Dr Liam Hennessy – BA, MSc, PhD, FRAMI

Dr. Liam Hennessy is the Academic Director of Setanta College. He is a qualified Physical Education teacher, Exercise Physiologist and Strength & Conditioning Coach. He has spent over 20 years working full-time in sport.

Liam was previously the Director of Fitness with the Irish Rugby Football Union, a position he commenced in 2000.  At the IRFU he headed a staff of 24 full time coaches. His role was to develop a world class system of player support within the areas of Strength and Conditioning, Injury Rehabilitation, Sport Nutrition and Medical Care.

Liam is also Fitness Coach to Padraig Harrington having worked with Padraig for over a decade now. He gained his undergraduate degree in Physical Education and English from Thomond College in 1981 and from there he completed his Master’s at Loughborough University before going on to complete a further Master’s in Clinical Physiology and then a PhD in Applied Physiology. He also holds honorary membership of the UK Strength & Conditioning Association.

Liam was also an international athlete competing over 50 times for Ireland at the Pole vault. After competing he became national jumps coach. Liam also had the distinction of being Irish team manager at the first world junior Athletic Championships in Athens in 1985. He is also a Level 3 Athletics Tutor.

Working closely with several Universities, Liam is active in research in speed, strength and power and recovery. He also works closely with the Titleist Performance Institute where he contributes to the Junior development programme. Prior to working in professional sport he spent several years working as Chief Exercise Physiologist in the Cardiopulmonary Department at the Blackrock Clinic, Dublin.  He was also Chief Exercise Physiologist to the Irish Olympic team in Atlanta 1996.

Liam has also worked with professional soccer teams in Germany, Italy and England. He has also advised and trained several inter-county Gaelic football and hurling teams working as Fitness coach with Tipperary when they won the All-Ireland senior hurling title in 1991.

Joe Gorey – CEO

Joe joined Setanta College as CEO in November 2010 from Intel, where he worked in HR for 5 years. Prior to this he worked in Production Management for the previous 10 years in Intel. He completed his Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) in 2004.

Previously Joe worked as a Production Manager with the Kerry Group.

Joe has a keen interest in Athletics and was Sprints Coach with DCU in their Sports Academy from 2007 to 2010. He is the current module Tutor for Module 3 (Old PFCS).

Thomas Callanan – Head of Administration

Thomas joined Setanta College as Head of Administration in August 2011. For the last seven years, Thomas has been honouree secretary of  the highly successful Thurles Sarsfield’s G.A.A Club, the club having won eleven county titles at various levels during this period. He completed his Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours) in 2007. Thomas himself has won numerous underage medals with Thurles Sarsfield’s.

Mary Sweeny – Student Officer and Accounts

Mary jointed Setanta College in 2010 as student officer. Mary brings to Setanta College over 25 years experience working in an office environment.

Mary is responsible for student intake and affairs and is the point of contact for all student queries and student account issues.

Keith Hennessy

Keith is from Dublin and is an experienced Setanta College Tutor having been working with Setanta College since 2008. He has extensive experience working with players and athletes from a variety of team and individual sports such as GAA, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Australian Rules Football, Soccer, Athletics and Hockey.

Keith originally trained as a Personal Trainer and worked towards a Masters in Sports Psychology which he completed in 2010 at Waterford institute of Technology. Keith is currently lecturing on the BSc in Sports Strength & Conditioning programme in LIT-Tipperary in partnership with Setanta College.

Keith was the Strength & Conditioning Coach with the Tipperary Minor Hurling panel in 2012 (All Ireland Minor Hurling champions)

David Moriarty

Coaching Experience

David has been involved in the physical preparation of squads for the past 13 years and has extensive experience in Fitness and Conditioning. He has worked with a variety of hurling teams within Limerick, Tipperary and Clare, winning three county titles in Limerick. David also has experience working with inter-county teams, being the Physical Conditioning and Skill Coach for the Limerick footballers for 4 years and the Limerick hurlers for 2 years.

In the past David has been involved as a Conditioning Coach to Young Munsters R.F.C.

He is currently involved with Nenagh Eire Og Senior Hurlers in Tipperary.

