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On the enchanting evening of Saturday, 11th November 2023, within the illustrious Dining Hall at Trinity College, a sense of anticipation and camaraderie filled the air. It was a night unlike any other—a night where the Irish coaching community converged to celebrate our shared journey. We were graced by the wisdom of Professor David Clutterbuck, who illuminated the path of coach maturity and underscored the vital role of a systemic approach, especially in the context of the ever-evolving landscape marked by the rise of AI. Amidst the grandeur of the evening, we also commemorated a significant milestone—20 years of the ICF Ireland chartered chapter. However, the true stars of the night were the winners of our prestigious 2023 awards, whose dedication and excellence continue to inspire us all.

We are therefore delighted to announce the winners of this year’s awards:

On the enchanting evening of Saturday, 11th November 2023, within the illustrious Dining Hall at Trinity College, a sense of anticipation and camaraderie filled the air. It was a night unlike any other—a night where the Irish coaching community converged to celebrate our shared journey. We were graced by the wisdom of Professor David Clutterbuck, who illuminated the path of coach maturity and underscored the vital role of a systemic approach, especially in the context of the ever-evolving landscape marked by the rise of AI. Amidst the grandeur of the evening, we also commemorated a significant milestone—20 years of the ICF Ireland chartered chapter. However, the true stars of the night were the winners of our prestigious 2023 awards, whose dedication and excellence continue to inspire us all.

We are therefore delighted to announce the winners of this year’s awards:

🏆 Coach of the Year: Kathleen Fanning 

🌟 Rising Star of the Year: Caitríona Farrell 

🌍 President’s Award: Place-Based Leadership Development Initiative

These exceptional coaches and initiatives truly embody the essence of coaching excellence, and their contributions to our profession and society are nothing short of remarkable.

Kathleen Fanning- Coach of the Year 2023

In a field of inspiring nominations, Kathleen Fanning stood out for her energy, passion for coaching, and, above all, her humanity. Her dedication to core competencies, values, and ethics was evident in every aspect of her practice. Kathleen’s commitment to continuous learning and development has not only benefited her clients but has also had a profound impact on the wider coaching community and society. Her ability to touch lives through her coaching is a testament to the art of coaching itself.

Caitríona Farrell- Rising Star of the Year 2023

Among several impressive Rising Star nominations, Caitríona Farrell shone brightly. Her depth in self-reflection and self-awareness, coupled with her unwavering commitment to growth and development, set her apart. Caitríona’s holistic approach to coaching and her dedication to authenticity are truly admirable. As a Rising Star, she has already begun sketching a path towards a future filled with promise and potential.

Place-Based Leadership Development Initiative – President’s Award

The Place-Based Leadership Development Initiative emerged as a stand-out candidate for the President’s Award due to its ambitious scale, replicability, and potential impact on Irish society. With coaching at its core, this initiative has embarked on a journey into complex territories, transforming the way community leaders work and collaborate. Its potential for wider transformative change is undeniable, showcasing how professional coaching can positively impact the places we live and work.

While we celebrate these exceptional award winners, we also want to acknowledge and pay tribute to all who were shortlisted and those who applied. The high standard of coaching excellence within our community is a testament to the dedication and passion of each and every one of you. The thriving Irish Coaching community we have today is a result of the collective work and commitment across our profession.

As we continue to grow and evolve as a community, let us draw inspiration from the remarkable individuals and initiatives that make our coaching landscape richer and more vibrant. Thank you for being part of our journey, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us all.

Con, from Con Photography, who was the official photographer on the evening, has created an online gallery of the images taken on the evening.  You can view and download the pictures here:  https://gallery.conphotography.ie/-icfireland/gallery

Please use these photos, along with any others you might have taken, to spread the word about just how vibrant our coaching community in Ireland truly is.

Calling all members!

ICF Ireland is looking for dynamic, energetic members who would like to contribute skills, insights, experience and some time to support our coach membership, our partnerships and networks and to promote the power of coaching across society. 2024 promises to be an exciting year! Building on the rich work of previous ICF Ireland boards in its 20 years history, we will continue to shape the profession and the professionalism of its members. 

In exchange we offer you:

1. Free access to all webinars, social and learning events and conferences.
2. Extensive networking opportunities with coaches and thought leaders across Ireland, internationally and the wider ICF global network. 
3. Expand your knowledge and understanding of the coaching industry, accreditation process, membership opportunities and the advancement of coaching across all sectors. 
4. Enhance or develop new, transferable skills at strategic level.

Please note: all your board related expenses will be reimbursed.

