Colm was raised in Glounthaune in the suburbs of Cork city. With two brothers, one older and one younger, they played all kinds of sports in the garden growing up. “World cup, three-goals-in and pucking around (hurling) were among our favourites. Our German Shepherd, Sally, would chase the sliotar and bring it back to us. She is still around today and keeps us on our toes.”

Brought up in the family home through Irish, Colm was also taught through Irish at Gaelscoil na Dúglaise primary school. His mother was also a teacher there. Then Colm attended Coláiste an Phiarsaigh post-primary school in Glanmire.

“I started playing sport at the age of nine with Douglas GAA Club, which had strong links with Gaelscoil na Dúglaise. My older brother had played with the school teams and I wanted to follow suit. Our coach in primary school was also the coach in the club. To make the school team, you were better off playing with the club.”

“Unlike my brothers, the skills of ball sports didn’t come naturally to me. I was fairly fast but had to spend a lot of time on my ball skills, such as hitting off my weaker side in hurling. I also played soccer briefly with the Avondale club and rugby for the Dolphin club when in primary school. But hurling and (Gaelic) football were what I wanted to progress with most. There were fixture clashes between the various sports, mainly on Saturday mornings. That influenced my decision to stick with Gaelic games. And I was making the championship teams, such as the Féilé team.”

“I think my Dad has always had a really positive influence on my sports participation. He was like our own home coach. I often went to him for advice and he was my greatest guidance and source of encouragement throughout – in sport and in general. He taught me the fundamentals of sport, including many of the main skills.”      

“Dad played with the Erins Own club in Cork, which is a stone’s throw from where I grew up. And we played with Douglas, a neighbouring club, as our primary school was in the catchment area. I remember going to mass on a Sunday wearing a Douglas half-zip, and Dad would tell us to cover it up or change, in case anybody from Erins Own would see us. He is in his mid-50s now and still plays with the UCC staff soccer team.” Colm’s father, Dr. Rónán Ó Dubhghaill, is currently the Vice-President for External Relations at University College Cork (UCC). 

Despite a passion for Gaelic games, it’s surfing that that emerged as Colm’s favourite. “When I was nine, we spent a few summers down in Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsula. My grandparents had a house there. This is where I had my first encounter with surfing. I did a week of lessons on Inch Beach and the same the following summer. When I was 11, we bought a foam-board off the surf school and that was really the start of my surfing journey. Straight away, I found surfing exciting.”

“As I progressed in secondary school, I started surfing more and more – mainly at Garrettstown beach, at Inchydoney and Long Strand too. At 13, I started surfing with Garrettstown Surf Club. As my teens progressed, surfing took over from Gaelic games.”

“We had two coaches at Garrettstown every Saturday. One was Jason Coniry from Clonakilty, who passed way from cancer a few years later, sadly. Gary Mason was the other, who also coached at Dolphin Swimming Club. Being surrounded by these established surfers got me into competing, as they had vast experience of the circuit.”   

“In the summer of 2012, when I was 14, my Dad drove me and two friends to my first competition – an Irish Surf Association, national junior competition. After a few competitions, I became interested in the longboard category. The shortboard category involves a board, typically, under seven feet, and longboard over nine feet.”

“I became longboard national champion (junior, Under-18) when I was 16 and again at 17, in 2014 and 2016. And, so, my ambition grew. Every two years there was a European championship, and an Irish team would be put together. At 16, I had hoped to go to the Azores in Portugal with the Irish junior team but didn’t make it. I bottled it in a crucial heat. That was very disappointing!”

Despite a hectic surfing training and competition schedule, Colm didn’t allow this to affect his studies, gaining a place on the BSc Physiology degree programme in UCC, where is he now in the third year. “I didn’t surf the year of my Leaving Cert. Even though my results were grand, I decided to take a year out, as I didn’t know what third level course I wanted to do. I just wanted to surf. That summer, I worked as a lifeguard on Garrylucas Beach and saved some money. I was mad to get back surfing again.”

“I spent a month in Spain surfing, then Cornwall. The following spring, I went to Australia for two months and competed in the famous Noosa Longboard Festival in Noosa Heads, about two hours north of Brisbane. There I competed against the very best, including past world champions. It was a very humbling experience. I did it for the competitive experience and to improve my overall surfing. I didn’t think I was going to win.”

“I was pursuing becoming a professional surfer at that point, which comes about through competing and getting brand sponsorship. I managed to get some sponsorship through a surfing equipment brand called Slide 65. But it was mostly my personal funds that sustained this pursuit. I had real ambition but didn’t get close enough. You could see the clear advantage for those growing up in the likes of Australia, with some of the best waves in the world on your doorstep.”

It was after this, in 2018, that Colm decided to start in UCC. “I surf with the UCC Surf Club and won two national longboard intervarsity competitions. I was also competing regularly in senior events on the national circuit around this time. I made the senior national team after winning the two selection events.”

“In 2019, the world longboard championship was in France and the European championship in Portugal, which I represented Ireland in. After a rocky start in the round-robin Europeans, I ended up coming sixth, just missing out on the final. I was surprised and delighted with that.” 

Despite his somewhat quiet, relaxed and warm demeamour, it is clear that Colm is a deeply motivated individual, content in pursuing the road less travelled. 

Take longboarding – an individual sport that is a smaller community within an already small community, in Ireland at least. Colm is also an active member of UCC Swimming and Waterpolo Club, competing in intervarsity competitions. Despite a very active and enjoyable social life, it involved “a lot of sober nights out. I never drank and never started. I was involved in a number of other activities.”

“As you pass through life, you realise that mental ill-health is within touching distance of everybody: one in four will suffer directly during their lifetime. Although I’ve never suffered from this, I have been involved in the UCC Niteline service in recent years. It’s a non-judgmental, non-directive listening service for students run by students and is confidential. Firstly, I was a call-taking volunteer and then took up a role on the committee as Volunteers Officer, liaising with Cork Samaritans to train students each semester. It was a brilliant experience – very sociable and felt we made progress in helping people.”   

