Our team
Meet our team
Dónal Quilty
LC English
Dónal is a passionate English teacher with 24 years of experience. He was the principal English tutor in the Galway Study Centre from 2006 to 2012.
✅ On-demand lessons
✅ On-demand lessons
✅ Exam-focused strategies
✅ Confidence-boosting support
Derek Cahalan
LC French
Some tutors teach you the syllabus. Derek teaches you the exam, because he's one of the people who marks it.
With eighteen years' experience teaching French and English, Derek has built a reputation in Galway as the tutor students actively seek out, not simply attend. He holds a BA International (including a year studying at the Universite de Toulouse Le Mirail) along with an MA in English. That academic grounding, paired with nearly two decades in the classroom, gives him a rare command of the language itself and a deep understanding of how to teach it so it actually sticks.
A Decade of Proven Results
For ten years, Derek taught thousands of students through evening and weekend classes, and intensive Christmas and Easter revision courses, at the Galway Study Centre on Mill Street. The clearest measure of his ability isn't a claim he makes about himself. It's the demand. Year after year, places in Derek's grinds classes have filled quickly, driven by results and by word of mouth from students he has helped achieve genuinely outstanding grades in Leaving Cert French.
Why Students Thrive Under Derek
Derek's attention to detail is exacting, his teaching style is dynamic and engaging, and his love of the French language is genuine and infectious. Students don't just learn French with Derek. They start to enjoy it, and that shift in attitude is often what unlocks the biggest jump in grades. It's this combination, rigour paired with real enthusiasm, that makes him an ideal tutor for anyone serious about extra tuition.
Inside the Course
Derek's On-Demand course runs to 26 lessons, built around his own extensive compilation of notes, broken down topic by topic so nothing important gets missed. Every single lesson weaves together comprehension, grammar, oral, aural and written work, so you're never revising one skill in isolation. You're constantly reinforcing all five, exactly as you'll need to on exam day. It is, quite simply, a complete guide to achieving a high grade in Leaving Cert French.
The Examiner's Edge
This is where Derek's profile becomes genuinely rare. He works with the State Examinations Commission as an Examiner for the Leaving Cert French oral exams and as an Advising Examiner for the Leaving Cert French written exams. He has also worked as a Subject Specialist Advisor with Mentor Books on a French school textbook publication. That insider knowledge shapes everything about how Derek teaches. He knows exactly what earns marks, what loses them, and where students consistently fall short of their potential, because he has seen it first hand, exam after exam. His course is unapologetically exam-focused, built with a single goal: getting you the highest possible grade.
The Bottom Line
When you sign up for one of Derek's courses, you're not just getting notes and lessons. You're getting eighteen years of teaching expertise, a decade of proven demand from students across Galway, and the inside perspective of a working state examiner, all focused entirely on one outcome: your best possible result in Leaving Cert French.
With eighteen years' experience teaching French and English, Derek has built a reputation in Galway as the tutor students actively seek out, not simply attend. He holds a BA International (including a year studying at the Universite de Toulouse Le Mirail) along with an MA in English. That academic grounding, paired with nearly two decades in the classroom, gives him a rare command of the language itself and a deep understanding of how to teach it so it actually sticks.
A Decade of Proven Results
For ten years, Derek taught thousands of students through evening and weekend classes, and intensive Christmas and Easter revision courses, at the Galway Study Centre on Mill Street. The clearest measure of his ability isn't a claim he makes about himself. It's the demand. Year after year, places in Derek's grinds classes have filled quickly, driven by results and by word of mouth from students he has helped achieve genuinely outstanding grades in Leaving Cert French.
Why Students Thrive Under Derek
Derek's attention to detail is exacting, his teaching style is dynamic and engaging, and his love of the French language is genuine and infectious. Students don't just learn French with Derek. They start to enjoy it, and that shift in attitude is often what unlocks the biggest jump in grades. It's this combination, rigour paired with real enthusiasm, that makes him an ideal tutor for anyone serious about extra tuition.
Inside the Course
Derek's On-Demand course runs to 26 lessons, built around his own extensive compilation of notes, broken down topic by topic so nothing important gets missed. Every single lesson weaves together comprehension, grammar, oral, aural and written work, so you're never revising one skill in isolation. You're constantly reinforcing all five, exactly as you'll need to on exam day. It is, quite simply, a complete guide to achieving a high grade in Leaving Cert French.
