Sustainable Development Research Institute Team

Seamus is a highly experienced manager with 25 years’ experience in energy, education and flexible learning environments. He has developed extensive networks regionally, nationally and internationally in the sustainable energy and higher education fields. Seamus has acquired a thorough knowledge and experience of Europe and national funding schemes with experience of coordinating large scale multi-national projects.

He leads and partners in consortia to secure funding from a range of national and EU funding programmes. He manages programmes across H2020, Interreg, Erasmus+ and other programmes providing strategic and project management, technical input and leadership. He is joint Principle Investigator for the Centre for Energy Efficiency and Deep Decarbonisation (CEEDD) which focuses on supporting individuals, communities, businesses and industry to achieve energy transition goals.

He is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tipperary Energy Agency and Secretary General of FEDARENE, European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment

Seamus Hoyne was the Head of the Department of Flexible Learning from 2012 to 2017. He managed a Department with a turnover of €1.5m and coordinated 70 academic and non-academic staff across 5 locations.

Areas of expertise

• Energy management
• Sustainable energy project development
• EU project management

Key ongoing projects

• ManagEnergy
• Superhomes 2030
• HP4All
• SocialB
• CarbonConnects

Publications / research

• “Superhomes 2.0 – Optimisation of Air Source Heat Pump Applications in NZEB Residential Retrofits” Hoyne, S. IEA Task 26 Heat Pump Conference, London, September 2017
• “Superhomes 2.0 – Best Practice Guide for ASHP Retrofit” Hoyne, S; Hunter, G; O’ Reilly, P; O’ Shea, M; April 2020
• “Evaluation of the Space Heating Calculations within the Irish Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure Using Sensor Measurements from Residential Homes” Hunter, W. G; Hoyne, S; Noonan, L. March 2017 Energy Procedia 111:181-194
• “Creation of an improved residential space heating calculation model for the Irish energy performance assessment tool” Hunter, W. G; Hoyne, S; Noonan, L. June 2015. ECEEE Energy Efficiency Summer School, Toulon, France
• “SERVE – Upgrading 400 buildings in rural Ireland” Hoyne, S. World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED), Linz, Austria, Feb 28th – Mar 2nd 2011.
• “Enhancing community investment in sustainable energy in Ireland; learnings from the community wind farm in Templederry, Co. Tipperary”. Hoyne, S. Sept 2012. Conference Paper, BEHAVE Energy Conference, Oxford, UK

Contact details

Email: seamus.hoyne@tus.ie
Phone: (+353) 504 28114
Twitter: Seamus Hoyne
LinkedIn: Seamus Hoyne

Mercedes ALONSO-GÓMEZ (Female) PhD MSc PgCert BEng

Mercedes has been involved in strategic development of programmes and departments, in business engagement with a variety of stakeholders, in quality assurance, and in project development and management on diverse and transdisciplinary research fields, bridging the gap between academia and industrial/clinical research. She has ample experience in the development and management of national and internationally funded projects in different fields of research funded from different sources such as private companies, foundations, and public bodies. She has worked in operational management and business development in a wide variety of settings: industry, academia, private and public research centres, foundations, and hospitals managing different sized teams and budgets.

Contact Details:

Email: mercedes.alonsogomez@tus.ie

• Extended Reality (XR)
• Virtual Reality solutions (VR)

• General office administration
• Social Media Management

Edel is the Project Administrator for the DASBE (Digital Academy for the Sustainable Built Environment) Project. Prior to this appointment, Edel was an administrator in the Development Unit, TUS Thurles Campus.  Edel has a total of 27 year’s administration experience in the areas of academic administration, project management, event management and general office administration.  Edel has been the administration co-ordinator for a number of significant projects, including the EU/Leonardo da Vinci-funded CESBEM (Competence Enhancement in Sustainable Building Through European Mobility) II, III, IV and V and the REMSOB I programmes, which all involved providing upskilling opportunities for people working in the Construction Sector.

Edel joined Tipperary Institute (TRBDI) in July 2000 as an academic administrator in the Department of Sustainable Rural Development, where she was responsible for the academic administration of the department’s full-time and part-time programmes.

Edel was also involved in the administration of the Department’s outreach work, which involved community & EU Projects, and conference and event management.

Since 2011, Edel had been based in the TUS Development Unit in Thurles.

Edel has a certificate in Management Studies from Tipperary Institute and certificates in Integrated Business Technology and Business Administration from the Royal Society of Arts.

Areas of expertise

• General office adminstration
• Project support
• Event management
• Academic administration

Contact details

Email: edel.ogrady@tus.ie
Phone: (+353) 504 28117
Twitter: @Edel_OGrady
LinkedIn: Edel O’Grady

Elisabeth O’Brien is the DASBE Manager (Digital Academy for the Sustainable Built Environment) at TUS. https://dasbe.ie/. Lis is a Chartered Architect & Sustainable Energy Engineer with extensive experience in developing programmes for sustainable energy efficient design, green procurement, sustainable techniques and technologies, NZEB, BIM and circular economy training and training trainers. She is involved in expert panels across Europe and a member of NSAI e-committees, Retrofit for Existing Dwellings, and Roofing.

