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Eugene Wall with family , his wife Jennifer , Nathan (Eugene’s son) and wife Janet Brady., Dmitri (Eugene’s son) and wife Gillian Dagg and their kids Hannah and Emily Wall, Natasya (Eugene’s daughter) and husband Dave Brown and their children Nikki and Callum Brown are pictured Marking the retirement of Prof. Eugene Wall as President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC). Prof. Wall was appointed as president of the College in 2018 but first started working in MIC as a lecturer in 1980 and over four decades has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading educationalists. Video messages congratulating Prof. Wall on a stellar career from an Taoiseach, an Tànaiste and the Minister for Education were included in the evening’s proceedings as well as tributes from colleagues and friends. Pic. Brian Arthur Eugene Wall with family , his wife Jennifer , Nathan (Eugene’s son) and wife Janet Brady., Dmitri (Eugene’s son) and wife Gillian Dagg and their kids Hannah and Emily Wall, Natasya (Eugene’s daughter) and husband Dave Brown and their children Nikki and Callum Brown are pictured Marking the retirement of Prof. Eugene Wall as President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC). Prof. Wall was appointed as president of the College in 2018 but first started working in MIC as a lecturer in 1980 and over four decades has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading educationalists. Video messages congratulating Prof. Wall on a stellar career from an Taoiseach, an Tànaiste and the Minister for Education were included in the evening’s proceedings as well as tributes from colleagues and friends. Pic. Brian Arthur

Education

Professor Eugene Wall retires as president of Mary Immaculate College

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Professor Eugene Wall retires as president of Mary Immaculate College. Pictured with his wife Jennifer, son Nathan and wife Janet Brady, son Dmitri and wife Gillian Dagg and their kids Hannah and Emily Wall, daughter Natasya and husband Dave Brown and their children Nikki and Callum Brown, all marking his retirement. Pic. Brian Arthur

President Higgins leads tributes to Professor Eugene Wall as he retires as MIC President

No Repro Fee Prof. Eugene Wall with his wife Jennifer pictured Marking the retirement of Prof. Eugene Wall as President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC). Prof. Wall was appointed as president of the College in 2018 but first started working in MIC as a lecturer in 1980 and over four decades has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading educationalists. Video messages congratulating Prof. Wall on a stellar career from an Taoiseach, an Tànaiste and the Minister for Education were included in the evening’s proceedings as well as tributes from colleagues and friends. Pic. Brian Arthur
Professor Eugene Wall with his wife Jennifer pictured Marking his retirement as President of Mary Immaculate College (MIC). Pic. Brian Arthur

Professor Eugene Wall’s impending retirement from his career in education was celebrated at a special event in Mary Immaculate College (MIC).

Professor Wall served MIC for over a third of its 125-year history; as president for seven years, and 44 years in total at the college.

Honouring the immense contribution of Professor Wall to the college, 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.


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The celebratory event also acknowledged the work of the MIC Trustees and Governing Body at the end of their five-year term.

Presentations on the night included a personalised letter from President Michael D Higgins to Prof Wall in which he wrote, “Your tenure at Mary Immaculate College 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,” the letter continued, “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, Taoiseach Simon Harris said, “The impact of your successful leadership as President of MIC since 2018, and as an educator in the higher education sector for many more years, leaves such a lasting legacy”.

“Your willingness to engage, your innovative vision, your dedication to your students and your colleagues was always clear,” he added.

Minister for Education Norma Foley commented, “We have been so much empowered and enlightened by your spirit of endeavour in education”.

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

Minister for Higher and Further Education, Patrick O’Donovan, an alumnus of MIC, attended the celebration and recounted attending Prof Wall’s “extremely entertaining and always engaging” lectures.

Minister Patrick O'Donovan congratulated Professor Eugene Wall and remembered his “extremely entertaining and always engaging” lectures. Pic. Brian Arthur
Minister Patrick O’Donovan congratulated Professor Eugene Wall and remembered his “extremely entertaining and always engaging” lectures. Pic. Brian Arthur

He thanked him sincerely for what Prof Wall “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 MIC Trustees and Governing Authority also congratulated Professor Wall, saying, “In his distinguished career, he has made an enormous contribution, not just to the College, but to Irish education as a whole”.

He continued, “I wish him the very best as he embarks on his next chapter and thank him most sincerely for his tireless dedication to MIC and to the Irish education system for the past four decades.”

Professor Wall taught developmental psychology and educational psychology in MIC 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.

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 oversaw the development of the 1999 primary school curriculum.

Prof Wall is co-author of the MICRA-T and the SIGMA-T, the two most widely used standardised tests in Irish primary schools.

He was the founding chairperson of the Learning Hub, which works in partnership with local education providers, families and young people to develop practical solutions to the high levels of educational disadvantage and early school leaving experienced by some 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 MIC in 2018.

MIC’s President Designate, Professor Dermot Nestor, is set to step into the role later in November.

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