BARROW TRAINING
Norah Ryan
Owner / Managing Director
Norah is the passionate force behind Barrow Consultancy & Training, bringing a wealth of experience in education, business development, and strategic consultancy. Since taking ownership of the company in 2021, she has expanded its reach, introduced new services, and led a successful rebrand to reflect its growing impact. Norah is known for her hands-on approach, deep understanding of training and compliance needs—particularly in healthcare, QQI-accredited programmes, and ISO consultancy—and her commitment to building meaningful relationships with clients.
She strongly believes that everyone should be treated with respect at all times and that mental health awareness and staff well-being must be paramount in any organisation. As the current President of the Carlow Chamber of Commerce, she is a proud advocate for local business, community development, and collaboration.
Outside of her professional life, Norah is an avid GAA fan and is fiercely passionate about Tipperary hurling.
Driven, approachable, and full of energy, her mission is simple: to empower others through knowledge, compassion, and practical support.
Siobhan McNally
Assistant Manager Head of Contracted Training
The vast majority of my experience is in Management, both people and operational and I have yet to find a project I have not found interesting. However, I also love getting out of the office with my Healthcare Tutoring duties.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my little boy and girl, fitting in some laps on the running track and having a few sociables with family and friends.
Donna Purcell
Assistant Manager Head of QA
I hold a level 8 BA Honors Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care and I combine that with over 12 years hands on working experience in the childcare sector. My goal as a tutor is to ensure that you enjoy your learning experience whether in the classroom or online. I aim to support your learning experience.
Outside of work, I am a Mum of 2 children who keep me very busy going for walks along the barrow track or having picnics in the winter. I also love spending time with family and friends.
Florrie Leonard
Office and Finance Manager
As Office and Finance Manager my role consists of assisting customers with booking their courses and giving them the information to choose the right course for them.
I have spent many years in the retail industry and customer service is one of my key strengths. As a member of Barrow Training my main goal is to help people have a positive and friendly experience with us.
Out of the office I love to walk and get to see some our wonderful sights we have in Ireland.
Aileen Bradley
Training Manager
As a Training Manager, I’m passionate about helping people reach their full potential through meaningful learning and development. I support both individual growth and organisational success, with a focus on engagement, performance, and continuous improvement.
I gained customer service experience working 20 plus years in the Beauty Therapy industry and as Receptionist in Enterprise House. I have a Diploma in Quality Assurance and a CIDESCO Diploma in Beauty Therapy.
Outside of work I have a busy family life with twin girls and a son. Our weekends are filled with activities such as GAA, soccer, rugby, and leisurely walks with our dog.
Alan Purcell
Quality Assurance Manager
On successful completion of 21 years service in the Irish Defence Forces, I have gained valuable experience both at home and abroad. In 2019 I began Tutoring various subjects with Barrow, and as the years passed, I also began to conduct Health & Safety audits, and Internal Verification of assessment policies and procedures.
My role now is Quality Assurance Manager, and I believe in maintaining a high quality learning environment where I can help to assist both tutors and students in their educational journey, to ensure fairness, consistency and validity.
Outside of work, I love to spend time with my family and friends, and I enjoy doing anything outdoors especially walking / hiking.
Jackie Byrne
Office and Social Media Administrator
As the Office and Social Media Administrator, I’m responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the office while supporting Barrow’s digital presence. With a background in Graphic Design and over eight years of experience in the printing industry, this role allows me to stay connected to my creative roots.
Outside the office, you’ll often find my son and me traveling to and from matches and training sessions, or out walking our very active dog.
Selena Osborne
Childcare Tutor
Alongside achieving a level 9 MA in Child, Youth and Family Studies and a level 8 Hons Degree in Early Childhood Education and Care, I have many years of on the ground experience of working in the Early Childcare and Education Sector. I am passionate about promoting the rights of all children and ensuring that all learners are motivated and encouraged to go into this sector with a passion for ensuring each child reaches their full potential. I am a strong believer in continued professional development and consider myself a lifelong learner. I am a fully trained Baby Massage Instructor, Parents Plus Early Years Trainer, ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) Qualified, Behaviour Intervention and Understand Complex Needs trained and many more. As a tutor for Early Childcare Education and Care, I have over 7 years experience, tutoring in class, online and through blended learning. I am fully committed to ensuring each student receives the support and encouragement to reach their full potential. Outside of work, I am a busy mum of four children and enjoy supporting my childrens passion for Go Karting, Irish Dancing and Soccer. I myself enjoy unwinding by walking and watching Formula one racing.
Bridget Kirwan
Healthcare Tutor, RGN
Over 40 years in the nursing profession, including role of Director of Nursing in the Private Hospital Sector and 12 years as Person in Charge in the Nursing Home Sector working to HIQA standards. Experience in delivering training in Care of The Older Person, Dementia, Palliative and End of Life Care.
Conor McCarthy
Healthcare and Safety Tutor
With 15 years’ experience in training, I work in the areas of Health & Safety and Transport. As well as tutoring, I work as a QQI External Assessor so quality & standards are always important to me. It’s wonderful to be part of a student’s journey in learning and I always aim to be as supportive as possible. When not working, I enjoy the outdoor life, woodwork and anything with an engine!
Nicky Comerford
Childcare and Healthcare Tutor
I hold a Bachelor in Arts in Early Childhood Education and Care and extended my learning and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Further Education to which I specialised in Childcare. Having studied part time throughout my learning journey, I am passionate to support and upskill people in similar situations. In addition, I have experience in working in the disability sector where I am passionate in supporting people to live ordinary lives in ordinary places. My goal of being a tutor on a virtual platform is to ensure that all learners skills and abilities are enhanced and all supports that can be given will be given to make their learning experience a journey they enjoy and build self-confidence.