Celebrating 40 Years of An Cosán
Four decades of transforming lives through education
Leading change for generations
In 1986, An Cosán began with a simple but radical belief: that education is the most powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty. What started as The Shanty in West Tallaght —a small gathering of women coming together with a shared belief in a brighter future —has grown into Ireland’s largest community education organisation.
Today, as we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we look back at the path we have walked together, and we look forward to the next generation of learners we will empower.
Change starts with mams…
with little ones, with education, with the right supports, and much more
At the heart of our work is our ‘one generation solution’ – the belief that if you raise a mother up through education, then her children in turn will escape poverty with her, and she will lead her community to a brighter future. For our 40th Anniversary, we are running our ‘Change starts with…’ campaign to highlight the importance and impact of this work.
A Legacy Of Change
Since 1986, An Cosán has been at the forefront of transformative education in Ireland, empowering over 21,000 women to reshape their futures. Our approach recognizes that education alone isn’t enough – true transformation requires comprehensive support. Every woman who walks through our doors finds not just a classroom, but a complete support system – from childcare to counselling, technology access to financial support. This nurturing environment allows both women and their children to flourish, creating lasting change that ripples through generations.
Discover more of our journey and milestones by exploring our timeline carousel.
An Cosán’s holistic, learner-centered approach puts you, the learner, at the heart of all we do. We provide ‘a place of hearth and home’ and know that our learners’ basic needs must be met before they can excel in their studies
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Kiltalown Village Centre,
Fortunestown Road,
Jobstown,
Dublin, D24 R3PN
P: 01 462 8488
E: info@ancosan.ie
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The Shanty Educational Project CLG, Registered Charity No. 8659, Registered Company No. 131383, Charity Regulator Number 20021528. Design by imprint