Meet The Team

Norah Ryan, Owner / Managing Director

For many years, I worked as an Operations Manager and I am now using my organisational and management skills to ensure your training experience is positive and enjoyable.      

I strongly believe that everyone should be treated with respect at all times and that mental health awareness and staff well being must be paramount in any organisation.

I am also an avid GAA fan and passionate about Tipperary hurling.

Siobhan McNally

The vast majority of my experience is in Management, both people and operational and I have yet to find a project I have not found interesting. However, I also love getting out of the office with my Healthcare Tutoring duties.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my little boy and girl, fitting in some laps on the running track and having a few sociables with family and friends.

Donna Purcell

I hold a level 8 BA Honors Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care and I combine that with over 12 years hands on working experience in the childcare sector. My goal as a tutor is to ensure that you enjoy your learning experience whether in the classroom or online. I aim to support your learning experience.

Outside of work, I am a Mum of 2 children who keep me very busy going for walks along the barrow track or having picnics in the winter. I also love spending time with family and friends.

Leona O'Shea

As an online administrator my role involves the technical and functional support in the daily operations of our blended learning Moodle platform. I also support the development and delivery of learning content.  

Outside of work I have a huge passion in all aspects of beauty as I hold the CIDESCO Diploma, the world's most prestigious qualification in aesthetics and beauty therapy.

Florrie Leonard 

As an administrator my role consists of assisting customers with booking their courses and giving them the information to choose the right course for them. I have spent many years in the retail industry and customer service is one of my key strengths. As a member of Barrow Training my main goal is to help people have a positive and friendly experience with us.  

Out of the office I love to walk and get to see some our wonderful sights we have in Ireland 

Tori Carroll

As a TEL Assistant Administrator my role involves preparing documents, scheduling appointments, maintaining files and dealing with enquiries.    Outside of work I love dealing with friends and family.  I also love to travel to get to experience new places, people and cultures.   I have an international CIDESCO diploma and QQI Certificates in Beauty Therapy.

Josephine Havlin

I have over 12 years’ experience in customer service, including managing and training a group of diverse staff. What I love most about management is organising the running of each day, planning ahead and solving problems that may arise. I also hold a BA Honours Degree in Geography and Psychological Studies from NUI Galway.

Outside of work, I love to spend time with family and friends, read a book or go for a walk. I also love to travel, visiting new places and learning about different cultures.

Joe Manning, Director

Tutoring is my thing. People and their potential is my priority. Barrow Training make this happen.

When not saving Africa, I can be seen cycling between Carlow and Kilkenny or on the tennis court.

Marian Manning, Founder

I’m passionate about training and personal development, every learner is treated as a unique Individual and at Barrow Training an enjoyable training experience with a positive outcome for all our learners is our goal.

Outside work I love a challenge and enjoy cycling, spinning, fundraising & spending time with my family.

Bridget Kirwan, RGN

Over 40 years in the nursing profession, including role of Director of Nursing in the Private Hospital Sector and 12 years as Person in Charge in the Nursing Home Sector working to HIQA standards. Experience in delivering training in Care of The Older Person, Dementia, Palliative and End of Life Care.

Declan Savage, Hospitality Tutor

Passionate and dedicated to training and education with the ability of bringing out the very best in people empowering individuals to achieve their goals, aspirations, and rewards with over 35 years hands on experience (national and international) in the hospitality sector and more than 18 years in the training sector delivering multiple Industry related programmes for QQI and City & Guilds. Key strengths are Passion – Dedication – Patience - Perfection - Professionalism and empathy.

Graham Bourne, Management Tutor 

With a BSc in Applied Microbiology and over 25 years working in quality management in the food industry, I tutor some of the Food Safety/ HACCP and Health & Safety courses both on-line and in the classroom.  It is rewarding to see students climb their career ladders after completing their courses and achieving their personal goals.

After work, I enjoy running with the local athletics club and have completed a few marathons. 

Conor McCarthy, Healthcare Tutor 

With 15 years’ experience in training, I work in the areas of Health & Safety and Transport. As well as tutoring, I work as a QQI External Assessor so quality & standards are always important to me. It’s wonderful to be part of a student’s journey in learning and I always aim to be as supportive as possible. When not working, I enjoy the outdoor life, woodwork and anything with an engine!

Alan Purcell, Safety Tutor 

Hi folks,

My name is Alan and I am a Safety Tutor and Consultant. I am privileged to say that I have been working alongside the team in Barrow Training for the past 4 years now, and in that time the guidance and support towards both the tutors and students is second to none. When I work with a group of students I really enjoy imparting knowledge and always try to make their learning experience an enjoyable one too. I look forward to continue working with the team at Barrow Training and I would like to wish them every success for the future.

Ken Murphy, Management Tutor 

I have over 17 years experience in the design and delivery of training in both the public and private sectors.  My career in training has involved training in the areas of communications, supervisory management, training design, delivery & evaluation, and the delivery of specialist interviewer training to a number of statutory bodies in Ireland.  Delivering this training has allowed me to develop skills in both traditional classroom and online training facilitation and design.

I hold a BA (Hons) in Training & Education from NUI Galway and a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Bath.  Also, I completed an MSc in Forensic Psychology at the University of Liverpool and have most recently completed a Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership & Organisational Change at the Edward M Kennedy Institute at NUI Maynooth.

Having studied part-time throughout my working life, I am committed to supporting learners in similar situations. My goal as a tutor is to support and encourage learners and to ensure they can achieve their goals for learning and qualification.

Selena Osborne, Childcare Tutor 

Alongside achieving a level 9 MA in Child, Youth and Family Studies and a level 8 Hons Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care, I have many years of on the ground experience of working in the Early Childcare and Education Sector. I am passionate about promoting the rights of all children and ensuring that all learners are motivated and encouraged to go into this sector with a passion for ensuring each child reaches their full potential.

I am a strong believer in continued professional development and consider myself a lifelong learner. I  am a fully trained Baby Massage Instructor, Parents Plus Early Years Trainer, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) Qualified, Behaviour Intervention and Understand Complex Needs trained and many more. 

As a tutor for Early Childcare Education and Care, I have over 7 years experience, tutoring in class, online and through blended learning. I am fully committed to ensuring each student receives the support and encouragement to reach their full potential. 

Outside of work, I am a busy mum of four children and enjoy supporting my childrens passion for Go Karting, Irish Dancing and Soccer. I myself enjoy unwinding by walking and watching Formula one racing.