Education
After leaving the convent, she worked in Spain and studied in Paris before being hired by Street Patrick"s College to teach theology in 1976.
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Ann Gilligan
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A former nun, she is the wife of Katherine Zappone Technical Director In Zappone and Gilligan v. Gilligan is a former nun, a circumstance she credits with instilling in her the discipline to fulfill an academic career.
In 1981, while studying for her doctorate in theology at Boston College, she met and fell in love with fellow student Katherine Zappone. Together they fought Zappone and Gilligan v.
Revenue Commissioners, which set off a decade of debate on marriage equality in Ireland.
That case made global headlines. Together they also founded An Cosán, Ireland"s largest community education organisation. An Cosán now houses three operations.
The Shanty Education and Training Centre, an adult community education centre, Rainbow House, an early childhood education and care facility, and Fledglings, a social enterprise centre.
According to The Irish Times, An Cosán "was established by Gilligan and Zappone with the intention of bringing valuable community-based education to the Dublin suburb… Two years ago An Cosán attempted to track the progress of 1,500 past students and found 1,200 were employed."
In 2001, the Minister for Health asked her to form and chair the National Educational Welfare Board. She later sat on the NEWB"s Education Committee.
Her academic work focuses on subjects like education and gender. She enjoys cooking, theatre and reading.
She has a Bayerische Motoren Werke motorbike, which she uses to carry out the couple"s weekly grocery shop each Saturday in Blessington.
She appeared with her spouse on an episode of Room to Improve in 2013.
Membership
A former Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre at Saint Patrick"s College, Gilligan is a former Member of the Statutory Committee on Educational Disadvantage.
