Where are they now: Ciarán O Reilly, MSc Sports Performance Class of 2021 is with FC Midjtylland – Ciaran O’Reilly Sport Scientist MSc

Before this role, I graduated from IT Carlow in 2019 with a BA in Sports Management and Coaching and progressed to my MSc in Sports Performance in UL as part of the class of 2021. In between, I spent a year coaching and playing football in New Zealand, working with the Wellington Phoenix Football Club as an academy coach. I began my current role in June 2021, whilst simultaneously completing my dissertation.

The MSc in Sports Performance was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, in which I gained a greater understanding of the underpinning principles of elite performance applicable to a range of sports. As I am working in football, the importance of understanding how to develop numerous physical and technical aspects simultaneously is crucial for a performance coach to be successful. The MSc course has enabled me to apply the theoretical knowledge into practical solutions in an extremely chaotic & pressurised environment. A key aspect to our daily practice at FC Midtjylland is periodisation of individual load, a subject which we covered in the strength sport module with Mark Lyons.

I would advise anybody thinking of a career in elite sport to consider applying for the MSc Sports Performance course at the University of Limerick.

Enquiries to Dr. Catherine Norton, Course Director of the MSc Sports Performance, Email: catherine.norton@ul.ie  

Applications online for the MSc Sports Performance will open again in June for a January 2023 start date. See the UL programme website http://www.ul.ie/graduateschool/course/sports-performance-msc for further details and how to apply.