Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo honours enduring legacy of remarkable Kilkenny woman

Earlier this year, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo and St Angela’s mourned the loss of a dear friend and colleague, Susan Carton, of Thomastown, Kilkenny.

She 'was a remarkable educator whose influence continues to shape disability education, thought, and practice across the university and far beyond'. Susan began her academic career in 2003 as a lecturer on the Intellectual Disability Nursing degree programmes. Over the following two decades, she became one of the most transformative voices within ATU St Angela's, driven by an unwavering commitment to equality, human rights, and social justice.

Central to her work was her refusal to accept the paternalistic and deficit-based views of disability that still persist in society. Susan encouraged us to move away from sympathy and assumptions, and instead to recognise disability as something produced by societal structures, norms, and barriers, barriers we have the power and responsibility to change.
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Her leadership was instrumental in the development of groundbreaking programmes in ATU, including the BA in Health and Disability Studies, the Certificate in Disability Studies, the Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies, and the Master’s in Disability Studies. These programmes continue to shape graduates who understand disability not as an individual problem, but as a matter of rights, citizenship, and equality.

The late Susan Carton
Beyond teaching, research and curriculum design, Susan was a tireless advocate for disabled people. She represented the university on national bodies, including the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) and other key organisations, always speaking with clarity, honesty, and courage about the change needed in Irish society. She did not soften her message, but she delivered it with warmth, conviction, and compassion. Her voice carried weight because it always centred the lived realities and rights of disabled people.

Reflecting on her friend and colleague, Dr Edel McSharry, Head of Department of Nursing, Health Sciences and Disability Studies, said: “Susan had a way of gently but firmly turning our assumptions inside out. She helped us see how often our reactions to disability came from misplaced sympathy, or from a desire to protect, when what was needed was equality, respect, and honesty. She changed how I see the world — and how I see myself within it. Losing her has left a space that cannot be filled, but her voice is in everything we do. I miss her deeply and think of her often.”
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At the 2025 conferring ceremony, ATU St Angela’s honoured Susan’s legacy by presenting the inaugural Susan Carton Memorial Award to Mary Maher, who graduated with an MSc in Disability Studies and had been taught and supported by Susan throughout her studies.

Speaking about Mary’s achievement, Ursula Gilrane, Mary’s supervisor, said: “Mary’s Master’s Research Dissertation, which explored the educational lived experiences of autistic young people who attended mainstream post-primary schools in Southeast Ireland, exemplifies the values Susan championed throughout her career: advocacy, human rights, equality, inclusion, and social justice. Mary’s research embodied all of Susan’s values and was profoundly influenced by Susan’s teaching.”

Mary Maher also shared her own tribute, describing Susan as a constant source of support, encouragement, and wisdom throughout her eight years of study, someone whose integrity, care, and passion left a lasting imprint on her academic journey and her life.

Susan’s legacy continues to guide ATU St Angela’s in its teaching, in our programmes and in our ongoing commitment to building a society where disabled people are recognised as full citizens with autonomy, dignity, and equal rights. Her influence endures in every student who passes through these programmes and in every conversation about equality and justice that takes place within our walls.