CTYI Speaker Series - 2025

The CTYI Summer Speakers Series is an annual event hosted on DCU’s St Patrick’s campus by DCU’s Centre for Talented Youth. It sees former students of the programme come back to DCU to speak about their time in CTYI, their careers and to connect with the current class.

You can find out more about the series and listen to our speakers below.

Dermot Looney

Dermot is a teacher and former public representative. He has a degree in Social Science from UCD and a postgraduate teaching qualification from Hibernia College. Dermot has taught in St Dominic’s NS, Tallaght for the last 15 years and currently works as a Home School Community Liaison Coordinator. 

Dermot was elected as a County Councillor in 2009 and 2014. He was Mayor of South Dublin County from 2013-14. Since finishing as a public representative in 2019, he has been a National Director of Elections and strategist for the Social Democrats.

Aoife Ludlow

Aoife is a design researcher working in health technology. She has a background in textile innovation and participatory design practices. Aoife has been a CTYI student, a research assistant, a teaching assistant, an instructor and, as of last year, a CTYI parent. She has a degree in textile design from the National College of Art and Design and MAs in Interactive Media and Interaction Design from the University of Limerick and NCAD.

Aoife’s work has been exhibited across Europe and the US, including the Boston Museum of Science, the Smithsonian Institute, the National Craft Gallery, the Hunterian Museum of Anatomy and at New York Fashion Week. Her work has also featured on Game of Thrones.