President of TUS to retire
The Governing Body of the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) was today informed that the University's founding President, Professor Vincent Cunnane, will retire on January 31, 2027.
Professor Cunnane has led TUS since its establishment on October 1, 2021, taking the University from formation through integration and into consolidation, operating across campuses in Limerick, Athlone, Ennis, Clonmel and Thurles.
The decision to retire comes against what the university said in a statement was "a backdrop of significant institutional momentum".
The University will conclude its inaugural strategic plan at the end of 2026, and become the first Irish TU to lead a European University via its membership of the RUN-EU European University Alliance. In addition, TUS was recently recognised within the National Student Accommodation Strategy 2026–2035 and the sector has also moved closer to the appointment of its first cohort of professors under the new technological university professorial framework.
The new representative body for the TU sector, the Technological University Association (TUA), has recently been formed with Prof Cunnane as interim Chair, having chaired its predecessor organisation, THEA.
Professor Cunnane will continue in office until his retirement date, and the university’s Governing Body will now commence the process to recruit Professor Cunnane's successor.
Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of TUS, said: "It has been the privilege of my career to lead the establishment of TUS and to serve the staff, students and communities of the Midlands and Midwest. Building a Technological University is a once-in-a-generation undertaking, and the credit for what has been achieved belongs to colleagues across all of our campuses, who have given so much to the project. With our first strategic plan drawing to a close, our structures embedded, and TUS now firmly established within the Irish and European higher education landscape, this is the right moment to step back and to enable a new President to lead the University into its next stage of evolution”
Ms Josephine Feehily, Chair of the Governing Body of TUS, said: "Professor Cunnane has rendered exceptional service to Irish higher education, to the region and to TUS. On behalf of the Governing Body, I want to record our sincere appreciation to Vincent for his vision, leadership and commitment. The energy and personal qualities he brought to the position of President of TUS have been outstanding. The Governing Body will now commence the process of identifying his successor, and details of that process will be made public in due course."