Department: Research & Test Development Team
Chowdary Kodali
Róisín Ní Chatháin
| Role/Grade | Cúntóir Taighde/Research Assistant |
| Team | Forbairt Tástála – TLUDC/TLLDC / Test Development – DTEN/DTEL |
| Research Interests | Litearthacht, An Ghaeilge, Anailís Inscneach/Literacy, Irish language, Gendered Analysis |
| Professional profile | Tá B.Sc bainte amach ag Róisín sa tSocheolaíocht agus sa Chóir Shóisialta agus tá Máistreacht bainte amach aici sa Staidéar Inscne. Bhain sí an dá chéim seo amach i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath. Róisín holds a B.Sc. in Sociology & Social Justice and an M.A. in Gender Studies, both from University College Dublin. |
Shannon Stubbs
Meadhbh Haicéid
Méabh Sloane
| Role/Grade | Research Associate |
| Team | Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach |
| Research Interests | Irish Language, Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching, Research Methodology, Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics |
| Professional profile
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Méabh Ní Shluáin (Sloane) is a Research Associate at the ERC who is currently working on the content team for the redevelopment of An Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach (Drumcondra Irish Test). Méabh holds a BA international in Irish, music and French from Maynooth University, an MA in translation studies from Dublin City University and has recently completed a PhD in Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge, DCU. Her doctoral research, funded by Research Ireland, focused on the language learning experience of third-level learners of Irish through a motivational lens.
She has previously worked as an English language assistant in France, a research assistant in machine translation at Iconic Translation Machines Ltd., a freelance translator, a language tutor at DCU and Gaelchultúr, as well as both a lecturer of Irish and marketing officer for the B.Ed through the medium of Irish in Marino Institute of Education. She has recently taught modules on research methods in language education, teaching and learning in Irish-medium contexts, and bilingualism and multilingualism on a number of Masters programmes in Trinity College Dublin where she currently acts as supervisor for several postgraduate dissertations. Méabh is a fluent Irish speaker from Dundalk, Co. Louth and has strong ties to the Gaeltacht village of Rann na Feirste, Co. Donegal. |
| Researcher Profiles | ORCID – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7999-1489
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/meabhsloane/ |
Máirín NicFhionghuin
| Role/Grade | Research Assistant |
| Team | Trial Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach (TGD) |
| Research Interests | Irish medium education, minority languages, test development, research methodologies, cognitive linguistics, links between Irish and Scottish Gaelic
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| Professional profile
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Máirín NicFhionghuin joined the ERC in June 2025 as a Research Assistant in the TGD team. She has a B.A. Community Education from the University of Strathclyde, Dioplóma Iarchéime sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach and an M.Litt in Celtic Studies from the University of Galway. She is currently undertaking M.A. Litríocht agus Cultúr na Gaeilge in University College Cork. She is a native Scottish Gàidhlig speaker, and speaks fluent Irish.
Prior to joining the ERC, Máirín worked with Muintearas Teo, a development organisation based in the Connemara Gaeltacht, where she managed Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga in Conamara, Mayo, Meath and Donegal Gaeltacht schools. |
Katie Moore
| Role/Grade | Research Assistant |
| Team | Research – Large Scale Assessments |
| Research Interests |
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| Professional profile
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Katie joined the ERC in April 2025 as a Research Assistant, working on PISA 2022 analyses and the educational disadvantage and Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) research programme. Katie holds a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin, and an Erasmus Mundus Joint M.A. in Education Policies for Global Development from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of Cyprus.
Most recently, Katie worked with the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report on the development of a global indicator assessing youth engagement in education policymaking. Previously, she has also worked with the Trinity Centre for Global Health on the EU Horizon 2020 REFUGE-ED project and with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology |
| Researcher Profiles | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moore-katie
ORCID-ID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0009-0003-6649-0700 |
Jessica Smith
Gráinne Uí Dhomhnaill
Gráinne De Stafort
Eleni Lagoudaki
Ciara Gallagher
| Role/Grade | Research Assistant |
| Team | Test Development – TGD-G |
| Research Interests
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Language Development across contexts (including Irish-medium and English-medium education), environmental influences on developmental and educational outcomes and educational assessment. |
| Professional profile
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Ciara Gallagher has worked as a Research Assistant on the redevelopment of Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach since May 2025. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Maynooth University (2023), accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland, and an MSc in Applied Developmental Psychology from Queen’s University Belfast, completed in 2024. |
| Researcher Profiles | Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/in/ciara-ní-ghallachóir-8939aa1b6 |
Cian O’Connor
Brendan Duggan
Barbora Mackova
Emma Kelly
| Role/Grade | Librarian |
| Team | Research |
| Professional profile | Emma is a library and information professional with over 30yrs experience in a range of environments – academic, public, and specialist. Prior to joining the ERC, Emma worked as Librarian in Dublin City Libraries managing a busy branch library. Before that Emma worked in Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon as Head of Information and Research, managing strategic research goals and projects, and previously as International Arts Information Executive/ European Cultural Contact Point Ireland. Emma has also worked in Avril Robarts Library Liverpool John Moores University, and the Library, Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) Dún Laoghaire. Emma holds the P.G. Dip. in Library and Information Science from U.C.D., with a B.A. in Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin. |
Kervin Soobrayen
Kervin Soobrayen is a Research Assistant at the Educational Research Centre since April 2024. He is currently working on the mathematical domain of PISA 2022. In addition, he previously worked on the Cultivating Creativity report. Kervin holds a BA in History and Linguistics from University College Dublin. He then went on to study psychology in UCD. Having graduated, Kervin went on to complete his MSc in Psychology at the same institution.
Peggy Lynch
Peggy is a research assistant at the ERC since September 2024. She is currently working on the NAMER (National Assessments of Mathematics and English Reading) project. Peggy has previously worked as a second-level mathematics teacher for 15 years, as a mathematics education lecturer at the University of Adelaide and was National Coordinator of the PDMT (Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching) working in EPI*STEM at the University of Limerick. She is a member of both the Teaching Council and the Irish Mathematics Teachers’ Association (IMTA).
Andrew Keating
Andrew joined the ERC in April 2024. Andrew joined to help with the implementation of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2025. He holds a B.Sc in Chemistry and a H.Dip in Psychology from University College Dublin