Catherine Connolly 'wowed' as Irish school project picked up by President
The President of Ireland was left very impressed
It was a major moment for one Irish school as President Catherine Connolly took a shine to their nationwide project which started off as a little idea in the classroom.
The students had come full circle when they visited Áras an Uachtaráin as their small idea has since turned into something that will benefit kids around the country.
A classroom book created with students at Catherine McAuley School in Limerick has grown into a full cross-curricular programme supporting young people with additional educational needs in classrooms and schools around the country.
A group of post-primary students and their teacher from Catherine McAuley School visited Áras an Uachtaráin to mark the next chapter in the remarkable journey of The My WOW Programme.
The journey began during the 2025/2026 school year. The students, now known as the “Legacy Class”, took part in the pilot of My WOW Book, created by their teacher, Aisling Travers, in response to a need for more suitable, meaningful and age-appropriate resources for students with mild general learning disabilities and additional educational needs.
While learning about Ireland’s presidency during the presidential election, the students came up with an idea of their own:
“We should tell the President about WOW.”
Their teacher subsequently contacted Áras an Uachtaráin, beginning a journey that would bring the students to the presidential residence one year later.
President Catherine Connolly was away on official business at the time of the visit, so the students did not meet with her personally.
However, they were delighted to have the opportunity to bring their programme to Áras an Uachtaráin and leave a copy of their work for the President.
The programme has grown from an idea, to a pilot book, to a full cross-curricular programme which is now being used in special schools and mainstream schools with special classes, reaching students and teachers beyond the original classroom in Limerick.
Teacher and creator of The My WOW Programme, Aisling Travers, said the programme came about because she struggled to find resources that reflected her students’ experiences, strengths and needs.
“The programme did not begin with an ambition to write a book or create an educational programme. It began because I was looking for a resource that was not there.
“I wanted resources that would allow my students to recognise their strengths, explore who they are, develop their confidence and communication skills, encourage them to think about relationships and wellbeing, and begin to consider their future with a sense of possibility.
“When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I began working to create something that I felt was genuinely needed.”
The programme currently includes a cross-curricular textbook covering English, SPHE, history, geography and science, together with an accompanying skills book, learning journal and practice copy, all designed with students with additional educational needs in mind.
“Perhaps the nicest part of this story is that the idea of coming to Áras an Uachtaráin did not begin with me as their teacher,” said Aisling Travers.
“It began with the students. They simply wanted to tell the President about something they were proud of and something they are a part of.
“One year later, they have brought that idea to Áras an Uachtaráin and left a My WOW Programme pack for the President to see.
“What started as a classroom idea has grown into a programme that is now reaching other young people with additional needs in schools and classes not only in Limerick, but in classrooms in a number of other counties.”