The Examiner's Edge
This is where Derek's profile becomes genuinely rare. He works with the State Examinations Commission as an Examiner for the Leaving Cert French oral exams and as an Advising Examiner for the Leaving Cert French written exams. He has also worked as a Subject Specialist Advisor with Mentor Books on a French school textbook publication. That insider knowledge shapes everything about how Derek teaches. He knows exactly what earns marks, what loses them, and where students consistently fall short of their potential, because he has seen it first hand, exam after exam. His course is unapologetically exam-focused, built with a single goal: getting you the highest possible grade.
The Bottom Line
When you sign up for one of Derek's courses, you're not just getting notes and lessons. You're getting eighteen years of teaching expertise, a decade of proven demand from students across Galway, and the inside perspective of a working state examiner, all focused entirely on one outcome: your best possible result in Leaving Cert French.
James Webb
JC & LCMathematics
Some teachers can explain mathematics. James thinks in it.
As a qualified Mathematics and Applied Mathematics teacher based in Galway City, he brings a rare depth of subject mastery to every class, the kind of understanding that lets him spot exactly where a student's thinking has gone off track, and exactly what's needed to put it right.
A Genuine Mathematical Mind
James doesn't just teach the syllabus, he understands the subject at a level that lets him move fluidly between Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, drawing connections most teachers simply can't. That depth of knowledge means nothing is ever a shaky, half-remembered explanation. Every concept is broken down with real clarity, from someone who genuinely understands why it works, not just how to get the answer.
The Examiner's Advantage
James works as a State Examiner, correcting Higher Level Leaving Certificate Mathematics papers. This gives him an inside view of the marking process that most teachers never have access to, a clear, first-hand understanding of exactly where students gain marks and exactly where they lose them. He takes that insight directly into the classroom. Lessons are built around the strategies that actually score in the exam hall, with a sharp focus on avoiding the small, costly mistakes that quietly drag grades down. Students aren't just learning maths with James, they're learning how the exam is marked, from someone who marks it.
An Inclusive, Confidence-Building Classroom
James believes strongly in creating an environment where every student feels encouraged to participate, regardless of where they're starting from. His approach combines: - Building genuine confidence and understanding, so students grasp the "why" behind the maths, not just the steps - Rigorous exam preparation, with strategies, focused practice and detailed past-paper analysis - Meticulous lesson preparation paired with an energetic teaching style, keeping students engaged and focused for the full class.
Strategy Built From the Marking Scheme
Because James corrects Higher Level papers himself, his teaching is shaped directly by what he sees on state exam scripts. He uses that knowledge to plan lessons around brilliant, exam-tested strategies and targeted practice, giving students a genuine edge when it comes to performing at their best under exam conditions.
Results That Speak for Themselves
James's students consistently improve their grades, build real confidence in the subject, and perform at their best when it matters most, in the state exams. For students who want to be taught by someone who combines genuine mathematical depth with first-hand examiner insight, James offers exactly that.
As a qualified Mathematics and Applied Mathematics teacher based in Galway City, he brings a rare depth of subject mastery to every class, the kind of understanding that lets him spot exactly where a student's thinking has gone off track, and exactly what's needed to put it right.
A Genuine Mathematical Mind
James doesn't just teach the syllabus, he understands the subject at a level that lets him move fluidly between Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, drawing connections most teachers simply can't. That depth of knowledge means nothing is ever a shaky, half-remembered explanation. Every concept is broken down with real clarity, from someone who genuinely understands why it works, not just how to get the answer.
The Examiner's Advantage
James works as a State Examiner, correcting Higher Level Leaving Certificate Mathematics papers. This gives him an inside view of the marking process that most teachers never have access to, a clear, first-hand understanding of exactly where students gain marks and exactly where they lose them. He takes that insight directly into the classroom. Lessons are built around the strategies that actually score in the exam hall, with a sharp focus on avoiding the small, costly mistakes that quietly drag grades down. Students aren't just learning maths with James, they're learning how the exam is marked, from someone who marks it.
An Inclusive, Confidence-Building Classroom
James believes strongly in creating an environment where every student feels encouraged to participate, regardless of where they're starting from. His approach combines: - Building genuine confidence and understanding, so students grasp the "why" behind the maths, not just the steps - Rigorous exam preparation, with strategies, focused practice and detailed past-paper analysis - Meticulous lesson preparation paired with an energetic teaching style, keeping students engaged and focused for the full class.
Strategy Built From the Marking Scheme
Because James corrects Higher Level papers himself, his teaching is shaped directly by what he sees on state exam scripts. He uses that knowledge to plan lessons around brilliant, exam-tested strategies and targeted practice, giving students a genuine edge when it comes to performing at their best under exam conditions.
Results That Speak for Themselves
James's students consistently improve their grades, build real confidence in the subject, and perform at their best when it matters most, in the state exams. For students who want to be taught by someone who combines genuine mathematical depth with first-hand examiner insight, James offers exactly that.