Qualifications

National Council Educational Award Diploma in Recreation and Leisure Management from Waterford Regional Technical College 1989-1992 (Now Waterford Institute of Technology).
National Certificate in Exercise and Fitness Level 1 from the University of Limerick, 1998.
National Certificate in Exercise and Fitness Level 2 Resistance Specialist with Distinction from the University of Limerick, 2003
National Certificate in Exercise and Fitness Level 2 Personal Training with Distinction from the University of Limerick, 2005
Irish Rugby Football Union Certified Conditioning Coaches Course University of Limerick, 2005 and 2006
National Certificate in Physical Fitness and Conditioning with Distinction from Setanta College, 2007 to 2009

Ciaran Keogh

Ciaran is an accredited Strength and Conditioning provider with the Irish Institute of Sport and has provided strength and conditioning to Paralympic athletes since 2005 preparing athletes for European, World and Paralympic games. As well as being a graduate of Setanta College, Ciaran holds a BSc from Tralee Institute of Technology and is currently completing his Masters of Science in Exercise Physiology at Trinity College Dublin.

Damien Young

Damien Young graduated from Waterford Insitute of Technology with a BA Hons in Business Studies, Recreation and Leisure. Following this he completed a Masters Degree in the “Physiological Demands of Inter-County and Inter-Club hurling using Global Positioning System”. Damien has qualified as a tutor through Coaching Ireland and has just completed writing a Level 1 coaching course for Cumann Camógaíochta.

Damien has represented Tipperary at every level from U14 to senior in hurling. He was Strength and Conditioning and Skills coach to the Tipperary Minor hurlers for two years and is presently involved with the county U14 hurling & football conditioning programme.

Damien is the tutor for the Growth, Movement and Development module.

Mick Brennan

Mick is an experienced Setanta College Tutor having been with the college from the outset. He has extensive experience having worked in the past with the Wexford Senior Hurling & Football squads and also the Kilmacud Senior Football team as a Strength and Conditioning coach/advisor.

Mick is currently head of P.E. Teaching at Clonkeen College Dublin and also tutors with Hibernia College and is a fitness tester with Elite coaching Ireland. Mick is currently the tutor for module 4 Functional Screening.

Eoin Everard

Qualifications:

BSc in Athletic Therapy and Training.
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

Functional Movement Specialist with FMS.
MSc Physiotherapy with distinction at Northumbria University.

Eoin’s area of interest and specialism is within Functional Screening. He first became passionate about functional screening and exercise prescription when he was on his 6-month work placement in Montreal, Canada. On returning to Ireland, to complete his degree, he started to apply functional screening to help his clients in rehabilitation, injury prevention and to improve performance. He has continued to explore this field of expertise becoming a functional movement specialist with FMS and completing an MSc in Physiotherapy with the dissertation focused on functional training.

Eoin is currently lecturing on the functional screening module and Sports Injuries and Health module in the BSc Strength and Conditioning programme in LIT Tipperary.

Eoin has previously worked with a number of high performing sports stars including Olympians Thomas Chamney, Colin Griffin and European Mixed Martial Arts champion Catherine Costigan. He is currently involved with the Senior Down footballers and works with www.solutionsphysio.com .

Des Ryan

Des Ryan is an employee of Arsenal Football Club in North London where he works in the sports science department.

Prior to his current role Des worked for the IRFU as fitness education manager and his responsibilities were managing the Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme for IRFU Strength and Conditioning Coaches. His role included managing the fitness development structures for rugby players at Under 19 years of age and below. His responsibilities also included managing the Strength and Conditioning staff with the age grade international teams, Ireland women’s, club and A team.

Previous to this Des worked for Connacht Rugby for 10 years as Head Fitness Advisor from 2000 to 2008. During this time Des has worked with the Ireland A rugby team for 3 years and assisted with the Ireland senior team. Des has presented at many conferences over the past few years in Ireland and abroad including conferences run by the International Rugby Board (IRB) and the GAA’s national coaching development conference.

