AONTAS - The Irish National Adult Learning Organisation is an Irish non-governmental organisation for the promotion and facilitation of adult learning. It was founded in 1969 by Fr.

Liam Carey Liam Carey was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and educator. He was the son of William and Mary Josephine Carey. Carey was appointed to the ''Dublin Institute of Catholic Sociology (DICS)'' as director in 1963, he went for further study Adult Educ ...

of the Dublin Institute of Adult Education (and originally based in the same premises), and launched by Brian Lenihan TD. Sean O'Murchu was elected its first president. In 1970 they affiliated to the European Bureay of Adult Education. In 1974 Aontas received funding from P.J. Carroll Ltd., allowing it to employ a full time director, funding a move in premises, and funding a research bursary. While it has been a non-governmental body, since 1976, it receives funding from the Department of Education and Skills. In 1977 a group of AONTAS members set up NALA (

National Adult Literacy Agency National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

). The word ''aontas'' () is Irish for "union", but is also a

backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...

for ''Aos Oideachais Náisiúnta Trí Aontú Saorálach'', meaning "national adult education through voluntary unification". Membership of AONTAS includes individuals as well as a number of state bodies such as Education and Training Boards ETBs, community education organisations, trade unions,

Institutes of Technology An institute of technology (also referred to as technological university, technical university, university of technology, polytechnic university) is an institution of tertiary education that specializes in engineering, technology, applied science ...

, providers of learning, and community projects amongst others. AONTAS produces a number of publications and periodicals such as ''The Adult Learners Journal'' as well as research publications. It is a registered charity. Presidents of Aontas have included Sean O'Murchu (1969), Robert Kelleher(1975), Seamus O'Grady(1980), Kevin McBrien(1883), Brendan Conway(1989), Bernie Brady(1990), Mairead Wrynn (1993), Dr.

Micheál MacGréil Micheal is a masculine given name. It is sometimes an anglicized form of the Irish names Micheál, Mícheál and Michéal; or the Scottish Gaelic name Mìcheal. It is also a spelling variant of the common masculine given name ''Michael (given nam ...

SJ(1994), John Ryan (2002), Liz Waters(2012) and Tara Farrell(2018)Longford Womans Link director elected president of AONTAS
Longford Leader, December 8, 2018. The current Chairperson is John D'Arcy, Open University

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Education in the Republic of Ireland Educational organisations based in the Republic of Ireland 1969 establishments in Ireland

See also

References

External links