Sean Morrissey
LC Mathematics
While most teachers are on their summer break, Sean is sitting down with a stack of Leaving Certificate Higher Level Maths papers, marking them for the State Examinations Commission.
He has now completed six years of this, and it has given him something few maths teachers ever get: a genuinely inside view of exactly where students win marks, and exactly where they throw them away. That insight sits at the heart of everything Sean teaches.
A Teacher Who Knows Both Sides of the Exam
Sean brings ten years of classroom experience across mainstream education and grinds, having worked with students of every ability level. He understands not just the maths, but the psychology of getting a student from "I don't get this" to "I've got this", and he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after Higher Level Maths teachers around.His six years correcting Higher Level Maths papers changes what happens in his classroom. Sean isn't teaching from a textbook's idea of a good answer. He's teaching from having personally read thousands of real student answers and knowing precisely which ones scored full marks, which lost a mark for a missing step, and which fell apart under time pressure. Every lesson, every worked example and every piece of exam technique he teaches is shaped by that direct experience of the marking scheme, with one aim: getting his students the maximum possible marks and points in the Leaving Certificate.
Sean's classes are consistently oversubscribed. Students and parents return to him year after year, and that kind of loyalty isn't accidental. It reflects results, and it reflects trust. When demand for a teacher's classes stays high for a decade, it tells you everything you need to know about the difference he makes.
'Maths as a Contact Sport'
Sean has a simple philosophy: maths is a contact sport. It rewards practice, persistence and the right guidance, not passive revision. Outside the classroom, he's deeply involved in coaching local sports, and that same mentoring instinct carries straight into how he teaches, pushing ambitious, motivated students to work hard while making sure they always feel supported, never overwhelmed. He has a genuine knack for taking complex concepts and making them simple, and he takes real pride in watching students build both the confidence and the mastery to perform at their best.
Built for the Highest Possible Grade
Sean's approach combines a strong command of the mathematics itself with an unrelenting focus on exam technique, problem-solving and accuracy. For students who are serious about reaching their full potential in Higher Level Maths, Sean offers something rare: extensive classroom experience, direct examiner insight, and a proven track record of getting the very best out of his students.
He has now completed six years of this, and it has given him something few maths teachers ever get: a genuinely inside view of exactly where students win marks, and exactly where they throw them away. That insight sits at the heart of everything Sean teaches.
A Teacher Who Knows Both Sides of the Exam
Sean brings ten years of classroom experience across mainstream education and grinds, having worked with students of every ability level. He understands not just the maths, but the psychology of getting a student from "I don't get this" to "I've got this", and he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after Higher Level Maths teachers around.His six years correcting Higher Level Maths papers changes what happens in his classroom. Sean isn't teaching from a textbook's idea of a good answer. He's teaching from having personally read thousands of real student answers and knowing precisely which ones scored full marks, which lost a mark for a missing step, and which fell apart under time pressure. Every lesson, every worked example and every piece of exam technique he teaches is shaped by that direct experience of the marking scheme, with one aim: getting his students the maximum possible marks and points in the Leaving Certificate.
Classes That Fill Up, Year After Year
Sean's classes are consistently oversubscribed. Students and parents return to him year after year, and that kind of loyalty isn't accidental. It reflects results, and it reflects trust. When demand for a teacher's classes stays high for a decade, it tells you everything you need to know about the difference he makes.
'Maths as a Contact Sport'
Sean has a simple philosophy: maths is a contact sport. It rewards practice, persistence and the right guidance, not passive revision. Outside the classroom, he's deeply involved in coaching local sports, and that same mentoring instinct carries straight into how he teaches, pushing ambitious, motivated students to work hard while making sure they always feel supported, never overwhelmed. He has a genuine knack for taking complex concepts and making them simple, and he takes real pride in watching students build both the confidence and the mastery to perform at their best.
Built for the Highest Possible Grade
Sean's approach combines a strong command of the mathematics itself with an unrelenting focus on exam technique, problem-solving and accuracy. For students who are serious about reaching their full potential in Higher Level Maths, Sean offers something rare: extensive classroom experience, direct examiner insight, and a proven track record of getting the very best out of his students.
Alan Glynn
Founder
I founded Galway Study Academy with a clear and powerful mission: to bring together Galway’s most dedicated and talented teachers with ambitious students who are determined to achieve their very best. At the heart of our academy is the belief that every student has untapped potential waiting to be unlocked. By combining expert teaching, a supportive learning environment, and proven exam-focused methods, we aim not only to boost grades but also to build confidence, resilience, and a genuine love for learning.
Join Our Team at Galway Study Academy!
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