Judges.
Judging Panel | 2025/26
David Booth | National Gallery of Ireland's Zurich Portrait Prize Winner (2022)
Enda Bowe's work is concerned with storytelling and the search for light and beauty in the ordinary. He presents his work through exhibition and the publication of photographic monographs.
To date Bowe’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Red Hook Gallery, New York, the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, the National Portrait Gallery, London, Fotohof, Salzburg, Dortmund U, Dortmund, The Gallery of Photography, Dublin and The Visual Centre Of Contemporary Art, Ireland.
Bowe won the Zürich Portrait Prize 2019, National Gallery, Ireland. He received the Taylor Wessing Portrait Second Prize on consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, National Portrait Gallery, London. His collection of work ‘At Mirrored River’ received the international Solas Photography Award 2015 and was nominated for the Prix Pictet Award 2016 and the Deutsche Borse Foundation Photography Prize 2016.
Bowe’s first monograph 'Kilburn Cherry' published by J&J Books received the Birgit Skiold Artist Award 2014, Whitechapel Gallery London. His third monograph "This Thing I Want. I Know Not What', inspired by Carson McCuller's "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, was published by Paper Tiger Books in Sept 2018. Love’s Fire Song was exhibited at The Gallery of Photography Ireland and was published by Blue Swallow Books. The exhibition ran from Aug 8th to Nov18th, 2020.
Bowe recently worked with Lenny Abrahamson on the acclaimed tv series Normal People, and will be collaborating again on Abrahamson’s next project, Conversations With Friends.
Enda is a committed artist who approaches both commissioned and personal projects with the same passion, dedication and attention to detail. He is from Ireland and lives and works in London.
Ann Horan | INTO President
Anne Horan is the current President of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation. From Ballineen in West Cork, Anne lives in Glin, Co. Limerick. She has represented District 13, covering Limerick and Kerry on the INTO Central Executive Committee since 2015.
Anne has been a member of the INTO since she began teaching in 1980 and has worked at all levels of the union from staff representative to member of the Benefits Fund Committee to a full member of the Central Executive Committee.
Following graduation from Mary Immaculate College, Anne began teaching in Dunmanus NS (a one teacher school), on the Mizen Peninsula in 1980. In 1986 she moved to West Limerick where after a number of years working as a substitute teacher, she taught in St. Fergus NS in Glin. In 2008, Anne moved to Carrickerry NS, a 3-teacher rural school in West Limerick, where she is currently a teaching principal.
Anne has taught children of all ages and classes over her career. She sees education as important in helping each child to achieve their potential in life. She is a firm believer in the importance of personal development and enjoys studying to further her own knowledge base.
Deirdre Kelly | President of IPPN
Deirdre qualified as a Primary Teacher from Froebel College, Blackrock, Dublin in 1993 and completed a Post Graduate in Trinity College in 1994. Deirdre’s experience during her 7 years of teaching in a special school setting in Scoil Eoin, Crumlin, Dublin encouraged her to complete her Masters in Educational Leadership.
Deirdre has taught in both urban and rural locations and has experienced teaching in varying educational contexts. She was appointed as teaching Principal in St Michael’s NS in 2004, a 5 teacher rural school located in south County Sligo.
Deirdre is an active member of IPPN. She has served as a National Committee Representative for Sligo for many years, is a trained CSL mentor and is currently facilitating Group Mentoring.
Her commitment to and belief in small schools, recognition of the central role these schools play in rural communities and the significance of supporting principals in these schools will be central to her role as a member of the Board of Directors.
Deirdre was elected IPPN President-elect in June 2023 and commenced her two year presidency in September 2025.
Ultan Mac Mathúna | Chairperson of ESCI (Education Support Centres Ireland)
Ultan Mac Mathúna is the Director of Dublin West Education Support Centre and the Chairperson of ESCI (Education Support Centres Ireland). Ultan, a Dublin man, graduated from St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra and worked in a wide variety of schools. He served as principal to two different schools over 23 years.
Having been awarded two separate master’s degrees in leadership, Ultan has spent much of his career engaged in capacity development.
He is a keen sportsman and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Richard Carr | Artist-Curator & Educational Photographer
Richard is an artist, educational photographer and cultural engineer. His work has been supported by numerous private and public bodies including Culture Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland. With this support, he has exhibited alongside leading international practitioners, such as Bill Viola, José González, and Oscar Nominated Screen Composer John Powell.
Since 2015, Richard has also worked extensively as a School Liaison to educational establishments who are home to over 25,000 students from preschool, through primary and secondary all the way to third level. During this time, he founded Ireland's Parent Association Funds, which helped fund 10 creative projects across Ireland. He is an advocate for Creative Well-being practices within education and has over 10 years of experience initiating, developing, and managing numerous educational, community and cultural projects.
He holds an MFA from NCAD Dublin and a PGDip in Business in Cultural Event Management from IADT, Dun Laoghaire. Alongside this, he completed a placement at the internationally renowned Irish Museum of Modern Art, where he worked in close collaboration with the museums educational department.