Hibernia College Shakes Up the Game: Meet the Three Power Players Poised to Redefine Leadership and Skyrocket Growth

Ever wonder what it takes to truly shake up the education and healthcare sectors? Hibernia College just dropped a bombshell with three powerhouse leadership hires that could very well redefine the game ahead. At the heart of this shakeup is Miriam McCarthy, stepping in as Dean of the soon-to-be-launched School of Health Sciences—talk about making a bold move! This isn’t just a routine reshuffle; it’s a clear signal that Hibernia’s gearing up to revolutionize allied healthcare education, especially after scooping up the Institute of Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy (IICP). With McCarthy’s solid clinical chops and deep academic roots, alongside new leaders Dr Julie Uí Choistealbha and Niamh O’Loughlin bringing fresh perspectives in education and commercial strategy, it’s the kind of team that makes you sit up and say, “Now that’s a vision worth betting on!” Ready to see how this dynamic trio will steer Hibernia into its next chapter? LEARN MORE

Hibernia College has announced three senior leadership appointments in the education and healthcare sectors.

Miriam McCarthy has been appointed as Dean of the soon-to-be-established School of Health Sciences.

Hibernia College has said it is preparing to expand into allied healthcare education following its acquisition of the Institute of Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy (IICP).

McCarthy brings a wealth of clinical and academic expertise that will shape Hibernia College’s future direction in healthcare education, the college said in a statement.

McCarthy had worked at the University of Limerick (UL) where she was Health Sciences Academy Manager, working across UL and HSE Midwest, leading collaboration in research, innovation, education and training.

She originally trained as a physiotherapist, is a Faculty member with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and established a range of services, including an Adult Cystic Fibrosis physiotherapy service in UHL, before moving to primary care and a patient advocacy and liaison service across the acute hospitals in HSE Midwest.

“I’m delighted to welcome Miriam, a seasoned leader with a national profile in health and education, to the Hibernia College team,” said CEO, Paul Farrell.

“I know Miriam’s leadership skills and proven track record in driving significant improvements will benefit us as we expand our education programmes to include Allied Health Sciences.”

Also joining the senior leadership team are Dr Julie Uí Choistealbha as Registrar and Niamh O’Loughlin, as Group Commercial Director. 

Dr Uí Choistealbha is a respected voice in teacher education and brings 20 years of experience in Ireland’s education sector to her new role.

A former DEIS school teacher, she has held senior academic leadership roles including Dean of Education, Head of Department and Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Her areas of expertise include placement innovation, international partnerships and quality assurance – all of which are central to Hibernia College’s mission to deliver high-quality, practice-oriented education.

O’Loughlin brings over two decades of commercial strategy and marketing experience across education, technology, media and retail.

In her most recent role, she was instrumental in forming a strategic consortium with the German government, industry experts and leading corporations to tackle the country’s digital skills shortage, boosting pipeline growth by 25%.

In her new role, she will lead commercial partnerships and strategic initiatives to support the college’s next phase of growth.

“These appointments reflect Hibernia College’s ambition to lead from the front in a continuously evolving education landscape,” continued Paul Farrell.

“With an exceptional team on board, our focus now is to continue to deliver much-needed, highly trained graduates to the education and healthcare sectors.”

Photo: Niamh O’Loughlin Group Commercial Director.