Mayo teacher receives top academic award
Mayo teacher Micheala De Burca has received the prestigious Fulbright award. She will travel to the US to teach Irish.
A Mayo wman has been awarded a prestgious Fulbright FLTA award.
Teacher Michaela de Búrca has received the coveted academic prize which will see her travel to the US.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, and the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin announce 18 Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2025-2026. Recipients were presented with Awards at a ceremony in the U.S. Embassy last night.
Founded in 1946, the Fulbright bilateral exchange programme has served to strengthen international relations by facilitating academic and cultural exchanges globally for over 79 years. The Fulbright Program in Ireland has awarded grants to more than 2,500 Irish and American citizens since 1957, contributing to enduring Ireland-U.S. relations and a global culture of understanding.
Michaela will be teaching Gaeilge at College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee, Massachusetts, as a result of her success.
Michaela graduated with a first-class honour with a BA in Education, Mathematics, and Gaeilge in Mary Immaculate College, Thurles, in 2024.
.She is a secondary school teacher; this year she was teaching in a Gaeltacht school. She is currently completing a M.A. sa Ghaeilge, leadership in language, culture, and community in Mary Immaculate College. Her dissertation is reviewing how a language plan is implemented in a Gaeltacht area. She attended secondary school in a Gaeltacht area and every summer she teaches in Gaeltacht courses; her home parish and the Gaeltacht courses awakened a passion for Gaeilge and culture in her life. Michaela’s main objective is to inspire people with Gaeilge and with our culture.
Awardees serve as cultural ambassadors during their time in the US and share their knowledge, ideas and experience upon their return, creating lasting impacts for society.
