Louise Tobin, IPPN President
- Published: 04 December 2017
Louise has been principal of St. Joseph’s Primary School in Tipperary Town since 2009. She previously worked for a year with School Development Planning as a facilitator, and for a further year with the Primary Development Service for Teachers as an advisor, during which time she completed post-graduate studies in School Planning. Louise worked in Grange NS, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary for 20 years, and was Acting Principal there for two years. She has experience as both teaching and administrative principalship.
Louise was one of the Tipperary representatives on the IPPN National Council from 2017 and subsequently served on the Board of Directors for five years. Louise has been a very strong advocate for schools in areas of disadvantage, seeking extra resources under the DEIS scheme. Louise is on the DE DEIS Advisory Group and acknowledges the growing need for resourcing for all disadvantaged pupils, whether in DEIS or non-DEIS schools. An IPPN DEIS Focus group has been set up to feed into Louise’s work and contributions to the DEIS Advisory.
Other areas of interest for Louise in her Presidency are:
- The on-going development of the Local Support Group Project
- Membership engagement to include school visits and personal contact with school leaders
- Developing leadership capacity in IPPN through attendance at various engagements
- Supporting school leaders implement Climate Action in their schools in conjunction with the ESCI sub-committee on Climate Action and members of ISSN
- Wellbeing in Action. Wellbeing now features as part of every National Council meeting. Louise is Chair of IPPN National Council
- Promoting Positivity for Principals is very important to Louise and is the focus of the work of the IPPN sub-committee on Issues and Practical Advice for School leaders set up by Louise in 2021. St. Josephs Primary also developed a Growth Mindset Initiative to be shared across the system as part of the Schools Excellence Fund DEIS and Louise promotes the benefits of this positivity programme for pupils, staff and the whole school community.
- Louise has a particular interest in organisations supporting children’s needs, including Barnardos and the Children’s Rights Alliance.
Louise was elected IPPN Deputy President/President-elect in June 2021 and serves as president from September 2023 to August 2025.
County Committee
- Published: 28 September 2017
A County Network consists of school leaders all of which are current members and are located within the 26 counties. One of the general functions of your County Network Committee is to cultivate a sense of professional collegiality amongst school leaders in their county through a combination of professional and personal networking. Check out the roles of the County Network Committee
| IPPN County Committee - Representation | |
| Role | No. |
| Administrative Principal | 58 |
| Teaching Principal | 40 |
| Teaching Deputy Principal | 4 |
Click here to view who is representing your County on the County Network Committee
Denise Ward, IPPN Board Member
- Published: 13 April 2016
Denise graduated 
from Coláiste Mhuire Marino in 1991 with a B.Ed and began her teaching career at Cnoc Mhuire JNS, Killinarden, in Tallaght. Denise moved to Ratoath National School in Co. Meath in 2000 where she spent 8 very happy years and worked with some fantastic teachers and friends. Denise then moved to St. Kilian’s N.S. in Mullagh, Co. Cavan for one year before her appointment as Teaching Principal at Scoil Mhuire Moynalty in 2009.
Scoil Mhuire Moynalty is Ireland’s first Passive House energy efficient primary school building and it opened in 2012. It is a small rural 5-teacher school with two SEN posts.
Denise is one of Meath’s representatives on IPPN’s National Council and was co-opted to the Board of Directors at the end of 2015. As a Teaching Principal, Denise believes that membership of IPPN is the most valuable and powerful tool she has to support her in her role. The immeasurable volume of advice, resources and information available through IPPN is what makes her daily challenges achievable.
Denise is very committed to CPD and believes in the continuous promotion of CPD for all teachers, especially whole school CPD to support up-skilling and collaborative learning within the school team.
Denise is a past pupil of Carnaross N.S. and Eureka Secondary School and now lives close to home in Kells, Co. Meath with her husband Peter and two teenage sons Luke and Rory.
Catríona O’Reilly, IPPN Board Member
- Published: 06 April 2016
Catríona is the Principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel GNS, Ferrybank, Waterford. She began teaching in the school in 1998 and was appointed as a Teaching Principal there in 2005. The role became an administrative one in 2007.
Having graduated from Our Lady of Mercy College, Carysfort Park in 1986, Catríona began her teaching career in a large co-educational school in Confey, Leixlip, Co. Kildare. Catríona’s experience as a young teacher in San Carlo JNS, under the guidance of an exemplary school leader, has greatly influenced her own style of principalship.
Catríona represented Waterford on IPPN’s National Council for 4 years and was elected to the Board of Directors in November 2014. She is currently working with a small group of Board members to develop IPPN’s position on a number of key issues. Catríona is a firm believer in the value of IPPN’s Local Principals’ Support Groups as an effective means of self-care for principals, as an opportunity for Professional Development and as a forum for developing principals’ skills as reflective practitioners.
Catríona was elected as Chairperson of the Board of Directors and serves a 2-year term from September 2023 to August 2025.
Pat Connaghan, IPPN Board
- Published: 31 March 2016
Pat graduated from Carysfort College with a B. Ed in 1982 and began teaching in Acres NS, Burtonport, Co. Donegal. Apart from a career break, Pat has taught in the same school to the present day. He was appointed principal in 1998. Acres NS is a 4-teacher Rural DEIS school with a learning support teacher and a resource teacher.
Pat served as the National Council representative for Donegal for a number of years. He was co-opted to the Board of Directors at the end of 2015 and attended his first Board meeting on the 12th of February, 2016. He is a great advocator of principal support groups and set up a group in North West Donegal a number of years ago. This group meet regularly and is an important life line for all who attend. Pat continually encourages principals, particularly in Donegal, to attend the annual conference and believes it is the major calendar event for a principal. He believes it informs, invigorates and provides principals the opportunity to continue learning in a brilliant social setting.