Elisabeth is a chartered architect and sustainable energy engineer. She is a member of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and completed a Masters in Sustainable Energy Engineering.

Elisabeth managed an architectural practice for 17 years, specialising in the design, tendering and construction of sustainable retrofit and new builds using the REVIT BIM programme.  As the Project Support Officer of the Development Unit in TUS, she assisted with the coordination of the BUSI Build Up Skills QualiBuild and led/leads dissemination, training, skills and building capacity in projects – A2PBEER, Train-to-nZEB, VET4LEC, FREED, and currently BIMzeED, BUNRs project and Erasmus+ Sector Skills Alliance Construction Blueprint project.

Elisabeth has extensive experience in sustainable design and project management within the construction sector and has a wealth of knowledge on renewables, energy auditing, sustainable techniques and technologies.

Elisabeth attained a distinction in the QQI Training Delivery and Evaluation programme and Level 9 in Designing and Adapting Coursework for Blended and Online Learning. Elisabeth was the vice-chair for the EU BUSI exchange TWG1, a trainer for the ProfTrac project and expert for the BIMEET panel. She is a member of the National Standards Authority for Ireland, the NSAI e-committee, active in a number of steering groups involved in the Skills for NZEB and presents at a number of Energy and Sustainability forums in Ireland and around Europe.

Areas of expertise

• Sustainable architecture
• NZEB design
• Deep energy renovation
• NZEB training skills for construction industry
• Energy efficiency

Key ongoing projects

• All Construction Blueprint
• BUNRS
• BIMzeED
• WWETB NZEB Trainings

Contact details

Email: elisabeth.obrien@tus.ie
Phone: (+353) 504 28040
Twitter: @LisOBrienLIT
LinkedIn: Elisabeth O Brien

Elaine went back to education as a mature student to study a BA Hons in Sustainable Rural Development, graduating from the Tipperary Institute (now TUS) in 2009. Following graduation, she completed a MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation in the University of Leeds and subsequently moved to the Outer Hebrides to take up a role as a development officer for the Isle of North Uist. Elaine worked under the Scottish Highland and Island Enterprise programme to develop fragile communities, embracing island living for the duration of the project and for two years focused her efforts on developing opportunities that created a lasting impact in the long-term economic development of the Outer Hebrides.

In 2012 Elaine moved to the North East of Scotland where she continued her work within the economic development unit of Aberdeenshire Council, managing the rural partnerships initiative and focused on projects such as tourism, food and building community networks. Due to an increase in the development of wind energy projects in the region, Elaine supported communities and the council to create guidance and templates for local groups when seeking to access community benefit funding.

In her own time Elaine started and ran a micro crowd funding dinner for five years named Aberdeen Soup which was based on the Detroit Soup model. She is still supporting new SOUP startups and has spoken at Soup events in the UK, Europe and the US. Due to her work on micro granting and SOUP, Elaine supported University groups in both Aberdeen University and RGU to engage students in social enterprise and social entrepreneurship, becoming a regular speaker at University events.

In 2016 Elaine retrained as a Business and Economics Teacher in the University of Aberdeen, earning a PGDE in Secondary Education. In 2020 Elaine moved to Gordonstoun School where she taught Business and Economics and led the BTec in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, bringing her skills in social enterprise and social entrepreneurship to successfully deliver a unique programme within the school. In 2021 under her guidance the Young Enterprise Team in Gordonstoun went on to become overall winners in the National Final and in 2022 again winning many prizes in the sustainability and innovations categories for their work in ethical fashion.

In 2023 Elaine completed her Masters in Education in Professional Practice and Reflective Learning and has since become a part of the DU team based in Thurles working on a range of projects.

Areas of expertise

• Enterprise within education
• Young Enterprise
• Entrepreneurship
• Digital teaching and learning
• Mindfulness in the workplace

Projects

• AgriNext
• Farm Elder

Contact details

Email: elaine.cleary@tus.ie

Gloria is based in the Thurles campus, working as project support officer with the Development Unit.

A native of the Burren in Co Clare, Gloria has a proven track record and background in rural development, having received an MA from University of Galway in Community Development (2001) and a BA from University of Cork in Social Science (1999).

Gloria brings a wealth of experience from 20 years working on the EU LEADER programme but also on wider rural development, sustainable development and community and enterprise engagement.

Gloria has worked for 20 years in the community and voluntary sector co-ordinating the EU LEADER Rural Development Programme in Clare. She has worked extensively with enterprises, community groups, farmers, farm families, individuals, networks and social enterprises. Coordinating programmes of significant public funding investment and multiple project types is a particular skill which Gloria has honed, covering themes such as economic development including tourism destinations and market towns, community and youth development and environmental development including renewables and biodiversity. Sourcing co-financing for projects through other public and private sources including philanthropy was a regular aspect of the role. Projects which Gloria worked on directly include training programmes, feasibility studies, network establishment and development, community planning, business planning along with capital projects.