Colm is also working towards a four-year graduate entry medicine programnme. I realised that I wanted to do medicine from working as a Lifeguard, interacting with and helping people, like first aid. And having to respond to serious situations on the spot with limited information; I found that exciting. I have always enjoyed the sciences throughout school and college too. It’s a serious challenge to get in, but hopefully I’ll get there.”

Colm possesses an unusual blend of motivation. Extrinsically, for example, he enjoys the acceptance among his peers of winning a surf competition. Who wouldn’t? Intrinsically, Colm’s motivation in sport and beyond runs much deeper than this. 

“I have never held back in any aspect of my life and want to empty the tank on my chosen pursuits. I want to get the most out of myself. It not about proving myself to society; what people think is out of my control. It’s about my journey and I want to make the best of it.”

Colm is certainly doing a good job of it and there is no sign of him slowing down. His courage and dedication to be authentic, consciously or not, is refreshing and inspirational. One to look out for! 

This is my last article for the foreseeable future. It has been a pleasure writing with the West Cork people over the last number of months. I will return now to focus on my doctoral degree, which I am completing in my spare time. Thanks to the Mary O’Brien, Sheila Mullins and the interviewees for all their support.

For more, see patculhane.ie or @Pat_Culhane

Although brought up in the city, Alan’s roots are firmly in West Cork. His mother, Breda (née O’Shea) hails from Skibbereen and his father, Chris Foley, from Newcestown. With Chris working in this Verome Shipyard, building ships, Alan spent his first five years in Gurranbraher before moving to Ballincollig. It is here that his earliest sporting memories from there emerge.

“We loved growing up there in the 80s. There were lots of new estates and it was rapidly becoming one of the biggest suburbs in Ireland. There must have been around 30 of us about the same age living within a stones throw of each other, so we were often out playing soccer, rounders, bulldog, tip-the-can or whatever on the street. It was heaven really, when I look back on it. We had the freedom to wander around the place, although not too far. We climbed anything we could and made lots of things, like out of sticks. We just had so much fun.”

“When it came to organised sport, Gaelic games was what we played mostly growing up. There was a parish league, where each estate would play against each other, which was great. A man called Pat Halpin used to look after us. He was a real gentleman and put a load of time into getting us playing for a team.” 

In national school (Scoil Eoin) we played hurling and (Gaelic) football in Sciath na Scol competitions. There were around 90 pupils in my year and around six were chosen to represent the school at Cork City Sports athletics competitions each year. I never quite made it there.”  

Alan also played for Ballincollig GAA all the way up from the Under-10 to the Under-16 age grade. “There was a team on the year, every year. But with the jump straight from Under-16 to minor (Under-18) there was fierce competition for places, and so I stopped playing for the club at that time.”

But it wasn’t just Gaelic games that Alan participated in. He played various sports for his post-primary school, Coláiste Choilm too. “When I was around 13 or 14, my parents bought me and my brothers pitch and putt clubs for Christmas and I took to it instantly. We became a bit obsessed with it; it was like a drug.” What helped was that Lakewood Pitch and Putt Club was located nearby – a facility founded in 1973 for the employees of Johnny Woods Sand and Gravel and is still in existence today.  

“Every morning during the summer, we would hop on our bikes at about 10, play three or four rounds and cycle home for dinner. And then go back in the evening to play another couple of rounds. Lakewood is and was a great club. A load of us juveniles started there around the same time, thanks to local couple, Jim and Rene O’Shea. We became quite competitive as the years went on, playing in a number of county competitions and then, in my later teens in provincial and national competitions.” 

A modest man, Alan was eventually persuaded to share some of his pitch and putt successes. “I represented Cork at juvenile level and adult level. A team of five of us, including three from Lakewood, won the All-Ireland in Carlow in my last year at juvenile level when I was 16. Me and my brother Tom, the Deputy Principal in Skibbereen Community School, played off scratch (a 0 handicap) at juvenile and straight through to senior.”

Having just turned 17 when he sat his leaving Cert., Alan spent three years at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, completing a B.Ed. in Primary Teaching. It was during this period that he had most success at the senior pitch and putt level. Also, it was during this time that he started playing hurling again with the college teams. One of the people who convinced Alan to come out of retirement was fellow student and housemate at the time, Pat Ahern – the current Principal of Gaelscoil Mhichíl Uí Choileáin, Clonakilty.

“Eamonn Cregan, the Limerick hurling legend, was training us and we had some inter county players like Brian Cuthbert from Cork and Fergal Hegarty from Clare. I played in goals and Pat (Ahern) played wingback. Current Principal of Carriboy National School in Durrus, Mike Cronin, was cornerback. We won the Division 3 league and championship and lost in the semi-final of the Ryan Cup in ‘95.”

Alan’s return to his mother’s homeplace was, as he put it, “a pure fluke”. After a brief stint as a primary teacher on Coachford, in 1996 Alan’s relations spotted a teaching post advertised in Skibbereen BNS and encouraged him to go for it. “I had a motorbike at the time. So, I came down the road for the interview. As I was taking off my leggings off back home, I got a phone call from the chairperson offering me the job. I was only 20 at the time and have been here since.”

“I lived with my Aunt, Kay Murphy, when I moved down, and apart from a few relations, I didn’t really know anybody. So, that’s when I decided to join O’Donovan Rossa GAA club. I played Under-21 football and hurling in 1997. I continued practicing my pitch and putt and travelling to the city at weekends for a couple of years, but I was really enjoying hurling with the club, so that became my main sport since then. We trained twice a week and went to the pub after. It was great way of fitting into the community, particularly with people around my own age. I had never played outfield ‘til I played for O’Donovan Rossa. I started coaching underage teams there around that time too.”

