Teachers Inspire award winner Joe McAndrew encourages the people of Mayo to get involved

Caoimhín Rowland

The winner of 2023’s Teacher Inspire awards tells the Connaught Telegraph about being a “man before his time” and the importance of education and educators.

Last Summer, Joe McAndrew donned the red carpet in DCU’s Helix to attend an event he says was like “the Oscars.” It was the Teachers Inspire Awards evening and he was a worthy recipient. “I never thought in a million years I’d have been nominated, or awarded, I’m 33 years retired and 84 years of age, I’m a long time away from teaching,” the 2023 winner told me.

Banagher National School in Lacken was where McAndrew took up teaching and became principal at 20 years of age, “in truth, I’d as much sense as the students I was teaching.” McAndrew said.

Spending summers in London during the late ’50s, building roads and earning money to help him get through the academic year in Galway as a college student, “a lot of my blood, sweat and tears went into their roads, but the money was good,” accepts McAndrew.

He was fascinated by compatriots he met, mostly from Connemara, Donegal, Mayo and Kerry and was struck by how intelligent they were and their curiosity about the world. Unfortunately then, “they had no chance of education, the Irish women over there, often labelled as ‘Biddies’ and were treated so poorly in England. It was deeply unfair, I felt in a way even then that if I could use my studies for something I’d never forget those people I had met.”

McAndrew praises Donogh O’Malley for introducing free education in Ireland “at the stroke of a pen.” It was a maverick move at the time but one that helped Ireland benefit from what Joe McAndrew calls a “revolution without smoke or fire.” Alluding to Ireland seizing the benefits of the tech boom. “countless students went on to be engineers and scientists, boys and girls.” Joe McAndrew’s teachings inspired them to do so, he bought the second-ever Apple II computer to be sold in Ireland, picked it up in Dublin and brought it to Lacken. “there was nothing programmed, we did it ourselves just a hard drive.”

McAndrew went about dismantling and showcasing the groundbreaking tech in his classroom and across north Mayo, “we did evening classes in Belmullet, Crossmolina and Ballina.” McAndrew remembered reading about microchips and how much more detailed and accessible they were becoming and he wanted his students to be ready to take advantage of the new world of work and study.

“As a teacher, you have to be mindful of how easy students are to be programmed, but you mustn’t do that, you should listen to them, teach them and motivate them but make sure they come to conclusions on their own,” McAndrew concluded.

The Teachers Inspire nominations are now open.

Anyone can nominate a teacher who has made a difference in their lives by going to teachersinspire.ie and clicking on Share Your Story.

Nominations will remain open until January 2024, and the four most inspiring stories will be selected and celebrated at an event early next year.