Our People

Luke Monahan, Founding Partner

Luke Monahan is a highly rated facilitator, presenter, commentator and author in the educational arena both nationally and internationally. He has extensive background in education in teaching and management. He currently works as an accredited workplace mediator and also a leadership and change management consultant to organisations across the public and private sector with a particular specialisation in the educational context. He has been head of the Centre of Education Services at Marino Institute for ten years leading a team to facilitate innovative and needs based services to schools around leadership development, ethos promotion, Board training and conflict management. 

He has been national coordinator of the Irish Association of Pastoral Care in Education and has worked directly with over 300 schools across all sectors providing training and resources on educational practice. He has published an extensive range of books on education and practice. He has two Masters Degrees, most recently one in executive leadership.  He is on the senior associate faculty of the Irish Management Institute and is currently part of the Leaderhip Academy with the HSE and their IMI Masters Programme, working also with the Kerry Group, Dublin City Council, Alexion, Accenture among many other public and private client groups. His areas of expertise include: communication skills; strategy and leadership; negotiation; decision making; conflict management. Luke is a nationally and internationally accredited mediator and a founding partner in the Mediation Foundation of Ireland - www.mfi.ie

His latest book (2017): Year Heads Making a Difference (2nd Ed) is a 220 page handbook for this crucial role in schools. He has recently facilitated a national training programme for over 1000 year heads. Email him for an overview of the contents and purchase information.

Contact Luke

Mobile: 087 6876569 Email: lmonahan@curam.ie

Dr Nicholas Cuddihy, senior associate 

Educational Consultant · Leadership Coach · Mediator · Strategic Planning Specialist

Dr Nicholas Cuddihy is a senior Associate with Cúram; a multi-faceted service, targeted in particular at supporting and resourcing schools, boards, trusts and school leaders. Dr Cuddihy has a unique profile in education leadership and a portfolio of skills that have been tested and formed in a fusion of hands on experience in senior leadership roles in a variety of settings and extensive ongoing research and academic training. He has successfully led three schools as Principal/Headmaster in the UK and Ireland and has completed Masters and Doctoral Studies in the area of Leadership Development and Training. Most recently he has added to his portfolio of skills by completing training as a Certified Mediator with the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland.

Dr Cuddihy brings a wealth of academic, strategic and operational experience and a genuine flair for leadership. In addition to his work as a school head he has considerable experience in Teacher Training, Mentoring, Leadership Development and School Development Planning. He excels at engaging stakeholders and aligning people and teams throughout organisations to ensure successful delivery of strategy. He has a proven track record of successful turnaround and whole school improvement.
Since completing a six-year term as Headmaster of Mount St Mary’s College, during which he delivered a highly successful turnaround, Dr. Cuddihy has returned to Ireland as a trusted advisor and experienced consultant to CURAM and other systems leaders in Irish Education. Dr Cuddihy is currently leading up a strategic development process for Curam as it builds on its highly regarded reputation for effective and resourceful interventions to support school leadership at all levels.
Dr. Cuddihy’s skills will be most valued by those looking for highly skilled and credible executive leadership coaching and support. Drawing on his vast experience ‘in the hot seat’ as a school Principal Dr. Cuddihy is an authentic and credible support to school leaders looking to develop their leadership skills and those in search of leading edge approaches to the most challenging issues. As an accomplished strategist and planner Dr. Cuddihy can help Boards and school leaders to diagnose their challenges and opportunities and will lead them to design and deliver ambitious plans and success for their schools. Contact: service@curam.ie 

The Associate Team

Pat Courtney

Pat has provided CPD on Bullying to schools and parents for over 14 years: He was national Anti-Bullying Coordinator of the SPHE Support Service (2009-2014). He was Team Leader of the Department of Education pilot anti-bullying programme for second level schools-The Dublin Cool School Pilot Programme (2006-2009). Pat was Education Officer with The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (North Eastern Health Board, HSE) and helped develop the Cool School Anti-Bullying Programme (2000-2005).

He is a member of the Teaching Council and worked as Assistant Principal in St. Kevin’s Community College (1991-2000).