Alan has been teaching in St. Patrick’s BNS for the past 24 years and become Principal in more recent years. “In 2015 the junior and senior schools amalgamated. At present there are 213 pupils registered in the school. We have eight mainstream classes from junior infants to sixth class. In 2001, we opened our first class for children with autism. We now have three ASD classes – an Early Intervention Class, a Junior ASD Class and a Senior ASD class. The children attending these classes come from the West Cork area.”

“Sport plays an important role in our schools, including for pupils with autism. We play a wide variety games, through PE and other individual and teams sports. Having access to Skibbereen Sports Centre nearly is a great advantage. The Parents’ Association also fundraise, and we bring all classes, except the infant classes, to Dunmanway swimming pool by bus for six weeks every year.” 

“For a rural town, Skibbereen has so many sports for young people – watersports, swimming, rugby, Gaelic games, soccer, kickboxing, basketball, road bowling, badminton, athletics, gymnastics, rowing and more. There are strong links between local clubs and the school, such as coaching being provided by the local GAA, rugby and rowing clubs. I really believe that that there is a sport for every child, even for those that aren’t as interested in or skillful at the mainstream sports. However, it is worrying the number of children – there are a few in every class – that don’t play any sport and aren’t physically active. Computer games and instant TV pose a particular challenge in this regard.”

And it’s not just in school that Alan promotes sport and physical activity. Alan has been volunteering as a coach in O’Donovan Rossa for a long number of years. This includes running a nursery to introduce children to hurling. “I have never coached beyond Under-12. I see myself as a big fishing net, as most people know me through the school. We get children subsidised hurleys and helmets and teach them the fundamental skills, especially the grip. We try to keep it fun and non-competitive. We pull from three neighbouring clubs and have camogie going as well now.” With two boys of his own, Alan has also dabbled in some coaching and administration in Skibbereen Rugby club and the local golf club in recent years.

And on top of this busy coaching schedule, Alan still finds time for playing. “I’m gone back into goals with the O’Donovan Rossa Junior B team. I love taking the frees and penalties. For our first league match last year, I was only the fourth oldest on the team in my mid-forties. Age is not our friend but is great craic. It’s a bit like the soccer a gang of us play on Friday nights.”

Alan also went back playing more golf last year, now as a full member of the local club. Given his pitch and putt prowess, his handicap was sure to be impressive. He eventually disclosed that he is playing off 5. “I love playing the odd game, even though I struggle with my putting.”

Alan has a particularly strong lifelong participation in sport; after a busy week in school dealing with children and parents, he still continues to give so much of himself to the community.

“Well, firstly I like to challenge myself,” he shares. “The thing I love about golf is that it’s me against me. I’m not trying to compete with anyone else. It’s good to clear my head and socially too. Although, I’m just as happy to go and play on my own. I get a buzz out of a good shot.”

“The fun with the group in hurling down the pitch is great and I love a tight, competitive game. And maybe taking an important free – I just love it.”

“When it comes to coaching hurling, I want to make sure that every child has a positive introduction and feel it’s important that every child had the right size hurley and has the basic skills. I can be coaching for two and a half hours on an evening and sometimes don’t have the energy for it. But when I’m doing it, I love it.”

“I also feel obliged to play sport and give back to the community. Loyalty is important to me. I hate leaving people down and so I’ll turn up even when I don’t feel like it. As well as children having fun and being active, I want to ensure that children and respecting the game and each other. I feel very strongly about children getting the right start in life and a positive experience in sport can help this.

“I think it all goes back to my childhood in the sense of fairness shown to us by my parents. I hold empathy as the highest value of them all, trying to put yourself in other people’s shoes. If you’ve empathy, then you’ll have loyalty and honesty. Sport, as well as the education, can help instill these values and set children up for the challenges they will face in the future.”

Enya Breen is a high performer, both on and off the pitch. At 21-years-old, the West Cork native already has a number of full Munster and Ireland rugby caps and is completing a physiotherapy degree at the University of Limerick (UL). 

Enya has a lifelong passion for sport. Earliest memories include playing various ball games her five siblings. “As soon as I could walk, I had a football or camogie stick in my hands most days in the green across from the house or in Shamrock GAA club in Shanbally near Cork city. I started playing rugby in the Carrigaline club with my brother’s team from about the age of eight for a couple of years. We moved to Castletownsend when I was about 10, but I continued playing with them for another year after that.” It’s clear that Enya was dedicated to her sport, even during her formative years.

“I played lots of [Gaelic] football in Castletownsend National School and with the O’Donovan Rossa club. There wasn’t much access to Camogie, unfortunately, in West Cork at the time. I attended Mercy Heights post-primary school in Skibbereen, where I mostly played football and basketball.”

“I’d say I was kind of a teacher’s nightmare at times because I made myself part of every possible team I could have been in. I missed so many classes. I’ve an All-Ireland table tennis medal, badminton medal and participated in many other things. Once it got me out of class, put me on a bus and I was ready to go.”

“I just loved the freedom that came from playing sports and the ability to express myself. Sport has helped me build confidence in myself and social skills that I use day-to-day outside of sport. Growing up, it was just about a load of kids having fun. Really that’s what it was. I started off having fun and I still try to keep it as enjoyable as possible, even to this day.”

Enya’s family is steeped in sport. Her father, Ian, was match-of-the-match, as part of O’Donovan Rossa 1993 All-Ireland senior club football final win, and played rugby for Douglas. Her uncles on the O’Mahony side had lifelong involvement in hurling, with their father, John, being chairman of the St. Vincent’s club in Cork for a number of years. But it was her mother, Catherine, that acted upon an advert she spotted in a local newspaper, which proved to be pivotal in the development of Enya’s rugby career.

