PEAI Executive – 2025-2026
President – Alan Finnegan
Vice President – Gráinne Phelan
Secretary – Katie McAuliffe
Treasurer – John Murphy
Assistant Treasurer – Peter Keaney
Executive Member – Deirbhile Ryan
Executive Member – Hilary Fitzgerald
Executive Member – Laura Kavanagh
Executive Member – Mike Storey
Executive Member – Molly Nightingale
Alan Finnegan
President
Alan is a Physical Education and Gaeilge teacher in Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh, Limerick City, where he has taught since graduating from the BSc. Physical Education programme in UL in 2017. In 2022 he was awarded a Master of Science by research from UL, after investigating the promotion of a physically active school culture in an Irish post-primary school.
Alan has been a member of the PEAI since 2014, attending the conference that year back in the school where he had his own secondary school education, Ardscoil Rís. Since then he has served as the PEAI student rep for UL, presented several workshops at PEAI Conferences, and has been a member of the PEAI Executive since 2022, serving as Vice-President from 2023-2025, before becoming President in October 2025.
Alan held the role as editor of the PEAI bi-annual newsletters from 2022-2025, and was the PEAI representative on the NCCA’s Leaving Certificate PE subject development group which brought the new LCPE Curriculum Specification to publication.
Gráinne Phelan
Vice-President
Gráinne is a Physical Education and Gaeilge teacher from Limerick City. She is currently teaching PE, LCPE and Gaeilge in Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher, Co. Limerick. Gráinne graduated from the University of Limerick in 2013 and then completed an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Adapted Physical Activity from Leuven, Belgium.
Gráinne first joined the executive in 2021 and then again in 2023. From 2023 onwards she Gráinne has taken the role as secretary and assistant secretary. She is the co-arthur of the “Champion” junior cycle textbook. She has a keen interest in all things water and recently qualified as an International Trainee Technical Classifier with World Para Swimming.
Katie McAuliffe
Secretary
Katie is currently lecturing at Munster Technological University Kerry on the third and fourth-year undergraduate programme in Physical Education and Business while also delivering modules on the Higher Diploma in Physical Education in MTU. After graduating from I.T Tralee with a BSc. in Health and Leisure with Physical Education in 2015 she continued her studies in the University of Limerick to obtain a Professional Masters of Education with Physical Education.
Following this she traveled to the United Arab Emirates to take up a position of PE teaching where she remained for five years. On return to Ireland, she is now an external school placement tutor for the University of Limerick. Katie has previously been an examiner for LCPE through the SEC.
John Murphy
Treasurer
John Murphy is a lecturer in Sports Coaching and Strength & Conditioning at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford. Before moving into higher education, he spent 10 years teaching Physical Education in St Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, and Coláiste Abhainn Rí, Callan, including five years as an LCPE teacher. He also served as a PDST PE and Future Leaders
Associate.
He holds a PhD in Physical Activity & Wellbeing and is an Award 2 Hurling Coach with coaching experience from Nursery level through to Senior Inter-County across hurling, football, and camogie.
John’s work focuses on helping teachers and coaches translate evidence-based practice into practical, engaging learning environments; particularly in youth and adolescent sport. His teaching, research, and consultancy centre on bridging the gap between pedagogy, athletic development, and the real-world needs of young players/students.
Peter Keaney
Assistant Treasurer
Peter is currently a teacher of Physical Education, Math and Biology at Our Lady of Mercy College Beaumont, Dublin 9.
Graduating from DCU’s BSc. Physical Education with Biology in 2013, he entered into his 10th year of teaching. He was in Phase 1 of the LCPE rollout in 2018/19 and is currently working as a part-time associate in Oíde facilitating Professional Learning Experiences for teachers on Phases 4 & 5 of LCPE.
Peter is currently completing the Professional Doctorate in Elite Performance at DCU with a focus on the implementation of School Placements within the current educational landscape.
Deirbhile Ryan
Executive Member
Deirbhile is a Physical Education and Gaeilge teacher from county Clare. She is currently teaching PE, LCPE and Gaeilge in Mungret Community College, Limerick. Deirbhile graduated from the University of Limerick in 2020 and has been an examiner for the PAP, PA and Written Papers for the SEC.
Deirbhile has a keen interest in Athletics and Gaelic football and promoting women in sport. Inclusion in physical activity is very important for her and she proudly runs an ‘iPlay’ (Adapted Physical Activity) initiative with TY students in her school by linking with local primary schools in the Mungret area.
Hilary Fitzgerald
Executive Member
Hilary is a PE teacher in FCJ in Bunclody Co. Wexford. She works as an associate with OIDE for PE teacher in-service support service. She is co-author of the LCPE textbook Winning Formula. She works as a school placement tutor with the University of Limerick and lectures with hibernia college on their physical education teacher training program.
She is a keen sportswoman and has played intercounty football as well as currently togging out for her local club Tullow RFC for AIL women’s rugby team. She has achieved success in a number of sports including basketball, gaelic football, rugby, volleyball, hockey and golf.
Laura Kavanagh
Executive Member
Laura is a PE and maths teacher from county Wicklow. She is currently teaching LCPE, PE and maths in Coláiste Chill Mhantáin, Wicklow. Graduated from the University of Limerick in 2017 with a Bsc. in Physical Education. She works on the promotion physical activity participation through the school athletics club, TY future leaders program and athletics Ireland iRun program.
Having achieved success across athletics, gaelic football and rugby, she also works with athletes and coaches, particularly focusing on development of FMS at grassroot level.
Mike Storey
Executive Member
Mike is a passionate Physical Education and Mathematics teacher at Villiers School. Since October 2020, he has been seconded to the PDST/Oide team, where he leads and facilitates Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Leaving Certificate Physical Education (LCPE), Senior Cycle PE (SCPE), and Junior Cycle PE (JCPE).
A graduate of the University of Limerick (2012), Mike brings a wealth of classroom and curriculum experience to his role. He has also contributed to the national assessment process as an examiner for both the Physical Activity Project (PAP) and the written examination in LCPE.
Beyond the classroom, Mike has a long-standing passion for rugby and tag rugby, reflecting his commitment to promoting active, engaging, and inclusive participation in sport.
Molly Nightingale
Executive Member
Molly is currently a PE teacher in Merlin College, Galway. Graduating from UL with a Professional Masters in Education.
Currently Teacher all year groups, including LCPE. Molly is currently an associate for Oide, and providing support with the roll out of the new Junior cycle curriculum. Molly has a vast amount of experience with learning support as she also worked for two years in the autistic unit in her school. Combining this with her PE experience, she has great experience with inclusion in the classroom.
Molly has just retired from competing internationally with gymnastics Ireland in the tumbling discipline. She is also a qualified gymnastics coach, swim teacher and personal trainer.