*Michael McDonagh. 

ENNISTYMON’s Michael McDonagh has been appointed as the new Principal of Scoil Dara in Kilcock.

Michael takes on the role in the Kildare secondary school after spending the past two years as Deputy Principal of St Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla.

He began his teaching career in Wimbledon, London where he was Head of Physics at Ursuline High School from June 2012 to July 2014. From here, he moved to Laurel Hill in Limerick and was promoted to the ranks of Assistant Principal in May 2018.

McDonagh joined the staff of St Joseph’s Spanish Point in September 2019 and remained there until June 2022 until he moved to St Joseph’s Tulla in East Clare as Deputy Principal in August 2022.

In 2012, he graduated from UL in 2012 with a BSc in Physics and Chemistry. He completed a professional diploma in mathematics in 2017 at UL and graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology with a masters in education management.

A former footballer with Ennistymon, Michael lined out at centre forward in 2018 when the club lined out in the Clare SFC final for the first time, losing out to Miltown on a score of 0-14 0-8 and represented the club until 2021, he is currently manager of the club’s Junior B side.

In his principal’s welcome for Scoil Dara, he said, “Ours is a happy school where learning, growing and caring are the key concerns and activities of students and staff. In Scoil Dara we value openness and collaboration”.

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