MR George O'Callaghan, a principal teacher from Quin, Co Clare, has become the first lay person to be appointed as general secretary of the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (AMCSS). He succeeds Brother Declan Duffy, who had held the post since the early 1970s.
Mr O'Callaghan, who is relatively unknown in school management circles, comes to the job at a time of rapid change in Catholic education. The number of religious is declining and most of the 460 secondary school principals are lay teachers.
The Minister for Education plans to introduce legislation later this year which will require all secondary boards to establish boards of management. Ms Breathnach also wants to secure agreement on changing the composition of the boards.
Mr O'Callaghan has been principal of St Mary's Secondary School in Newport, Co Tipperary, since 1989. He was educated at St Flannan's College in Ennis and studied French and history in UCC.