Bantry Bay RFU had started a girls’ team when Enya was around 14-years-of-age. It didn’t take much convincing for her to check it out, nor for her parents to make the 70 to 80-minute round-trip. And with local friends, including classmate Claire Coombes (sister of Munster star, Gavin) also joining, it made the experience all the more meaningful. “As we moved to under-18, we had some girls who represented Munster. We also won the Munster league, cup and 7s [7-a-side] competitions around that time. For a newly formed, small club in West Cork, it was showing real promise. West Cork has a great rugby tradition, of course, with a club in most towns, which helps, but mostly men’s rugby.”

Despite showing prowess in a number of sports, it has been rugby that Enya has advanced most in. In recent seasons, she has progressed all the way through the IRFU Player Pathway, starting with Munster Under-18s and Ireland Under-18 7s teams. Enya also thrived in club competitions and received the Women’s All-Ireland League (AIL) Rising Star award with UL Bohemian in the 2018/19 season. Now a regular starter with Munster and Ireland, she made her senior international debut against France in the 2019 Women’s Six Nations championship, playing in the centre position.

When asked what in particular has sustained her involvement in rugby, Enya notes that “it just captured my interest from day one. One particular day that stands out for me when I was quite young was when the pitch was destroyed. I think it had been raining a lot and, after training, we just started doing mud-slides down the pitch. My parents had to buy bin bags and line the car seats. I think the physical contact element of rugby must suit me. And with the success I was getting from it, it was naturally the one that I chose.”

“Playing with the boys team and my older siblings growing up helped me prepare for the physical element of game. The boys didn’t show me any mercy and, so, you just have to get stuck in and get on with it. I had to learn to deal with the onslaughts. This is the same approach I took when stepping up from Under-18 to senior teams. Playing other sports, especially basketball and football, helped me build my skills.”

Enya was 15-years-of-age when first spotted by Munster rugby and was selected for Under-18 development squad for three consecutive years. On her second year, she made the Irish Under-18 7s who played in the European championships and made this squad the following year too. “ I was still in school throughout all this. I continued playing basketball with Skibbereen Community School, until I finished there, doing my Leaving Cert. The last game of football I played was in 2018 for the victorious O’Donovan Rossa team against Castlehaven, ironically, in the county junior football final replay. Straight after Under-18, I was selected for the Munster senior team. And then the Irish senior teams after my first season with Munster. This is when it started getting more serious and became my sole focus.”

Enya transferred to the UL Bohemians club in Limerick when she started as a student in UL. During her first year, she played a number of intervarsity games and AIL games concurrently. “Since breaking into the Munster and Ireland teams, I have had to get cleared by management to play in the college games, which is a bit disappointing but I can see the great cause behind it. I am still a very active member of the club off the pitch.” 

“In terms of a playing season with Munster, it’s the same as it was underage. It’s just one interprovincial competition. Last year that increased to five games, so we play a round-robin tournament and then there’s a semi-final and final, all played at the end of August and September. From then on, we can play with our to an extent, in as much as the international schedule allows. Most of our national team training camps would be at weekends, which limits the amount we can be involved with the club. While we train with the club during the week, we only play a handful of games in the year. But like missing the college games, I understand why it needs to be this way.”

“Around 6 Nations time, we’d have an international training camp or match-day camp every weekend. October and November would be the other intense period, where we’d be at training camps every weekend in Dublin. A typical week in January, for example, would involve a Monday off where I catch up on study or do some recovery work. On Tuesday we’d be in the gym in UL. And then on Wednesdays we’d either have a running session to do, or else we could go club training and then on Thursdays we would be off to recover before we’re in camp on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

This demanding training and game schedule hasn’t affected Enya’s performance off the pitch, as she is now in her final year of her degree programme. “I think sport helps me to be honest. It gives me a bit of a break from all the study and makes me manage my time a bit better, instead of lazing around and avoiding everything. Once I have the time to do something, I just to get it done.” 

Like many others, Enya has found the transition to online classes challenging with the onset of Covid-19. “I’ve just finished a 10-week physiotherapy placement in the University Hospital Limerick and all classes have been online in recent weeks. I find that environment a bit difficult. I’m more of a practical learner and there are too many distractions at home.”

There is little doubt that an elite athlete reaches that level without the right support and influence and Enya is acutely aware of this. “I was a huge Ronan O’Gara fan growing up. In terms of coaching Damien Hicks in Bantry and Denis Stevenson and Ben Martin with Munster have been very supportive throughout my player pathway journey. They played at high levels themselves and have mentored me along the way. I couldn’t thank them enough for the positive influence they have had on my career. 

Having dedicated much of her life to sport, Enya reflects on what it all means to her. “Sport has provided me with an environment where I can be myself and it has helped me to figure out who I want to be off the pitch as well. It has given me the skills to communicate better, be a good leader, and opportunities to continually improve myself. I really want to see if I can achieve the goals I have set myself and make it to the highest level of rugby. I really love the game. Ultimately, sport has given me lots of friends and allows me to enjoy myself, both as a player and person.” 

“The plan over the next few months is to prepare for and play the 6 Nations in February, qualify for the World Cup, while trying to graduate at the same time. Hopefully, I’ll get a seat on the plane to New Zealand to play in the World Cup against the very best players. In the coming years, I’d love to play rugby as a full-time professional.”

Enya shows no signs of slowing down. In a rugby context, her natural talent, the right environments and access while growing up, have all been critical factors of this success. What seems to underpin it all is a deep determination, work ethic and sheer love of playing with others – all the while being humble. If young people in West Cork and beyond are looking for a role model, they couldn’t do much better than Enya! 

With a demanding job, taking on a doctoral degree is not for the fainthearted. In this article, I share my experiences of balancing both. I completed a master’s degree in 2012 and I am around halfway through a Doctor of Management (D. Man.) programme at Glasgow Caledonian University. I’m studying this on a part-time basis and via distance learning. 

