Niamh Keenan

Life before Stowe

Before coming to Stowe I studied and worked in Scotland. As a lover of the written word, I was fortunate enough to be based in Edinburgh, a UNESCO city of literature. As a fan of wild sea swimming and paddle boarding, I was fortunate in being able complete my probationary training in an ex-Naval Academy in East Neuk of Fife, a part of Scotland with glorious beaches and pretty fishing villages.

What do you enjoy most about your subject?

I think that the study of English is an enriching experience: the reader meets and acquires empathy for characters whom one might never encounter and get to know otherwise.

What do you enjoy most about Stowe?

I could not begin to confine myself to one particular facet of life at Stowe. I appreciate what the differing personalities of my students and my colleagues have to offer and my favourite morning activity is to run through the stunningly beautiful grounds. 

What is your favourite Lesson?

My favourite lesson is the class where something suddenly clicks for someone.  

What do others say about you?

That would be a scary question to ask even a close friend. I might be told the truth!

Other hats

I am a Tutor in Lyttelton and I am also involved in a number extracurricular activities, from the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme through to the Literature Society, the Concord & Victory paper, Ballet and on to sports like Hockey.

Passions

My passions are highly varied. They include writing, reading, running, walking, Exercise or Pilates classes, swimming, playing with dogs. The best places to do these are in the wild and windy Highlands, blustery and beautiful Yorkshire, Chesapeake beaches near my middle brother’s home in the USA or the shady chestnut forest that surrounds my family’s farm house in the Tuscan hills.