Tiernan Henry graduated with a BA (Mod) in Natural Sciences from TCD in 1986. In 1993 he graduated with an MSc in Water Resources Management (Hydrogeology) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During that time he worked on several US EPA-funded water management projects in the Great Lakes area. He taught hydrology & hydrogeology at UCG as part of the Department of Engineering Hydrology before taking a consultancy position. For several years he worked in surface and groundwater management all around Ireland but his primary focus was in mine water management. In 2003 he joined the newly formed Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences as a lecturer in environmental geology.
He is a member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the International Mine Water Association (IMWA).
He is a member of the board of Galway Arts Festival and though he should know better he still plays fooball every week.