This is an exciting time to be involved in coaching and to promote coaching for a thriving society, while supporting coaches in their professional practice. The board opportunities for 2024 reflect important themes for our members and excellence in board practice. We would love you to join us and be part of this dynamic time in coaching.

The vacant positions are:

• Chief Operating Officer
• Director of ICF Global and Member Relations
• Director of Communications
• Director of Strategic Programmes
• Director of Learning and Development
• Director of Innovation and Standards

Join us, have fun, learn and help develop our coaching profession. We look forward to hearing from you. Please send your CV and covering letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role of your interest to admin@icfireland.com

Deadline for submission of applications is Thursday 23rd November. 

Interviews will be scheduled week commencing 27^th Nov and 4^th Dec.

If you have any questions regarding the positions please contact admin@icfireland.com.

The Countdown to our Big Birthday Gala begins, and we are kicking off the celebrations of ICF Ireland’s 20th Anniversary in November, with two very exciting events in July.

Belfast Celebration Luncheon

Our first event is a Celebration Luncheon in Belfast. ICF Ireland are inviting you to Belfast to for a celebration luncheon with the ICF Global Board.

We will have lunch on arrival @12.30pm followed by networking and conversation with the ICF Global Board about coaching developments North and South of Ireland and some dreams and visions for the future. This event will be held in the spectacular Long Gallery – Parliament Buildings in Stormont Estate in Belfast.

So Save the Date for the 17th of July at 12.30pm. Due to limited capacity at the venue, only 40 spots are available! You can book your place for the Belfast event below.

Anam Cara Celebration Evening-Dublin

Our second event is the”Anam Cara” celebration evening on 19th July. ICF Ireland members are invited to join ICF Global Board members for an enjoyable evening. ‘Anam Cara’, an old Gaelic term in the Celtic philosophy of friendship, refers to the Anam – in Gaelic for ‘soul’, and Cara in Gaelic for ‘friend’. This event will take place in the stunning Castleknock Hotel in Dublin where we will all meet at 6.30pm for a special evening filled with inspiring conversations, and shared experiences reflecting on the transformative power of coaching impact of coaching and its profound influence on individuals and communities in Ireland. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!

Save the date for 19th July at 18:30. Due to limited capacity at the venue, only 30 spots are available! You can book your space for the Dublin event below.

On 18th November 2022 ICF Ireland held their annual Awards. The categories for the awards were:

• Coach of the Year 2022
• Rising Star of the Year 2022
• Coaching Circle of the Year 2022
• Organisation Culture Award 2022
• President’s Award 2022

The nominees for each award were amazing and there was such a high caliber this year. Well done to everyone who was nominated.

The Winners:

Coach of the Year 2022: Heather Blackmore

Rising Star of the Year 2022: Margaret Quane

Coaching Circle of the Year 2022: South West Coaching Circle

Organisation Culture Award 2022: Tusla Child and Family Agency

President’s Award 2022: Paula King

Well done and kudos to all of our winners, it was thoroughly deserved.

Hello, and a Very Happy New Year to all our Members and followers. 

Knowing the coaching ethos I can imagine you may have woken up this morning, January 1st 2023, with a sense of gratitude for the year and what it brought to you.   

2022 seemed to go past in a blur for many of us as we tried to catch up on those lost moments of the pandemic, seeing family, children, grandchildren, meeting clients face to face when possible and opening our hearts and minds to those of our ICF family, and their families, caught in war, confusion, grieving and loss. There has been that niggling question of the economic crisis and its impact on Ireland and what we coaches can expect as our clients face all the demands on their time, and how we can support them to remain committed to their intentions for coaching. 

I am thrilled to announce our new Board of Directors. 

I spoke some time ago about New Years Resolutions and asked Members to step up to a role in the 2023 ICF Ireland Board. And WOW, we were overwhelmed at your response, for which I am enormously grateful. Thanks to your response, we now have a new ICF Board to take us into our 20th anniversary year. 

Barbara Edwards, Roel Wuite and myself Eileen Jameson – President 2023 are absolutely delighted to welcome the new Board Members.

Stephen Clements has accepted the role of  Director, ICF Relations. Stephen won the Coach of the Year Award in 2020 and brings his well-known capacity as a coach, mentor, supervisor and networker extraordinaire to help us in Ireland to tap into all the amazing benefits offered by ICF Global and to keep us all informed about initiatives that can benefit Members.  