He is co-author of the following Cool School Publications:

• "Responding to Bullying: First Steps for Teachers"
• "Investigating and Resolving Bullying: Further Steps for Teachers"
• "Bullying In Secondary Schools: What Parents Need to Know"
• "RUBN Bullied: Tips for Teens"

His services include anti-bullying support at Primary and Post Primary level:

• Whole staff seminars on bullying and cyber bullying
• Training for relevant teachers on investigating and resolving bullying
• Seminars for parents
• Classroom work with pupils on countering bullying and developing positive relationships
• Work with student councils
• Individual consultations

William Corless

William is a much-sought after executive coach and corporate trainer. Working with Multinational clients in Ireland, Europe, UK, Scandinavia, US and African markets. In conjunction with his personal clients: William is a senior associate faculty member of the United Nations Training School, a guest lecturer with Notre Dame University and an in-demand Program Director with the Irish Management Institute. He is also a mentor for the executive MBA programmes in NUI Galway and Dublin City University.

William specialises in Leadership Development and Executive Coaching, Communication and Presentations Skills, High Performance Teams, Team Building, Negotiation, Diversity & Intercultural Communication, Organisational Behaviour, Mediation & Conflict, Time Management, Resilience & Stress Management.

William has established a niche within the learning and development sector due to his education and experience. As his background is in engineering, William is comfortable with technical terms and theories. His experience and education in Supply Chain Management combined with management experience provides a unique proposition to clients. This unique proposition allows William to quickly establish rapport and accelerate the transformation process.

William currently works with a range of national and international clients in a range of sectors, especially the public sector. He designs and delivers tailor made programs to meet the specific needs of participants. His style of delivery is considered open, honest and engaging.

An accomplished professional, William was invited by President McAleese to speak at the National Forum on Resilience. He is well known for his interactive and engaging style. William is hugely passionate about change and people and encourages people to take a different path in life. Contact: service@curam.ie 

Dr. Maeve Martin

Dr Maeve Martin was a senior lecturer in the Education Department at NUI, Maynooth before her retirement in 2009. She is a psychologist by discipline, and had responsibility for the teaching of psychology on the range of programmes that is offered by the Education Department at NUI, Maynooth. Her areas included both educational and developmental psychology. Alongside her teaching duties in the department, Dr. Martin supervised research, and contributed to the many initiatives that formed part of this dynamic department. She visited her students in their teaching practice schools, and supervised their placement there.

Alongside her academic life, Dr. Martin has worked for twenty years as a member of a Child Guidance Team in one of the country’s largest Health Executives. This has given her the opportunity to work with children, their families, their teachers, and with other agencies interested in the welfare of children.

During her academic career, Dr. Martin facilitated many staff development days in schools and Colleges, and frequently made presentations to parent groups. She was also a frequent speaker at national conferences both in this country and abroad. Extra mural lecturing involved her working with nurses, both in the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, and at An Bord Altranais---the national Nursing Board, in Ireland. She was also a guest lecturer at University College, Dublin and St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra.

In the context of public service, Dr. Martin was commissioned by the Department of Education to chair a Task Force on School Behaviour (2006). She is a ministerial nominee to a number of committees. Currently she Chairs a project for Irish Aid on the theme of Development and Intercultural Education (DICE). She has served as a board member on the Board of Kimmage Manor Development Studies Centre and is currently on the Board of the Irish American University. Dr. Martin was a member of the Secretariat for the national convention on Early Childhood and Education in 1999. Other public service involves participating in a number of interview boards for Dublin City University and for the Public Appointments Commission. She has extensive experience as an extern examiner both in Ireland and overseas.

In 1999, Dr. Martin was a guest for a semester at the Hogskole of Gaevle in Sweden. This entailed some lecturing, and some visitation of schools. Her trip to Sweden provided the opportunity to take a close look at the provision for pre-school children in Sweden.

She continues to fill the role of judge on the social science panel, at the annual Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. During her time in Boston she was invited to be a judge at the Massachusetts Young Scientist held at MIT.

She has carried out consultation work with the World Bank in islands of the Eastern Caribbean. Contact: service@curam.ie 

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