My reasons for pursuing postgraduate education are many and varied. Some of the extrinsic motivators include career progression, underpinned by the development of my research skills, analytical skills and my critical thinking. However, the reasons run much deeper than this, particularly on top of a demanding full-time job and family commitments.

What follows is some key advice for those who may be considering pursuing a doctoral degree, particularly while working simultaneously. 

Consider the type of Doctoral degree

Until a colleague mentioned a Professional Doctorate (Prof. D.) a few years ago, I didn’t know they existed. I thought that the only type of doctoral degree was a Ph. D. (Doctor of Philosophy). Both have equal status – level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications (QQI). There are a few keenly disputed differences between the two. Prof. D. research tends to place more emphasis on contributing to professional practice. Ph. D. research tends to focus more on contributing to new or existing theory. These are generalisations, however.

Most doctoral degrees take around three years to complete on a full-time basis, and four-to-six years part time. There are different types on Ph. D’s: Structured Ph.D., Ph. D. by Publication etc. There are also different types of Prof D’s, e.g., Doctor of Education (EdD), Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A) etc. Some programmes run entirely online and more to follow as a result Covid-19. 

Choose a programme that fits your life

If you can afford to do a full-time doctoral degree, more power to you. Those that continue to work simultaneously will do it on a part-time basis. Many Ed. D. and D.B.A. programmes are designed to facilitate this. My D. Man. programme, for example, involved five one-week teaching blocks every four-to-six months on campus for the first two years. This made up Phase 1, the taught element of the programme, which focused on professional development, research methods and thesis preparation. It involved a number of written assignments, ranging from 1,000 to 8,000 words each. This structure would be typical of many Irish and UK-based Prof. D’s.

Phase 1 allowed sufficient time to sharpen your skills in order to conduct doctoral-level research and to build up the concept for your thesis. Often, this is not the case with PhDs, where you are expected to have a clear concept of your research question from the off.

Another advantage of many Prof. D’s is that you can exit with a master’s degree after Phase 1. Phase 2 involves two-to-three years of conducting research and writing the thesis, which ranges from 40,000 to 80,000 words. A Ph. D. thesis is usually around 100,000 words. After submitting your thesis, you do a final examination called your viva voce, which is an oral defence of your thesis.

Shop around as tuition fees vary

Many programmes in Ireland and the UK will charge between €5,000 and €7,000 per annum, which can rise slightly each year. Some of the more ‘prestigious’ programmes can charge multiples of this. One programme I looked at in the UK was almost €50,000 over four years; that was the end of that conversation!

Establish the quality of the programme

I spent two years trying to find the right programme through online searches, email correspondence and the occasional phone call. The international dimension excited me. I’d say I have researched every business and management professional doctorate programme in the world run through English. It is important to check the accreditation of the programme and that it aligns to Level 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications (QQI), or its international equivalent. Many well-established universities and colleges may take slight offence if you asked them for their accreditation credentials. However, there are some private companies who offer doctoral degrees with questionable accreditation. Warning signs include things like the ability to complete the doctorate in two years and a thesis requirement of around 10,000 words.

Suss out the culture of the programme

A major factor that influenced my decision to apply to GCU was the vibe I got from the staff over email and telephone. I had prompt and thorough responses to my enquiries. I can’t say the same about similar attempts to correspond with other institutions. GCU’s commitment to its mission as the ‘University for the Common Good’ is something that attracted me. I have to say that, so far, it has lived up to my expectations. While the School for Business and Society strives for excellence, the culture is not stuffy and elitist. The staff are highly professional and the atmosphere on campus is friendly and relaxed. It’s an inspirational learning environment.

Another dimension to the programme at GCU is the social support from the class. There is a mix of students from different strands, including health, engineering and education. I first thought that amalgamating these strands was a money-saving mechanism. Maybe it is. In any case, I wouldn’t change it. The range of nationalities, cultures and professional expertise is a catalyst for stimulating critical discussion. We have a WhatsApp group and it’s good for sharing information, ideas and concerns. It comes to life around the time an assignment is due. At doctoral level, you have little choice but to immerse yourself in your research. Despite wanting to talk about it, it can be difficult to find somebody who is willing to listen. Understandably, most of your family and friends have no interest in the difference between positivist and interpretivist paradigms, for example. The class meet for dinner when we’re on campus in Glasgow. I have made some good friends there. Many doctoral students don’t have this peer group support.

Although it will be your name on the parchment on completion, you will not reach that point on your own. Completing a doctoral degree is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have, however, getting there can be an isolating pursuit, especially when you’re doing it on top of a full-time job. Support from those closest to you is vital. Before and during this journey, it is imperative that you talk through what is takes to be a doctoral student with them. Their understanding in this regard is necessary. Ultimately, you’ll have less time to spend with them; although, it does make me appreciate how precious my time is with loved ones even more! It is also important to have the support of your employer. My job will always take precedence over my studies.

Think deeply about why

The most crucial question when considering embarking upon a doctoral degree is ‘Why?’. When I thought about it, the first thing I realised was that I could. I have the health, the will and the energy. I’m lucky to have grown up in a country that has facilitated my education and now provides me with access to the appropriate infrastructure. This may sound obvious, but accessing such supports is far more challenging for some of my classmates from socio-economically-disadvantaged countries. Another reason is that I have been a management practitioner for over a decade and a doctoral degree should help to progress my career.

The most significant motivation for me in pursuing this degree is that it feels right, at my most deep, intrinsic level. This feeling is very difficult to describe. I continually desire to be a better person and to live a fulfilling life. I thrive on facilitating the development of others and believe that you can’t do this unless you consistently develop yourself. The D. Man. complements my ongoing learning through my job. A small part of me will enjoy having the letters after my name and knowing that this degree should, in some way, bolster my professional credibility. However, if your reasons for doing a doctoral degree are mostly based on superficial and extrinsic motivations, I would say that it may not be for you. It is a profound commitment, which has strong potential to be life changing. It forces you to be honest with yourself and, as a doctoral student, you must have the courage to live this honesty to both endure and enjoy the journey.

