24th April 2019
Feargal Brougham: New president of the INTO
The new president of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation is Feargal Brougham, principal teacher in St Paul’s SNS, Ayrfield, Dublin 13.
Feargal was born and reared in Raheny in Dublin. He attended Scoil Ide and Scoil Neasain primary schools. He travelled into Colaiste Mhuire, Parnell Square, for his secondary education and studied for a B. Ed at Colaiste Mhuire, Marino.
On graduating from college in 1989 he faced an uncertain future. Unemployment among newly trained teachers was very high. Substitute work was scarce and poorly paid. He spent the next two and a half years as a librarian for the Dublin City Council.
The employment situation for newly qualified teachers improved due to the work of the INTO and he managed to get a permanent teaching position in Mary Queen of Angels Boys School, Ballyfermot. Feargal spent eight years teaching in Ballyfermot with the exception of a year working in United Arab Emirates.
In 1999 he moved back north of the Liffey to take up a post as a learning support teacher in St Paul’s SNS, Ayrfield, Dublin 13. In 2015, he was appointed principal of this school.
From 2009 – 2015 Feargal represented teachers in north county Dublin on the INTO Central Executive Committee. From 2017 he served on the union’s Benefit Funds Committee.
Feargal is married to Caroline Farrell and lives with their three children, Megan, Sorcha, and Lúc in Marino.
Feargal passionately believes that education can play a crucial part in creating a more just and equal world, especially for the most marginalised in society for whom he has campaigned throughout his professional life. During his year as President, Feargal intends to work tirelessly in helping achieve pay equality for all teachers, to improve resources for both urban and rural DEIS schools, to further assist schools to improve their ability to
include pupils with special needs and to promote global citizenship education.