On the margins of mainstream: a historical timeline of Irish Montessori education in the context of Irish primary curriculum

Timelines are a central tenet of the Montessori method; used to help children understand complex concepts like deep-time and geological eras. Drawing from this method, this paper takes a timeline approach to Montessori education in Ireland. Tracing its history and linking Montessori’s position to developments in Irish society and primary school pedagogy. Whilst Montessori education has been in evidence in Ireland for over 100 years, it has remained on the margins of mainstream primary education. Contextualised against the backdrop of Irish primary curriculum development phases, this article illustrates the rise and decline of Irish Montessori education. Arguing, Montessori education remained on the margins of the mainstream in Ireland due to two main factors: (i) child-centredness of the method, which was in opposition to the favoured authoritative teacher-centred approach of the Catholic Church, and (ii) the failure of Montessori education training providers to make adequate provision for Irish language instruction.