Too many adults I have encountered over the years have a fear of Higher Education (HE) – even among those that have a strong desire to learn and develop themselves and their careers. There appears to be an apathy or even a dislike towards HE among many Irish adults. 

Could it be that indifferent views of HE are influenced by experiences of some form of rejection in the HE system? Maybe not getting the required Leaving Cert. points, dropping out of a course or not being in a preferred course or college. Additionally, feelings of inadequacy have been handed down from previous generations, when access to HE was generally reserved for the affluent, those in the clergy or for the few who attained exceptional Leaving Cert. results. 

Thankfully, access to HE in Ireland has vastly improved in many ways. There are now considerably more course types and levels, places and access routes: see my article in last month’s edition. Although there are some cracks in Ireland’s HE system, like our health system it is fundamentally world class. Despite such advancements, the Irish HE system and that of the EU – programmes that we have full and equal access to – remain underappreciated and engaged with, particularly among adults in Ireland in their 30s/40s-plus.    

A HE qualification in itself is no guarantee of getting your dream job or changing your life for the better. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and their programmes are about much more than preparing students for future roles in the workplace. Finding the right programme can be a catalyst for both personal and career development. This can be particularly the case for people in their 30s/40s-plus, who pursue the right postgraduate programme. 

HEIs in Ireland offer a wide variety of postgraduate courses. Increasingly these are structured in a flexible way to accommodate students who may already have major life commitments. Part of the government’s ‘National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030’ is to engage with the wider community. More and more courses are being delivered in blended or fully online ways. With the onset of Covid-19, this trend is likely to continue. Full-time postgraduate courses delivered face-to-face on campus are decreasing. What’s also changing is the way you access these courses.

For many postgraduate courses, the main entry requirement is a minimum of an upper second-class honour’s degree (NFQ/QQI Level 8). However, applicants who do not hold an honours degree can often be considered on a case-by-case basis. These applicants should have significant relevant work experience and involvement in the discipline. This generally means that if you have a leaving certificate or equivalent and professional experience, you can get access to a postgraduate programme. Your life experience and volunteering achievements are often taken into consideration too.

This is significant for many people who think that you need an undergraduate degree as a prerequisite for postgraduate study. For those who feel that they may not have the academic capacity to get through such a postgraduate programme, it is important to note that many programmes are designed and delivered with that in mind. Courses are generally broken up into a number of modules with ongoing assessment (e.g. written assignment and presentations). Big, written exams have become less prevalent at postgraduate level.  

It is also important to point out that there are many specialised postgraduate programmes that cannot be accessed by related experienced alone. If unsure, the best thing to do is to read the programme webpages and get in touch with the programme director to arrange a meeting, maybe by phone or video call. It is part of their job to liaise with people enquiring about the programme, especially potential course participants. If you are not eligible to apply on this occasion, you can seek advice on what you could do to become eligible, perhaps doing a particular short course or gaining work or voluntary experience in a specific area.

One thing that may be worth considering is the level that the postgraduate programme is at, e.g. higher diploma, postgraduate certificate (NFQ/QQI Level 8), postgraduate diploma or master’s (NFQ/QQI Level 9). It may also be worth checking if your course of interest offers an exit award, in case you do not complete it as intended, i.e., that you can exit with a postgraduate certificate or diploma from a master’s programme on completion of certain modules. Postgraduate courses/programmes usually take between a year and two years to complete.     

What follows are brief stories from three West Cork-based people, each from a different background, who completed postgraduate programmes in their 30s/40s in recent years. Daragh’s story is inspirational in that he has no undergraduate degree. He completed a master’s degree in Business Studies (MBS) in 2018 via the Irish Management Institute (IMI) and University College Cork. Starting in a local bank branch, he worked his way to hold senior leadership roles in Bank of Ireland Wealth, and then in Johnson and Johnson. Recently, Daragh joined the team in the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, with responsibility for leading rural remote job creation.

Daragh Whooley, Clonakilty

Not going to college straight from school was never something I was embarrassed about. I never felt I had to explain why. The bank came calling and I started my career. “A job for life” was what I was told at the time. I worked hard, gave everything I had and moved up through the ranks. As I progressed to senior management roles, I felt that a piece of my personal jigsaw may have been missing.

I am intrigued by why people do what they do and what makes the best the best. Why does one person want to excel more than the other? What motivates them? Is it intrinsic or extrinsic? These questions are some of the drivers that keep me searching for ways to continue to improve. 

A colleague of mine shared a prospectus for a master’s programme at IMI and UCC. I read it through in detail and took the plunge! As a mature student, I had a deeper insight from my life experience to help me choose what subjects were right for me. As an 18-year-old, I hadn’t a clue.

My studies involved three days every month over a two-year period. I drove a round trip of 650km from Clonakilty to the IMI, Sandyford, Dublin. I handed in my monthly assignments, attended my lectures on site, took copious notes and applied my learning practically. I was blown away by the depth and delivery by presenters! On top of this I held down a busy job as Provincial Manager in Munster for Bank of Ireland Wealth and was acutely aware of not dropping the ball here, which thankfully didn’t happen.

If advising any potential mature postgraduate student; it is to do something that you are really interested in, be very disciplined, set aside time every week to get your work done, join study groups (invaluable!) and reach out to programme facilitators for some guidance.

This master’s has given me extra confidence in my own self-taught ability and perspective of the bigger picture. It has clarified that every individual and organisation has the same day-to-day challenges and it has given me lifelong friends and connections across many different sectors. I was very fortunate to have a supportive employer throughout and wonderful support from my family, which made this happen. If you are considering returning to or starting third-level education later in life, it is a big yes from me.

