Liam Ó Cuinneagáin served ten years as chairperson of Údarás na Gaeltachta (2002-2012).
[2] His co-founder was Dr Seosamh Watson, a Gaelic scholar from the Presbyterian tradition in Belfast and later to become Professor of Modern Irish at University College Dublin.
Liam was a recipient the annual "Gradam an Phiarsaigh" trophy for services to education and the Irish language (2011).
He was also selected as Donegal Person of the Year in 2013 in recognition of his work as Oideas Gael director.
It is also the chosen school where President Mary McAleese came to study Irish and continues to do so as former Uachtarán na hÉireann.