Carlow College

Carlow College Celebrates Renewal of Athena Swan Institutional Bronze Award

Nerilie Duffey — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:17:54 +0000

Carlow College, St. Patrick’s has successfully secured renewal of its Athena Swan Institutional Bronze Award, recognising the College’s ongoing commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across all aspects of college life.

The successful renewal follows the submission of a comprehensive application in the April 2026 Athena Swan application round. The application was coordinated and compiled by the College’s Self-Assessment Team (SAT), a dedicated sub-group of the College’s EDI Team, drawing on the collective contribution of staff, students and stakeholders from across the institution.

The Athena Swan panel noted the award renewal comes in a period of significant change as the College enters a two-year programme completion period. Despite the challenges and uncertainty associated with such organisational change, the Athena Swan assessment panel commended Carlow College for maintaining a strong and sustained commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

In its feedback, the panel noted that the submission demonstrated “a sustained commitment to EDI during a period of significant institutional change” and highlighted clear evidence that EDI is embedded within institutional structures and supported through a broad range of initiatives addressing gender equality and wider inclusion objectives.

The panel also acknowledged the “considerable effort involved in progressing Athena Swan work and developing a future action plan during a period of organisational uncertainty”.

Among the areas specifically commended by the panel were:

The establishment of the Civic Engagement Hub, which has strengthened opportunities for community engagement and civic participation.
The renaming of College spaces to celebrate prominent women and provide visible role models for staff and students. Through a consultative process involving both staff and students, three spaces were renamed: Iris Murdoch Hall, Nan Joyce Room and the Eavan Boland Creative Space.
The development and implementation of the College’s Gender Identity and Expression Policy for staff and students, which formally recognises and supports gender diversity.
The College’s widening EDI activity across a range of equality areas, including Traveller ethnicity awareness initiatives, anti-racism programmes, gender-based violence awareness campaigns, and participation in the Ask for Angela initiative.
Collaborative approaches to EDI, including the effective use of partnerships and a “train the trainer” model to maximise impact and reach.
The review of the College’s Workload Allocation Policy, which now formally recognises civic engagement activities within workload allocation processes.
Ongoing support for LGBTQ+ students and staff, reflected in College publications, student-led initiatives, annual events marking International Transgender Day of Visibility and International Transgender Day of Remembrance, support for World AIDS Day, and the College’s longstanding involvement with Carlow Pride Festival.
Positive staff survey results demonstrating a strong culture of respect and inclusion. The 2024 Staff Survey found that 83% of respondents agreed that the College promotes clear values and expectations regarding how people should behave towards one another, a significant increase from 55% recorded in 2020.

Commenting on the achievement, Fr Conn Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, College President, said:

“We are delighted to receive renewal of our Athena Swan Institutional Bronze Award. This recognition reflects the dedication and commitment of our staff, students and the members of our EDI and Self-Assessment Teams who have worked tirelessly to embed equality, diversity and inclusion across the College community.

It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected and supported. We are proud of the progress made to date and remain committed to implementing the actions set out in our renewed Athena Swan Action Plan.”

Agnita Kenny, Chair of the EDI Team, added:

“The renewal process provided an important opportunity to reflect on the progress achieved since our original award and to identify areas where we can continue to improve. We are particularly grateful to the staff and students who contributed their experiences, feedback and ideas throughout the process. EDI is an ongoing journey, and this award renewal reinforces our commitment to continuing that work.”

The renewed Athena Swan Bronze Award recognises both the progress achieved by Carlow College and its commitment to maintaining momentum through the implementation of a new action plan designed to further advance equality, diversity and inclusion in the years ahead.

The College’s action plan has been published on the College website and will act as a framework to continuing to support staff and students through EDI initiatives over the next two years.

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Carlow College Welcomes Samhain Festival 2026

Nerilie Duffey — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:19:14 +0000

Carlow College is delighted to welcome the return of the Samhain Festival 26, a county-wide celebration of folklore, music, storytelling, creativity and community inspired by Ireland’s ancient Samhain traditions. Running from 22 October to 1 November, the festival will bring an exciting programme of events to venues across Carlow, including a number of special events hosted on the Carlow College campus.