Gordon Brett

Gordon Brett graduated from Sport and Recreation Studies in Colaiste Stiofain Naofa in 2008 and shortly after completed his PFSC Certificate from Setanta College where he is currently completing a BA in strength and conditioning. He is an IRB educator as well as a rugby, weightlifting and athletics coach.

Gordon works for Munster Rugby as a strength and conditioning coach with the Senior, Academy and Sub Academy squads while working closely with talent identified players and the Irish Women’s 15’s and 7’s Munster based players. He is also the Munster U-18’s S&C.

Gordon tutors on the Resistance Training Module.

Paudie Roche

Paudie Roche is currently the Irish U-20 Rugby Team Strength & Conditioning Coach. Prior to this position he was the Academy & Age Grade Fitness Coach for the Munster Rugby Academy during which time he also held the role of

Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach to the Irish Rugby Team during the 2010 RBS 6 Nations and 2011 Rugby World Cup. He has worked with a range of sports at National and International Level.

Paudie is currently completing an MSc in Sports Science (Strength & Conditioning) through Edith Cowan University in Perth Australia. He is also UKSCA and NSCA Qualified. He is an avid strength sports fan and a

competitive Olympic Weightlifter.

Paudie is the tutor for the Weightlifting module.

Colin Buckley

Colin Buckley has over 25 years experience as a Professional Weightraining Coach working with many clubs and Federations developing training programmes up to Elite and International Levels. He is a member of the European Weightlifting Federation Executive Board , managing the IWF Weightlifting for Sports development program. He is a coach educator and author of Coach Development manuals and resources.

Colin has a very relaxed and personable style of coaching, which helps put his athletes and clients at ease while learning new skills and correcting technique.

“His passion – Weightlifting for all Sports”

Lara Coyne

Lara Coyne is a Chartered Physiotherapist (MISCP) and graduated with undergraduate honors degree in Physiotherapy from UCD in 1998.

Lara also completed a Masters in Sports Physiotherapy (Sports & Exercise Physiotherapy) in 2009 awarded 1^st class honors.

Lara has 14 years of experience in clinical practice as a musculoskeletal Physiotherapist with a special interest in Sports Injury management and rehabilitation both in Ireland and Australia.

Lara provided Physiotherapy in a wide variety of sports settings: Athletics, Gaelic football underage, minor & senior, hurling, hockey, rugby both at club and provincial level.

• Connaught Rugby Team as locum Physiotherapist 2001-2005.
• Lead Physiotherapist with Galway Ladies football teams (Junior, Senior and Minor teams) from 2002-2007.
• Lead Physiotherapist with Mayo Senior Men’s Gaelic Football team in 2005 and 2006 seasons (All-Ireland Finalists).
• Mayo Minor Team 2005.
• Lara also provides Paediatric Physiotherapy to children with complex disabilities for approximately 10 years.
• Established own Private Practice in 2005 consisting of a varied caseload.

Lara has a strong commitment to ongoing continuing professional development completing regular postgraduate courses. Lara has completed weightlifting Level 1 and FMS Courses. She is a member of the Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports & Exercise Medicine and Chartered Physiotherapists in Manual Therapy groups.

Paul Clarke

“Paul was one of the first graduates from our Strength & Conditioning Studies degree program and brings with him a wealth of coaching experience at both county and club level GAA. Operating through his business, Match-Fit, Paul provides performance conditioning services to players of all ages, grades and ability levels to facilitate them in meeting the physical, mental, technical and tactical demands of their game.

With expertise in Functional Movement Screening, Strength & Conditioning and general performance management, Paul is presently coaching with senior clubs in Louth and Meath and is working with Meath GAA in the design and implementation of a Long Term Player Development Pathway.

Paul is the assistant tutor on the Long Term Player/Athlete Development Module.”

Stephen McIvor

Stephen originally played rugby in Leinster but moved to Garryowen and played with Muster, Connacht and Ireland over 6 years from amateur days and then 5 years playing professionally before coaching professionally for over 10 years at AIL 1st Division level and below. During this time he also coached the Ireland Under 23 team, Irish womens Sevens team and acted as an advisor for the IRB to Kazakhstan, Poland and clubs in Russia. Stephen also delivers coaching coaching courses for the IRFU in Ireland and the IRB across Europe.

