The Íontas alliance is an association for Ireland’s national awardees of teaching excellence in higher education. The name used for the alliance, Íontas, is an Irish word which means amazement, wonder or surprise and it can mean all these things together. It is the perfect word to capture what this alliance represents, our best teachers engaging with learners to give rise to extraordinary learning. The Íontas alliance is open to all those who have been recognised nationally as award-winning higher education teachers in Ireland. These include all who hold teaching excellence awards presented by NAIRTL (2008-2012), all those who have been endorsed by their institutions and recognised as National Teaching Experts, those who have been given the title of National Teaching Hero, and those who have been recipients of Delta Awards.