28/03/2026
In Dublin, Ireland, today, in a packed to capacity events room in The Gibson Hotel, there was a wonderful celebration of The Silver Jubilee of postgraduate studies in Applied Spirituality in and from Ireland.
The photo shows Tara Travers, PhD candidate, Dr Noelia Molina, the current MA programme Leader, and Michael Punch who was a lecturer in UCD - all of whom had done MA studies in Applied Spirituality in All Hallows College, Milltown Institute, and South East Technological University respectively - being interviewed by Andrea Hayes, about their experience and the story behind what led them to undertake such studies.
Andrea is also a graduate of the MA programme and a trustee of the Spirituality Institute for Research and Education (SpIRE) that organised the historic celebratory event.
Andrea also interviewed Dr Bernadette Flanagan and Dr Michael O'Sullivan, who are national and international leadership links in these studies across the twenty-five years, and who are the co-founders of SpIRE.
Michael gave the background to the emergence of SpIRE and explained the significance of the spelling of the name, which is an acronym.
Dr Suzanne Denieffe, Head of the School of Humanities from South East Technological University (SETU) , gave a stirring commendation regarding these MA and PhD studies, and spirituality research group, at the University, and of SpIRE which hosts and resources these studies at the Jesuit Centre in Dublin.
Dr John Philip Newell, a leading Celtic spirituality scholar from Scotland,, gave a most inspiring and visionary keynote address to the 150 graduates, faculty, and donors to SpIRE.