In addition to her LEADER role, Gloria worked on the Clare Wood Energy Project from 2004 – 2007. The project aimed to create a market for farm forestry first thinning, in association with Teagasc and funded through the Forest Service. As a direct consequence of the project, a number of large biomass boilers were installed in Clare, which created the intended local market. Without a local market, the thinning of privately owned, usually small scale forestry plantations was neither financially viable nor environmentally sustainable. The Clare Timber Producers Group continues to operate in Clare as a sustainable legacy of that project. Gloria is an advocate for community led local development (CLLD) and believes strongly in supporting actors in the local economy to add value and to create a sustainable local eco system.

Whilst working for Clare Local Development Company, Gloria also performed the role of Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) mentor for Co Clare (2020-2021), working as part of a team of mentors in the mid-west, growing the number of communities registered with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) on the programme and supporting communities on a journey of mobilisation and awareness to energy master planning and potentially renewable energy generation.

Gloria is currently working on BIMzeED, BusLeague, GUPP, Construction Blueprint and BusGoCircular.

Areas of expertise:

• Community engagement
• Funding applications
• Sustainable development
• Networks

Contact details:

Email: gloria.callinan@tus.ie

LinkedIn:  Gloria Callinan | LinkedIn

Phone: 087 96 87 937

• Anaerobic digestion
• Environmental Microbiology
• Higher Education
• Pedagogical Innovation

• Electroactive taxa stabilise a metal overdosed syntrophic propionate oxidising methanogenic consortia, Environmental Research, November 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122580
• Methan-o-poly: a giant collaborative game to “digest” the microbiology of green biogas production, ASM-Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, February 2025. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00116-24
• Response of Metabolic Gene Panel to Organic Loading Stress in Propionate-Degrading Methanogenic Anaerobic Digesters, MDPI-Agronomy, December 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14122922

Dr Taylor currently work as a Senior Project Assistant in the Development Unit across a number of projects.  Her focus is on social enterprise and rural development.  Marie is also a lecturer in tour guiding and Irish heritage with the Flexible Learning Unit in TUS. Dr Taylor obtained a PhD with Limerick Institute of Technology that evaluated the relationship between heritage tourism and community development and was a recipient of an TUS bursary from the graduate office.Dr Taylor has also been awarded a Research Masters in Historical Geography with Mary Immaculate College and was awarded a Master’s Fellowship with the ‘National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis’.In addition, Dr Taylor has a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from University College Cork. She has taught at second level and at third level in the University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College in Geography Pedagogy for Primary and Second Level, and in Human Geography.

Areas of expertise

• Social enterprise
• Rural development
• Community development
• Youth engagement
• Tourism and Irish heritage

Key ongoing projects

EMwoSE
FOLM
SocialB

Publications / research

• Taylor, M. and Bradley-Davies, H. (2018) Primary Valuation, in Clarke, H.B. and Gearty, S. (eds.) More Maps and Texts.  Sources and the Historic Town Atlas, Dublin: Royal Irish Academy
• Taylor, M. and Murphy, C. (2017) Communities-Doing It For Themselves?, 13th Annual Tourism and Hospitality Research in Ireland Conference, Sligo Institute of Technology, Sligo
• Taylor, M. and Murphy, C. (2017) An Analysis of Community Based Heritage Tourism: A Resource for a Small Community in Rural County Clare, Ireland, WASET, Boston
• Bradley Davies, H. and M. Taylor, (2014) “’I am rich in all that I have lost’ The Mount Saint Laurence Cemetery Project Limerick”, in Geographical Society of Ireland, ed. Conference of Irish Geographers, University College Dublin
• Bradley, H. and M. Taylor, (2009) “Feudalism and Feudal Society”, International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, p.98-105

Contact details

Email: marie.taylor@tus.ie
Phone: (+353) 504 28476
Twitter: @MarieT2014
LinkedIn: Marie Taylor

Yvonne is a graduate of TU Dublin with a BSc in Hotel & Catering Management and a Diploma in PR & Marketing with the Dublin Business School. As well as Ireland, Yvonne has worked in the hotel sector in London & Switzerland.

In London, Yvonne has worked in UBS Bank in the corporate client department and on returning to Ireland joined Aberdeen Asset Management Ireland where she was responsible for sponsorship and events.

In 2004, Yvonne joined Technological University of the Shannon as a faculty administrator and events coordinator in the ICT department, working on the ICT in Education and Games Fleadh events.  Now working in the Development Unit, Yvonne is responsible for the coordination of the Innovation Voucher programme across TUS in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.

She also provides administration and organises events for various European projects within the Unit.

Areas of expertise

• Conference and event management
• Innovation Voucher co-ordinator

Contact details

Email: yvonne.doyle@tus.ie
Phone: (+353) 504 28266
LinkedIn: Yvonne Doyle