Best Selling Author
John Lonergan
John Lonergan is a native of Bansha, Co. Tipperary. He served in the Irish Prison Service for over 42 years. He was Governor of Mountjoy Prison for over twenty-two years and Governor of the top security prison at Portlaoise for almost four years. He retired in June 2010, and later that year, his autobiography “The Governor” was published.
On the Irish Penal Reform Trust, John writes:
“For many years I have been an great admirer of the work undertaken by the Trust in monitoring and commenting on developments, or the lack of them, within the Irish penal system. The Trust’s main attraction for me is its total Independence of the State system, its great courage to speak out publicly and to challenge the establishment on all matters of penal policy and direction and above all its absolute integrity.
“In addition, the Trust plays a vital role in ensuring that the general public have a better and more informed insight into the workings of the penal system.”
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The story of
John Lonergan
John Lonergan is a native of Bansha, Co. Tipperary. He served in the Irish Prison Service for over 42 years.
He was Governor of Mountjoy Prison for over twenty-two years and Governor of the top security prison at Portlaoise for almost four years. He retired in June 2010, and later that year, his autobiography “The Governor” was published. In 2013 he wrote a book on parenting under the title ‘Parenting – raising your child in Ireland today’, with all royalties going to Barnardos, the children’s charity. Nowadays, he delivers talks on various subjects to the corporate sector, local communities, secondary school teachers and students, and voluntary groups.
Talks and Seminars
Talks: Parenting
The talk covers a wide range of ongoing issues and challenges parents face. The talk is suitable for parents with children of all ages. Some of the topics covered in the talk are, parenting objectives, communication is key, the value of chatting, why listening is so important, parenting by example, nurturing self-confidence, no taboo subjects, knowing your child’s ability and accepting it, and four no-nos, things parents should avoid.
Positive Mental Health: How to be Happy and Content
The theme of the talk is actions and decisions everyone can undertake if we want to be happy and content. Happy people are not happy by chance, they make sacrifices. Some of the choices raised in the talk are, accepting our reality, the role of gratitude, forgiving ourselves and others, moving on and letting things go, surrounding ourselves with people who makes us feel good about ourselves, minding ourselves and treating ourselves, being kind and generous to others, hobbies, and the importance of smiling.
Leadership and Motivation: How to get the best out of others
The talk covers many elements of leadership and motivation. The importance of being true to oneself, why imitating other leaders is a waste of time, the principles underpinning good leadership, personal example, giving credit and not grabbing it, showing respect in every situation and to every person, being open and approachable, making good decisions, getting the right balance between the job, the team and the individuals, giving praise and recognition to staff, listening and consulting with staff, no favouritism, being consistent and reliable, the role of kindness and gentleness.
Secondary School – Students: Wellbeing: how students can mind themselves and build resilience.
The theme of the talk is actions and decisions everyone can undertake if we want to be happy and content. Happy people are not happy by chance, they make sacrifices. Some of the choices raised in the talk are, accepting our reality, the role of gratitude, forgiving ourselves and others, moving on and letting things go, surrounding ourselves with people who makes us feel good about ourselves, minding ourselves and treating ourselves, being kind and generous to others, hobbies, and the importance of smiling.
Secondary School – Teachers
This talk covers several difficulties and challenges facing many teachers. Why teaching is such a complex job; why great teachers are impactful in the lives of others; dealing with challenging and complex behaviours; why education is the only real and meaningful response to eliminating poverty, why connection is more powerful than correction, helping a child change direction can lead to generational change; teachers as role models and why they must never humiliate or undermine a student and why teachers must look after themselves in order to mind others.
Best selling books
Delivering talks on various subjects to the corporate sector, local communities, secondary school teachers and students, and voluntary groups.
John Lonergan
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