Susan O’Regan, Baltimore

Looking back, I wasn’t sure of what I wanted at Leaving Cert stage, so I initially completed a two-year business studies course at CIT. I returned in my early 20s, completing an honours degree in Social Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, followed by a H. Dip. in Community and Youth Work at N.U.I., Maynooth in 1998. This led me to a wonderful and exciting twenty-year career working alongside the Traveller community, young people, rural, and urban communities and in the area of family support and adult education.

I can honestly say that it was never my plan to return to third-level education in my mid-forties! I was not ambitious in any sense and thought that my formal education was done.  I had always loved my work as a youth and community worker and felt so fortunate to have already achieved my degrees.

Yet, in September 2015, I found myself stepping off a little commuter bus, a few miles from the Scottish town of Lockerbie, surrounded by rolling landscape and walked, with some trepidation, up the laneway towards the Buddhist Monastery Samye Ling, for my first weekend of a three year M. Sc. in Mindfulness Studies – a three-year programme run by Aberdeen University in partnership with the Mindfulness Association. I have never once looked back.

I chose this programme as it places huge focus on compassion-based mindfulness, which fits well with youth and community work. I also wanted to immerse myself more fully in mindfulness over a long period of time in order to deepen my understanding of it and enhance my sense of integrity in teaching it. The academic requirements were sometimes challenging but, thankfully, mindfulness itself is an incredible study aid, which kept me focused and steady throughout.

This deeply experiential programme changed everything for me, both personally and professionally. I never imagined the doors it would open. I continue to work in the community, teaching mindfulness skills to groups like the Irish Wheelchair Association and Cork Deaf Association tinnitus support group, as well as a wide variety of groups in school, community and adult education settings. I also train staff teams for companies and local authorities, run mindfulness retreats, workshops, online classes and have this year launched my own website, mindhaven.ie. It feels like I am only beginning, and I am very grateful that I followed my gut instinct and returned to higher education.  For me, education represents freedom and is most definitely a lifelong process, as is mindfulness.  

Sandra Flynn, Skibbereen

Like many people, I undertook my master’s degree when I was in my 30s. It was a part-time distance-learning programme at the Centre for Project Management, University of Limerick (UL). In those days, a courier would turn up at the start of the semester with a box of books and materials. As it happened, I never really left postgraduate education after that. After graduating from this programme, I began to tutor on it and supervise research students in the years that followed.

I still worked full-time in an industry role practicing project and programme management, while teaching part-time. In 2017, I decided to leave industry to focus on my teaching career and, more importantly, to pursue a lifelong learning goal of a PhD in education. It took a while before I found the PhD programme that I’m currently enrolled in at Lancaster University. In that time, I completed a postgraduate certificate online in Digital Education at Edinburgh University – a fully online programme. It was hugely valuable as, in addition to the interesting coursework, I made new friends among my peers and learned so much about what it is like to be a successful online learner – particularly having been an online teacher at UL for a number of years. I can safely say that I am a better teacher because of my experiences of being a student.

It was a huge adjustment to no longer have to juggle full-time work, part-time teaching and part-time studying. In my industry role, my working week would start at 7am on a Monday and not finish until 7pm on a Friday. I have to say that I am now loving the balance in having a little more time for my volunteering activities, as well as my PhD studies. My advice to anyone thinking about undertaking a postgraduate programme in mid-life is simply, you’re never too old and it’s never too late.

It is all the more strange this year because of COVID-19 – no Leaving Certificate exams, teacher- calculated grades and the uncertainty of how, or even if, courses will function. Will courses run in a face-to-face, online or blended way? Will students have to pay for accommodation or stay at home? Is the internet speed (if you have access) strong enough to participate in online classes?

The process of accessing and commencing such courses can be an exhilarating experience. It can, however, also be a stressful and confusing time for many young adults and their loved ones, as it can be for older adults returning to education or training. Too often over the years, I have witnessed people making major life decisions and changes in this regard without understanding the underlying further/higher education and training systems. A basic appreciation is helpful in accessing and progressing through suitable further/higher education or training programmes. 

Not having a further/higher qualification beyond post-primary school can profoundly limit many people’s long-term employment capacity, their standard of employment and their quality of life. There are many exceptions to this, of course. Some of the best and most skillful workers and entrepreneurs do not have such qualifications. Take for example, Tipperary natives, the Collison brothers. Neither of these billionaire owners of major tech company, Stripe, finished college. The current Director General of the Health Service Executive, Paul Reid, left post-primary school at 16 years of age with an Intermediate Certificate – the previous version of the Junior Certificate. Some of the most capable and erudite people I know have little or no formal education – particularly of my parents’ generation. For the vast majority, a further/higher education or training qualification is a critical factor, which influences their prospects. This is even the case where the individual does not end up working in the field that they qualified in, which is common. Some qualifications are specifically required (e.g. Electrician, Childcare Assistant, Solicitor etc.), but most job applications just require a certain level of further/higher qualification or award to be considered for the position, regardless of the specialisation.  

What follows is a basic outline of the Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE) systems in Ireland for those who are intending to or who have recently accessed full-time education or training. Note that some of the descriptions are basic, to cater for varying levels of knowledge. This might help students and parents to demystify some relevant elements of the further/education and training systems in Ireland, with particular reference to Cork. This includes an attempt to clarify the plethora of abbreviations in this space. 

QQI & NFQ: FET and HE courses are often described on education provider websites as being at a certain QQI or NFQ Level. All FET and HE courses that run in Ireland are approved by the Quality and Qualifications (QQI) Ireland. Established in 2012, QQI is an independent state agency responsible for promoting quality and accountability in education and training services in Ireland. QQI is an amalgamation of the previously operational Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC); the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC); the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI).