Stephen completed his Masters in sport psychology on ‘Coach leadership’ in 2009 and is currently doing a PhD out of the University of Central Lancashire on mental toughness and the impacting factors of leadership, environmental and cultural influences.

Stephen currently runs a sport and exercise performance consultancy called ‘Balancing Excellence’.

Tom Comyns

Thomas Comyns completed his PhD in 2006.  Thomas is a former Olympian and has competed internationally for Ireland in the 100m, 200m and sprint relays on numerous occasions and holds the Irish Junior and Senior 4x100m relay records.  His most notable international performances are as follows:

• Olympic Games, Sydney, 2000. Set a new National Record of 39.26s for the 4x100m.
• World Senior Championships, Canada, 2001.  Set a new National Record of 3.04.26s for the 4x400m relay.
• World Senior Championships, Greece, 1997.  Set a National Record for the 4x100m.

Education:
1996: BA (Hons) in Physical Education, University of Limerick
1999: MSc in Sport Science, University of Limerick
2006: PhD in Sport Science, University of Limerick (area of research: strength training for rugby)
2006: Level 3 Coaching in Track & Field Athletics.

Research Publications:
Comyns, T.M., Harrison, A.J., & L.K. Hennessy, (in press). “An investigation into the recovery process of a maximum stretch-shortening cycle fatigue protocol on drop and rebound jumps”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Comyns, T.M., Harrison, A.J., & L.K. Hennessy, 2010. “Effect of squatting on sprinting performance and repeated exposure to complex training in male rugby players”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(3): 613-618.

Comyns, T.M., Harrison, A.J., Hennessy, L.K., & R.L. Jensen, 2007. “Identifying the optimal resistive load for complex training in male rugby players”. Sports Biomechanics, 6(1): 59-70.

Comyns, T.M., Harrison, A.J., Hennessy, L.K., & R.L. Jensen, 2006. “The optimal complex training rest interval for athletes from anaerobic sports”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(3): 471-476.

Flanagan, E.P., Comyns, T.M., 2008. “The use of contact time and the reactive strength index to optimize fast stretch-shortening cycle training”. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 30(5): 32-38.

O’Caireallain, A., Kenny, I.C., & T.M. Comyns, (under review). “Validation of an electronic jump mat to assess stretch-shortening cycle function”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Conference Presentations:
Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapy 2010 Conference. Presentation Title: “Sports injuries: the relationship between training loads and injury risk”. Date: October, 2010.

International Society of Biomechanics in Sport 2009 Conference. Presentation Title: “Application of complex training within strength and conditioning programmes”. Date: August 2009, Limerick.

Sportstracker National Coaching 2009 Conference. Presentation Title: “Speed and agility training for team sports”. Date: July 2009, Dublin.

Institute of Technology Tralee 2009 Fitness Conference. Presentation Title: “Application of the principles of speed training”. Date: November 2009, Tralee

UK Strength and Conditioning Association 2008 Conference. Presentation Title: “Application of strength and conditioning within Munster Rugby”. Date: June, 2008, Belfast.

John Corr

John qualified as a Personal Trainer in 1991 and a Sports Therapist in 1993. He owns “Fitnessworx Gym” in Cork (with 2 partners) since 2005.John works as a Personal Trainer – and has a large and varied group of clients including, Elite level Triathletes, Sprinters, Rugby, GAA, Soccer, Badminton, hockey and others.Currently John competes as a Masters Sprinter (Irish record holder and National Champion)

Noel Flynn

Noel Flynn is a former Setanta College student and now a member of the College Tutor staff. He has an extensive background within Gaelic Games and currently plays Senior Football with the Lucan Sarsfields Club in Dublin. Noel has represented Dublin from underage to Minor and Junior Level. He has been actively involved in the the delivery of Strength and Conditioning for a number of clubs and athletes in Dublin and Kildare as well as the Dublin Senior Hurling development panel. He has coached Gaelic Games (with male and female teams) at a number of levels from Nursery to Secondary School through to Senior Adult level.