Siobhan Bradley becomes our Director, External Relations. Siobhan is an executive leadership, life and conflict coach with great experience in Foreign Affairs, Tourism, education and business sectors across Ireland. Siobhan will be advocating at the highest levels for the integration of coaching and a coaching approach to reinforce the development of the coaching industry in Ireland. 

Clodagh Swanson joins us as Director, Member Relations. Clodagh is no stranger to the ICF Ireland Family and was President of the Board in 2015. Clodagh is passionate about the coaching profession, relationship management and continuous learning and development. Clodagh will be listening to our Members’ needs and making sure that their opinion is heard when it comes to learning and social events for Members.

Annette Tully steps into the role of Director, Marketing and will support the development and sustainability of the ICF Ireland Chapter and the ICF Brand in Ireland. She will be supporting training schools in their journey to become ICF accredited, and work with coaches who have yet to benefit from all the values of becoming an ICF Member. Annette brings fantastic experience in marketing and development of a coaching culture and will be instrumental in supporting the Chapter to promote the benefits of Coaching to benefit society.

Marianna Rolikova embodies the energy and dynamism needed in the role of Director of Social Media. She brings a portfolio of international and global experience of running massive social media campaigns for political and social agenda. Watch out for ICF Ireland increasing its social media footprint!

With so many highly capable and experienced candidates it was a considerable challenge for the panel to nominate the Directors mentioned. Many of the other candidates have expressed their passion for coaching and willingness to support coaching in Ireland, by accepting to become an Associate to the Board. Once the planning for 2023 is underway, the Directors will reach out to these members to find areas of mutual interest and benefit for all.  

Associates are of key importance to the continuity and sustainability of the Chapter as well as providing extra resources in specific areas to harvest our greatest potential for success across our four strategic goals. 

And so with all these wonderful appointments, the Board would love to kick off 2023, our 20th anniversary year, with a celebration of the ICF Family. We invite you to please come and meet the Board, and your fellow ICF family coaches, at our first social event of 2023, on Friday January 13th from 1800 – 2030. Please see the event notice on our web site.

May 2023 be an excellent year for you personally and another step towards an Ireland that thrives through coaching.

My very warmest wishes, 

Eileen Jameson,ICF Ireland President 2023.

This article is very relevant to all ICF Coaches who are interested in one-to-one development with a Mentor Coach or Coach Supervisor. The differences between Mentor Coach and Coach Supervisor have been clarified by the ICF in the last couple of years, following a rich debate in the coaching world. As a practising coach, you may be wondering ‘what is the difference’ and ‘who can best support my development?’ The answer to this question very much depends on your experience as a coach and what your ultimate goal is within your coaching practice.

Mentor Coaching

In brief, a Mentor Coach is defined by the ICF as someone who will provide (a) coaching for the development of one’s coaching (b) coaching for personal development and (c) coaching for business development. A Mentor Coach is essential for you to engage with in order to progress your ICF Credentialling Journey.

For example, I engaged a Mentor Coach when I wanted to achieve my goal of becoming a PCC with the ICF. Mentor Coaches typically focus on specific competencies that you need to develop as a coach to attain a certain level of competence. Mentor Coaches are long established within the ICF Credential Framework. Coaching Supervision is a growing trend internationally and this led to the need for the ICF to clarify the distinctions.

Coaching Supervision

ICF defines Coaching Supervision as follows: “Coaching supervision is the interaction that occurs when a coach periodically brings his or her coaching work experiences to a coaching supervisor in order to engage in reflective dialogue and collaborative learning for the development and benefit of the coach and his or her clients.” Coaching supervision offers the more experienced coach a richer and broader opportunity for support and development.

In coaching supervision, there is a lot more focus on “who you are and how you are being with your clients in the broadest sense”. It provides a wide-angled lens to review your coaching practice with a fellow practitioner. I personally trained as a Coaching Supervisor with the Coaching Supervision Academy in the UK in 2014. Their ethos is as follows: “Who you are, is how you supervise/coach/lead.” Unexpectedly, this programme had a powerful impact on me as a coach as well as training me as a Coaching Supervisor.

Investing In Yourself

I was giving advice to an individual recently who has decided to train as a business coach. My advice was this: Once you start on the coaching journey, your own learning and development will be central to your ongoing success. At different points, we all need Mentor Coaches or Coaching Supervisors and you need to choose what is right for you at a particular point in time.  Either way, I believe that this investment in yourself as a Coach is invaluable.

ICF Global’s position on coaching supervision

If you’d like to also read ICF Global’s position on coaching supervision, please check out the following link:

Amanda Cahir-O’Donnell, PCC
Accredited CSA Global Coaching Supervisor