Our tutors

 All the teachers at Cnoc Mhuire are fully committed Catholics who are also engaged in various different apostolates. Click below to read their profiles. 

Maria Ui Chorcorain

Maria holds two undergraduate degrees (history and literature with a minor degree in linguistics) from Louisiana State University and a master's degree in classical languages from the University of Missouri, Columbia. She completed 5 years of her PhD before going on maternity leave. 

Maria has been teaching Latin, English, Maths, and History for the past 24 years on two continents at primary, secondary and third level (online and in the classroom). 

She lectured in Latin and Greek for 3 years at Newman College Ireland and taught writing for Johns Hopkins University's CTY programme.

Her hobbies include ballet, violin, chess, origami, horse riding, and archery. 

English, Maths, History, Latin, Greek

Sarah Armstrong

Sarah is a qualified Irish and Spanish teacher, registered with the Teaching Council. She holds a Professional Master of Education (Post Primary) from DCU and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nua-Ghaeilge and Spanish achieved from Maynooth University. 

Previous teaching experience includes working in voluntary Catholic schools and ETB schools in Galway and Dublin, teaching Irish and Spanish at Leaving Cert and Junior Cycle levels, as well as TY. 

Sarah is passionate and driven to promote and encourage a love for Gaeilge as a language, teaching through a faithful lense by demonstrating the depths of the Catholic faith rooted in the language, as well as its poetic and visual nature, and to experience the Irish culture in a fun and meaningful way through stories, plays, games and interactive activities.

Irish, Spanish

Grace Kelly

Grace is a passionate music educator with a Bachelor of Religious Education and Music from Dublin City University. Grace teaches Leaving Certificate Music, primary school music, harp, and voice at the Cnoc Mhuire Classical Co-operative.

A secondary school music teacher by profession, Grace is an experienced teacher who has voice as her primary instrument followed by harp and guitar. Performing at a variety of events throughout the country - both solo and ensemble - has allowed Grace to develop her extensive experience in singing and performance.

She specialises in the Kodály method of music education; an approach to teaching music that asserts musical concepts, creativity, and collaboration which are best taught in group lessons. In 2019, Grace was awarded the Colum Ó Cléirigh Memorial Scholarship by the Kodály Society of Ireland.

Grace has sung with several award-winning choirs and her love of choral music has led her to form and direct her own children’s choir.

Her love of music education, conducting and vocal development, allows Grace to work attentively and with passion, to help foster a love of music and singing in children of all ages.

Music, Voice, Harp, Guitar

Sarah McBrady

Sarah Gaillard-McBrady holds a degree in Performing Arts with a focus on Musical Theatre. She studied the Meisner Technique with Joanne Baron and D.W. Brown at the Baron/Brown Studios in Santa Monica, trained vocally with Roger Love and Gary Catona, and completed additional acting training at the Anthony Meindl Workshop in London.

Born in Paris, Sarah has always been passionate about language, music, and the performing arts. A native French speaker, she helps students succeed in their Junior and Leaving Cert exams by making language learning engaging and accessible. As a French and Drama/Voice teacher, she encourages students to express themselves creatively and build confidence through performance.

Alongside teaching, Sarah is a singer with a background in Contemporary Christian, Country, and Pop music, performing in French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin. She also teaches beginner piano from her home in Knock, seeing music as a powerful tool for self-expression.

Sarah is proud to be part of the Co-op team and is dedicated to creating an inspiring and supportive learning environment where every student can thrive.

French, Drama and Film, Voice

Marianne Ludden

Marianne teaches Art. She is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Education in Fine Art and Education at Limerick. Alongside her passion for creating, she has developed a strong foundation in teaching, gaining experience in a variety of educational settings.

Throughout her degree, she has worked in special education art teaching and contributed to summer special education programs. She has also collaborated with college peers to lead animation workshops for TY students in Limerick City.  Her placements at Coolmine Community School in Blanchardstown and St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Castlebar have allowed her to share her knowledge of art and art history with students.

Her artistic practice is rooted in printmaking, felting, wet felting, fine art, and ceramics, all of which she integrates into her teaching. Now, as the art teacher at Cnoc Mhuire Classical Co-Op, she is excited to inspire creativity and exploration in her students.

Art

Sean Pokall

Sean is a writer and novelist from County Galway. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies, a Diploma in Catechetics and has written and independently published four books (a bible commentary and three novels). His first book, "Inspired and Inerrant: A New Guide to the Old Testament" has received an imprimatur from the Archbishop Emeritus of Tuam, while his novels ("The Taraxacum Trilogy") explore religious themes in the realm of mystery fiction.

Born in Germany and raised in Ireland, Sean completed his Leaving Cert at an Iar-bhunscoil lán Gaeilge and is a fluent gaeilgeoir. In addition to his native English and German, he studied French and Spanish at university and is currently learning Russian and Japanese. As part of his university degree's work-experience programme, Sean gained teaching experience at an upper secondary school in Denmark, followed by a 6-months Erasmus study-abroad programme in Spain. Back home, he has given grinds in Irish, German, French and Spanish, preparing students for the Leaving Cert exams.

With a passion for languages, history and the Sacred Scriptures, Sean is also actively involved in his home parish, catechising children in preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation, and hosting a weekly Bible Study. Excited to start a new chapter in life, Sean is delighted to share his knowledge and love of languages and history with the students of Cnoc Mhuire.

Irish, German, History

Lucy Findlay

Lucy teaches Italian, Spanish and French. Based in Sligo, Lucy is originally from Scotland. 

She has a European Master in Conference Interpreting from the University of La Laguna, Spain and a First Class Honors degree in Translation and Interpreting from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

She taught Translation and English for Diplomacy to master's level students at the University of International Studies in Rome, and then went on to co-write and teach online CPD courses for professional conference interpreters. 

Lucy has worked for numerous international offices, organisations and businesses.  She has also been contracted by the Government of Canada to co-run courses for its in-house interpreters. 

She plays the cello and guitar and sings for mass and adoration. The cooperative is a new adventure for Lucy and she is keen to inspire the students through her language classes, but also transmit other practical skills that will help towards the formation of the whole person.   

Italian, French, Spanish