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UCC School of Education tribute to Dr Mary Barry Wall
Staff at the School of Education and the wider UCC community were deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of Dr Mary Barry Wall, former Head of the School of Education. Mary first came to UCC as a student, where she evolved her love of languages, particularly French. Upon completing her studies, Mary returned to her alma mater, St Aloysius Secondary School, Cork, to teach. In the early 1960s, she interviewed for and was offered a position as College Lecturer in the Education Department and began a long and distinguished career at UCC.
Mary was an esteemed educator who passionately believed in widening access to education for students from under-represented socio-economic backgrounds. In addition to on-campus learning, she was associated with successful community outreach programmes, travelling throughout Munster and bringing adult education to a broader audience.
Past students of Mary speak highly of her and her lectures, which were always at capacity. Students took careful notes as Mary spoke about academic topics interspersed with stories, nuggets of information and even the occasional joke.
Throughout her life, Mary remained a firm advocate for increasing access to and participation in education. In recent years, her generosity enabled UCC to launch a new bursary fund to the value of €337,000 to support both undergraduate humanities students and postgraduate students taking the Professional Masters in Education (PME). The Dr Mary Barry Wall Bursary will support 23 students, and in 2022/23, the first cohort of recipients of this transformational bursary were welcomed to UCC.
Mary will be remembered in the educational community as an outstanding teacher, academic, and educational contributor. Her colleagues, both past and present, fondly remember her as a supportive, compassionate and generous person who cared deeply for others. Mary was much loved and respected in the School of Education and the university community. We remember her late husband, Liam, and extend our sympathies to her family and friends at this sad time.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam dílis.