The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) is a trade union for secondary school teachers in Ireland.About ASTI Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland. It is a member of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The union represents 18,500 teachers in schools attended by 80% of all second-level students. Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland.

Purpose The ASTI represents teachers on educational issues and working conditions. The objects and aims of the ASTI are: to promote second-level education to unite and organise all second-level teachers to promote and protect teachers' interests to maintain and improve teachers' conditions of employment

The ASTI acts as a professional advocate for second level teachers, offers legal protection to its members, campaigns for improved working conditions and ensures continuing professional development for teachers providing research facility for teachers where necessary. The association will also provide a team of experienced industrial relations negotiators to assist teachers facing difficulties at school. The ASTI set up a Credit Union in 1984.

History The ASTI began on 17 March 1909, at a meeting called by teachers of St Colman's College, Fermoy. There had been an Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) since 1868 which had been successful in gaining better working conditions and pay for their members. At the time, conditions for secondary teachers were very poor with men earning about £80 a year and women a little over half that. One of the aims of the association was to raise the status of teachers in the community.

The main force behind the formation of the union was Patrick Kennedy, a teacher at St Colman's. Founding members included such national figures as Easter Rising leader Thomas MacDonagh, whose godfather was Kennedy's father and who was a close friend, and the future Taoiseach and President of Ireland, Éamon de Valera.

In 1911 the decision was taken to establish a women's section within the ASTI, which was named the Women Teachers' Association (WTA). The role and social acceptance of female teachers changed dramatically from a place where female secondary teachers had to retire upon marriage to a place where women became president of the union.

The history of the union is documented in the book Unlikely Radicals. The organisation struggled with the development of education, the role of the Catholic church, and the changes in state which occurred while trying to include as much of the population as possible in education.

General Secretary The General Secretary represents the interests of the members of the union on topics such as their salary, conditions of employment and education at a national and international level. The General Secretary manages the daily business of the ASTI and ensures that ASTI policy is appropriately carried out. This post is not elected annually but rather is appointed as a full-time position.

Kieran Mulvey was the General secretary of the ASTI from 1983 until he was replaced by Charlie Lennon in 1991. On Lennon's retirement in 2004 John White became acting General Secretary of the ASTI and was appointed in 2005. Pat King replaced White in September 2010. Kieran Christie was General Secretary as of 1 January 2016until September 2026, when Linda Kelly succeeded him.

Year General Secretary 1909–1911 P.F. Condon 1912 G. Dempsey 1913 Mr. Gallagher 1914 Mr. Mellett 1915 – 1916 W.J. Williams 1917 A. McHugh 1918 – 1919 – 1920–1937 T.J. Burke Sep 1937 – Jan 1938 J. Carey (acting) Jan 1938 – May 1938 W. Glynn (temporary) 1938–1957 Florence Quirke Aug 1957 – May 1958 Daniel Buckley and Cathal O'Gara (joint honorary secretaries) 1958–1983 Maire MacDonagh 1983–1991 Kieran Mulvey 1991–2004 Charlie Lennon 2004–2010 John White 2010–2015 Pat King 2016–2026 Kieran Christie2026–PresentLinda Kelly

President The president of the union is elected at the annual convention and takes office on 1 August of that year. Unlike the General Secretary the President is always a teacher and takes a leave of absence from their teaching role for the duration of their term.100 year newsletter

Year PresidentYear PresidentYear PresidentYear President1909W. S. Cooney1910P. J. Kennedy1911P. J. Kennedy1912W. Johnston1913G. A. Watson1914G. A. Watson1915G. A. Watson1916G. A. Watson1917W. J. Williams1918G. A. Watson1919T. J. Burke1920L. Murray1921B. Gillespie1922B. Gillespie1923M. Kinsella/A. Ruttledge1924J. H. Kane1925T. P. Waller1926A. J. Mulligan1927J. J. Murphy1928G. P. Duggan1929J. H. Kane1930T. O'Beirne1931T. O'Beirne1932T. O'Donoghue1933C. L. Dillon1934G. P. Daly1935J. H. Kane1936J. H. Kane1937F. Kennedy1938T. P. Waller1939T. P. Waller1940T. J. Boylan1941T. J. Boylan1942T. O'Donoghue1943C. L. Dillon1944C. L. Dillon1945T. Walsh1946Daniel Buckley1947O. P. Ward1948O. P. Ward1949W.G. Kirkpatrick1950S. Ó Mathúna1951Dónall Ó Conalláin1952T. C. Coppinger1953W. Meyler1954P. J. O'Reilly1955G. Ó Maoilmhichil1956P. J. Hardiman1957L. Comerford1958N. Kelleher1959C. L. Dillon, John Wilson1960T. Murphy1961P. S. Gillman1962George Lyons1963D. Ó Mhurchú1964P. Finnegan1965Daniel Buckley1966J. A. Brommell1967J. A. Brommell1968H. Duffy1969M. Sheedy1970Tom O'Dea1971Pádraig Ó Riordáin1972Kevin Meehan1973Pierce Purcell1974L. Hogan1975J. A. "Alfie" Sheehy1976M. MacCormack1977D. Nolan1978D. Nolan1979M. MacCarthy1980D. Barry1981T. Boland1982M. Walsh1983R. Kennedy1984H. Collins1985L. O'Flaherty1986J. White1987D. Quish1988K. O'Sullivan1989E. O'Allmhurain1990J. Costello1991W. Ruane1992J. Whyte1993M. Dowling Maher1994 S. Higgins1995T. Francis1996J. Mulcahy1997J. Hurley1998M. Corely1999B. O'Sullivan2000D. McCluskey2001C. Fitzpatrick2002P. J. Sheehy2003P. Cahill2004S. Hall2005S. Parsons2006 M. Freeley2007P. Wroe2008P. Hurley2009J. Moran 2010J. Keane2011B. Broderick2012G. Breslin2013S. Maguire2014P. Irwin2015M. G. Ní Chiarba2016E. Byrne2017G. Curtin2018B. Lynch2019D. MacDonald2020A. Piggott2021E. Dennehy2022M. Duggan2023G. O'Brien2024D. Cremin2025P. Curley2026R. Bell

See also

Education in the Republic of Ireland

References

External links