Central to QQI’s role is to promote, maintain and develop the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), a 10-level framework for the development, recognition and awarding of qualifications in Ireland. It is a single national entity through which all learning achievements may be measured and related to each other. Underpinned by quality assurance principles, the Irish NFQ describes qualifications in the Irish education and training system and sets out what each qualification says about what learners know, understand and are able to do. It also sets out qualification pathways from one NFQ level to the next. For more, see qqi.ie.

Further Education and Training: FET occurs after post-primary school but is not part of the Higher Educations (HE) system. FET is an addition the second-level education system. HE refers to the third-level education system. 

Cork Education and Training (ETB) board is one of 16 ETBs established by the government in 2013. A major function of Cork ETB – formerly Cork Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) and FÁS – is the provision of education and training services to adults in a variety of settings across the county.

Full-time learning opportunities include Post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses, apprenticeships, traineeships, specific skills training, Youthreach, local training initiatives and the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS). Cork ETB has four stand-alone Colleges of Further Education (PLC Colleges): Cork College of Commerce (CCC), St. John’s College, CSN College of Further Education Mallow College of Further Education. Courses run in other settings throughout the county, such as the CCC Skibbereen campus.

Prospective students apply directly to the individual education provider. Entry requirements generally include passing Leaving Certificate subjects, the Leaving Certificate Applied or a relevant QQI Level 4 programme. Mature students (see section below) are usually exempt from the Leaving Certificate requirement. Normally, all applicants are interviewed. Offers of course places are generally contingent on the applicant meeting the entry requirements and satisfactory performance at interview.

The Higher Education Links Scheme (HELS) provides progression opportunities for learners who are interested in applying for Higher Education courses through the Central Applications Office (CAO). Learners can secure Level 5 or Level 6 QQI-FET major award by doing a PLC course and then using this qualification to apply for HE courses. HE or third level colleges reserve places each year for students applying via the PLC/FET route.  The simplest way to find and check progression routes for all PLC courses is using the search tools on careersportal.ie.

Higher Education: HE or third level education comprises of the university sector, the technological sector and the colleges of education, which receive substantial government funding. There are a number of independent private colleges, such as Griffith College Cork. All of these are all referred to as Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

Universities are autonomous and self-governing, such as University College Cork (UCC). They provide degree programmes at bachelor, masters and doctorate level – QQI levels 7 to 10 on the NFQ.

The technological sector includes institutes of technology (ITs) and technological universities (TUs), such as IT Tralee (ITT) and Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), which are amalgamating to become Munster Technological University in 2021. ITs and TUs provide programmes of education and training in areas such as business, science, engineering, linguistics and music to certificate, diploma and degree levels – QQI Levels 6 to 10 on the NFQ. Undergraduate bachelor degrees are at QQI Level 7 & 8 and postgraduate degrees are at Levels 8 to 10. 

The colleges of education specialise in training for primary school teachers. Training for post-primary teachers is provided by a variety of HEIs. In addition, there are colleges of education that specialise in the training of home economics teachers, teachers of religion and physical education teachers. Qualifax.ie provides detailed information on programmes for teacher training. 

The CAO processes applications for undergraduate courses in HEIs. Decisions on admissions to undergraduate courses are made by the HEIs who instruct CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Applicants are successful if they meet or exceed the points requirements sets by the HEI for the particular course/programme. An accumulation of points is awarded in respect of subjects completed by the students as part of the Leaving Certificate – usually by examinations but by teacher-calculated grades because of COVID-19 restrictions this year.  

Access Support Services: HEIs run various support services for all students and access services for under-represented groups. Entry requirements can be modified, and specific supports can be put in place to help current and future students. Some of these services include the following.

The UCC PLUS+ programme works with post-primary schools and seeks to target students and to provide motivational and educational assistance to them throughout their secondary schooling to enhance their ability to compete for third level places. Having achieved entry to the University UCC PLUS+ enables students to participate fully in student life and reach their full potential.

The CIT Access Service aims to widen participation by increasing access and supporting positive educational outcomes for underrepresented groups. The Service organises and delivers a range of pre-entry, entry and post-entry support initiatives.

The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) is a third level alternative admissions scheme for school-leavers with disabilities that negatively impacted upon their post-primary education. Also, the Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a college and university scheme that offers places on reduced points and more support services to school-leavers from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who are resident in the Republic of Ireland. For more on DARE and HEAR, see accesscollege.ie.

Mature Students: Many further/higher education and training providers reserve a small number of places for mature students, i.e., those that are at least 23 years of age on January 1 of the year you enter your course. Mature students compete for these places differently to those who are just leaving school. 

Generally, a Leaving Certificate is required, but entry requirements are often not the same as for those under 23 years of age. Most education and training providers and courses consider your life experience, your work history, community involvement and other achievements and interests. This system is known as the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) or Recognition by Prior Pearning Learning (RPL). It is recommended to establish whether potential further/higher education and training providers of choice use this method. In a minority of cases, mature student applicants may be asked to take an entrance exam. 

Mature students attending access or foundation courses that are on the Department of Education’s approved list of PLC courses may be eligible for funding under the Student Grant Scheme. Mature students completing a foundation or access programme in any other HEI would not be eligible for funding, as those courses are recognised as a second-level course for the Back to Education Allowance. For options around access programmes, check with your local/Cork ETB. 

For those who may consider the UK as a potential place of HE study, mature students are defined as those aged 21 or over at the start of their studies. Irish PLC qualifications and awards tend to carry a lot of weight by most UK colleges and universities and can sometimes make students eligible to enter year two or three of courses.

For those with qualifications from other European countries, QQI’s NQF is officially compatible with the European Higher Education Area Qualification Framework (QF-EHEA). Recognition advice on foreign (Europe and beyond) academic qualifications in the context of the NFQ is available via naric.ie.