound impact on education in Ireland. Your vision and leadership have set a high standard for your successors and will no doubt continue to inspire future generations of educators and students.”

Paying tribute to Professor Wall, An Taoiseach, Simon Harris said: “The impact of your successful leadership as President of 91��Ƭ�� since 2018, and as an educator in the higher education sector for many more years leaves such a lasting legacy. I feel very fortunate to have worked alongside you during my tenure as Ireland’s first Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Your willingness to engage, your innovative vision, your dedication to your students and your colleagues was clear always. You were a passionate advocate for the improvement of primary education…So many people have benefited from your expertise and your knowledge throughout your career. I’d like to sincerely thank you for both your tenure as President and for your many years of service in the education sector.”

Adding to the tributes was Minister for Education, Norma Foley who said of Eugene “We have been so much empowered and enlightened by your spirit of endeavour in education” and thanked him for all that he had achieved for the education sector.

While An Tánaiste Micheal Martin thanked him for his “incredible and immense service to the education sector”. 

Minister for Higher and Further Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan—who is an alumnus of 91��Ƭ��—attended the celebration and recounted attending Eugene’s “extremely entertaining and always engaging” lectures. He thanked him sincerely for what Eugene “did as an educator and a leader in Mary I and in Limerick” and wished him well in the next chapter of his life.

Bishop Brendan Leahy, Chair of the 91��Ƭ�� Trustees and Governing Authority also congratulated Eugene, saying:

“Eugene’s tenure as president has been extremely successful but the six years he has occupied that role make up only a fraction of the 44 years in total that he has spent at 91��Ƭ��, beginning as a lecturer and, prior to his appointment as president, as Registrar/Vice-President for Academic Affairs. In his distinguished career, he has made an enormous contribution, not just to the College, but to Irish education as a whole in terms of research and active participation in numerous organisations including the Teaching Council, the NCCA, CHoICE and City Connects to mention just a few. He has also enhanced the College’s international profile and partnerships, adding to 91��Ƭ��’s appeal as a destination for study, research and work. I wish him the very best as he embarks on his next chapter and thank him most sincerely for his tireless dedication to 91��Ƭ�� and to the Irish education system for the past four decades.”

Eugene taught developmental psychology and educational psychology in 91��Ƭ�� from 1980 to 1998. For the latter part of that time, he was also Assistant Dean Academic Affairs in the College of Education of the University of Limerick (UL). Following appointment to the role of Registrar/Vice-President Academic Affairs in 1998, he continued to lecture part-time on the Bachelor of Education and the Master of Education programmes on educational psychology and on educational policy issues. 

He served for 21 years on the Council of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and was a member of several of its sub-committees over that time, including the Coordinating Committee which was responsible for overseeing the development of the 1999 primary school curriculum. He chaired the Council’s Primary Assessment Advisory Group. Eugene is co-author of the 91��Ƭ��RA-T and the SIGMA-T, the two most widely used standardised tests in Irish primary schools.

Eugene was the founding Chairperson of the Learning Hub, which works in partnership with local education providers, families and young people to develop and implement practical and solution focused responses to the high levels of educational disadvantage and early school leaving experienced by local communities on the northside of Limerick City.

Following a period as acting President following the untimely passing of Professor Michael Hayes in 2017, he was appointed as President of 91��Ƭ�� in 2018, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to education to the role. Over the course of his leadership, 91��Ƭ�� has seen significant growth, both in student enrolment and in the development and expansion of its selection of academic programmes. 

91��Ƭ��’s President Designate, Professor Dermot Nestor, is set to step into the role later in November. More information on Prof. Nestor’s appointment here.

View video messages below, and photo galleries from the event further down.

The celebratory event was attended by many of Prof. Wall's colleagues from the Higher Education sector and 91��Ƭ��, and also acknowledged the work of the 91��Ƭ�� Trustees and Governing Body at the end of their five-year term.