Mary was appointed Principal in St Paul’s Secondary School Oughterard Galway in 1993. In 2005 she was seconded as Assistant National Coordination to the Leadership Development for Schools (LDS) team and coordinated programmes such as Misneach-the programme for newly appointed Principals and Forbairt –a development programme for established Principals and Deputy Principals. She is currently seconded as National Director of The Centre for School Leadership from her role as Principal of Calasanctius College Oranmore Galway where she has been Principal since 2010.  Mary   was elected as President of The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals in October 2014.