Mary Immaculate College (MIC) is celebrating a decade since St Patrick’s College Thurles became part of MIC, marking ten years of growth and contribution to post-primary teacher education in Ireland.
As MIC Thurles marks its 10th anniversary, the campus can proudly reflect on a decade of growth, innovation and educational excellence. A defining feature of this journey has been the continued expansion of its undergraduate teacher education offering, with the introduction of contemporary subject combinations designed to meet the evolving needs of schools, learners and society.
Since joining MIC in 2016, the campus has grown from just over 200 students to almost 700 today. This year, MIC Thurles welcomed its largest-ever first-year intake, with more than 220 students commencing across seven undergraduate programmes.
Most recently, the addition of six new degree programmes has increased the undergraduate portfolio from seven to thirteen programmes from 2027, significantly broadening opportunities for aspiring teachers and further enhancing MIC’s contribution to teacher education nationally.
Through programmes spanning Gaeilge, Mathematics, Business Studies, Accounting, Religious Studies and Home Economics, in addition to postgraduate opportunities in areas including middle leadership and mentoring, MIC Thurles is creating new pathways for students while supporting the supply of qualified teachers in areas of strategic importance to the education system. As Ireland continues to address teacher workforce challenges, MIC Thurles is playing an increasingly important role in meeting future educational needs and further strengthening its role as a leading centre for post-primary teacher education in Ireland.
Professor Jennifer Johnston, Vice-Dean of MIC Thurles, said the milestone is an opportunity to recognise the contribution of the campus to Thurles and the wider region:
“Thurles 10 is an important milestone for MIC Thurles and an opportunity to celebrate everything that has been achieved over the past decade. The campus has grown significantly since joining MIC, but it remains at the heart of what makes Thurles such a special part of the College. Our students and staff contribute to the local community in so many ways, and the presence of hundreds of students also brings significant social and economic benefits to Thurles and the wider Tipperary region. We are looking forward to a year of activities that will celebrate our past, our people and the exciting future ahead.”
Professor Dermot Nestor, President of MIC, said the decade of growth at MIC Thurles builds on a much longer educational legacy:
"Ten years ago, MIC was entrusted with St Patrick's College and its long tradition of learning in Thurles. The decade since has been one of real growth, with close to 1,000 graduates now teaching in post-primary schools across Ireland. That growth is the work of our students and staff, and of a town that has stood with this campus throughout. Thurles holds a central place in MIC's future, and in the future of post-primary teacher education in Ireland.”
MIC Thurles builds on a long educational history in the town. Established as a second-level school in 1837, St Patrick’s College later became a major seminary and remained so until the early 2000s. Lay students returned to the College in 1988 with the introduction of its first Bachelor of Arts (BA) programme, while the first BA in Education degree was introduced in 2003, laying the foundations for the teacher education provision that continues today.
Today, MIC Thurles combines its historic setting with modern facilities and teaching spaces, providing students with a distinctive higher education experience in the heart of Thurles. Its continued growth has also strengthened its contribution to the local economy and to the wider educational landscape of Tipperary and the region.
Thurles 10: A Decade of Growth, A Future of Possibility will feature a programme of activities throughout the academic year to mark the milestone and celebrate the students, staff, graduates and wider community who have shaped MIC Thurles over the past decade.
For more information on events, see the MIC Thurles 10 webpage
