From finishing school before Leaving Certificate to PhD

An Athlone writer, who didn't sit her Leaving Cert, has proudly spoken of her alternative route to achieving a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) academic degree in literary practice.

Joanne Touhey Francis was awarded the highest level of academic achievement in Trinity College Dublin in June, the moment culminating a journey which started with her enrolment in a FETAC course in 2011.

Now residing in Athlone with her partner Derek and two children Oisin and Charles, Joanne returned to education 15 years ago having dropped out of secondary school in her teenage years.

The creative writer, who lived in Beechville as a child, before moving to Mount Talbot in Roscommon, attended three secondary schools, but believed she "didn't fit in" and opted to drop out of the education system at that stage of her life.

"I went to three separate secondary schools in Athlone and Roscommon, but I was bullied and felt that it wasn't the right place for me at the time," Joanne said.

However, despite opting to step away from the education environment, Joanne always harboured intentions to attend college and explore a love for creative writing which stemmed from her childhood days.

"I recall receiving a diary from my grandmother as a gift each Christmas and I would write my thoughts and feelings in it on a daily basis. That is where, I believe, my love for the writing process started and still continues to this day," she said.

"I always had a desire to attend college, that never faltered despite leaving secondary school early, but I didn't know how to go about applying for third level without a Leaving Cert behind me," Joanne added.

Unable to source a relevant creative writing course, Joanne restarted her education journey in 2011 with a FETAC Level 4 course in General Studies, before progressing to study FETAC Level 5 Business Studies in 2012 and FETAC Level 5 Nursing Studies in Moate Business College in 2013.

"These FETAC courses were the only options available to me at the time so I worked hard on each course to ensure I progressed my education," Joanne said.

In 2018, Joanne qualified with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) honours degree in Social Care Practice following four years of study at Athlone Institute of Technology, but a longing to write still lingered and following a two-year break from the education system she was accepted to study for a Masters in Writing at University College Galway.

"I was working part-time as a care assistant and I was also writing, but solely for my own purposes. I wasn't confident enough at the time to submit my writings for publication until I started studying for my Masters in Galway," Joanne added.

Not content with graduating with a Masters, the opportunity arose for Joanne to attain a PhD qualification in Literary Practice and with the help of a close friend, she submitted her academic proposal which was accepted by Trinity College Dublin.

The proposal outlined her academic plan over the four-year study term, the literature works she planned to study and the primary and secondary sources used for reference in her thesis entitled 'Beneath The Carpet: A Memoir, The Silence We Inherit and a Critical Reflection on Trauma, Voice, and the Second Person Perspective in Life Writing'.

Joanne started her PhD studies in 2022 drawing inspiration from Tara Westover's 'Educated' memoir which detailed the author's upbringing in a survivalist Mormon family in the mountains of Idaho, where formal education, medical care, and government interaction were largely forbidden.

'In the Dream House', a memoir written by Carmen Maria Machado, detailing the author's emotional, mental, and physically abusive relationship with another woman, also deeply moved Joanne and helped to formulate the content of her thesis.

Joanne is drawn to the memoir literary genre, writing creatively in her preferred second person narrative. Writing in the second person means the author tells the story or delivers information by directly addressing the audience.

"Both books provided the inspiration for my thesis which I finally submitted in September 2025 for evaluation earlier this year," Joanne said.

Late last month, Dr Joanne Touhey and her family attended the PhD graduation ceremony in Trinity College Dublin and the creative writer said it is a moment she will "cherish forever".

Although focusing on her PhD qualification for a four-year period, Joanne continued her creative writing process, submitting works published in The Stinging Fly, Tír na nÓg, Olney Magazine, and The Paperclip.

Her piece 'Shattered Light', which she rewrote on "multiple occasions" and detailed the feelings of "confusion and isolation" in an abusive situation was the winning entry in memoir category at the much vaunted Write By The Sea Literary Festival in 2024.

This win allowed Joanne to become more confident in her writing with her ultimate aim of having a collection of essays published in the near future.

Joanne also qualified with a Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Management at Ulster University this year and has since started a part-time librarian role with Roscommon County Council in Castlerea.

Surrounded by literary novels in a library setting seems the most appropriate setting for Joanne whose creative writing journey looks destined to flourish into the future.