One of the festival highlights at Carlow College is the spectacular FIRE NIGHT Outdoor Family Event featuring VolkiDána, taking place on Friday, 23 October at 7.30pm. This free family event promises an evening of fire, performance and celebration, capturing the spirit of Samhain and bringing the community together in the unique surroundings of the College grounds.

The College will also play a central role in the festival’s popular Family Fun Day on Sunday, 25 October. Visitors can enjoy free traditional music sessions at Carlow College from 2pm to 4pm, along with drop-in art workshops and two Strawcraft Workshops, including an adult workshop and a free all-ages session. These activities offer opportunities for people of all ages to engage with traditional crafts and creative expression in a welcoming community setting.

As part of the wider festival programme, audiences can also enjoy a diverse range of performances, workshops, exhibitions and family activities taking place at Samhain Festival 26 at VISUAL and across a network of fringe venues throughout the county, including Delta Sensory Gardens, The Library, The Exchange, Duckett’s Grove and other community locations.

Carlow College is proud to partner in this celebration of Ireland’s rich cultural heritage and looks forward to welcoming visitors to campus for what promises to be a memorable and magical Samhain experience. For full programme details and booking information, visit the VISUAL website.

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Sustainability Group Participates in Big River Watch 2026

Nerilie Duffey — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:19:05 +0000

Staff and students took to the banks of the Barrow today to participate in the Big River Watch 2026 joining communities across Ireland and the UK in a nationwide citizen science initiative focused on understanding and protecting the health of our rivers and waterways.

Organised by the Sustainability Group, participants spent time observing the river environment along the Barrow; identifying wildlife, assessing river conditions, and recording their findings through the Big River Watch app. The event provided an opportunity to engage with the local natural environment while contributing valuable information to a national environmental monitoring project.

What is the Big River Watch?

The Big River Watch is a citizen science project organised by The Rivers Trust and takes place twice each year. People across Britain and Ireland are invited to visit a local river, stream, lake, or coastal area during a designated week, spend approximately ten minutes making observations, and answer a series of questions using a mobile app. The information is then uploaded to a central database where it is collated to create a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.

Running since 2023, the project enables environmental organisations and local communities to track changes in river conditions over time, helping to identify trends and areas where action may be needed.

Why It Matters

Ireland’s rivers are a vital part of our natural heritage, supporting biodiversity, recreation, and community wellbeing. However, rivers continue to face challenges including pollution, habitat degradation, and the impact of runoff from surrounding land uses.

The Big River Watch helps address gaps in environmental data by encouraging members of the public to collect observations directly from waterways in their local areas. These real-world observations contribute to a better understanding of water quality, biodiversity, and environmental pressures, supporting efforts to improve and protect rivers for future generations.

In simple terms, just ten minutes spent observing a local river can help build a clearer picture of the health of waterways across entire catchments and inform future conservation efforts.

Learning Through Citizen Science

The initiative also provided an opportunity for participants to learn more about citizen science, which involves members of the public contributing to scientific research and environmental monitoring. Citizen science projects enable ordinary people to work alongside researchers and organisations by collecting data and making observations that support scientific understanding.

Ireland has a strong tradition of citizen science through initiatives led by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, including programmes such as the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, Flower-Insect Timed (FIT) Count, Explore Your Shore, and the Rare Plant Monitoring Scheme. These projects demonstrate how individuals can make a meaningful contribution to environmental research, regardless of their level of expertise.

Supporting Sustainability at Carlow College

Participation in Big River Watch aligns with Carlow College’s commitment to sustainability, environmental responsibility, and community engagement. By taking part in this national initiative, staff and students not only gained a greater appreciation of the ecological importance of the River Barrow but also contributed to a wider effort to better understand and protect one of our most valuable natural resources.

The Sustainability Group would like to thank everyone who joined the lunchtime walk and looks forward to continuing to support activities that promote environmental awareness, biodiversity conservation, and positive action for a more sustainable future.

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