About
My Journey
Chartered Physiotherapist, S&C Coach and former Monaghan senior footballer. Helping club GAA players access county-level coaching.
The Journey
From Club Player to County Panel
Growing Up on the Pitch
I've been playing football since I can remember. Growing up, I was okay. Never spectacular. I didn't get playing county minor and didn't really see myself becoming a great footballer. I was just another club player who loved the game.
DCU Changed Everything
I went to Dublin City University on a basketball scholarship, managed to get on the freshers football team and was playing senior football with my club. It was at DCU where I started to get proper coaching and proper strength and conditioning for the first time. That's when I really started to develop. I was a late developer, but I was finally developing.
Called Up to Monaghan
After a year and a half at DCU, I was called up to the Monaghan senior panel. A year later, I was offered a football scholarship at DCU. The lad who wasn't good enough for county minors was now training with the seniors.
I went on to win an Ulster title as part of the Monaghan GAA panel. I also continued playing senior football with my club, Carrickmacross Emmets.
Carrickmacross Emmets
Through it all, I kept playing senior football with my club. Carrickmacross was where it all started and where it all comes back to. Club football is the heartbeat of the GAA. It's where most players spend their careers, and it's the level I care most about.
Building the Knowledge
At DCU, I studied Sport Science and Health. After that, I left the Monaghan panel to study physiotherapy, where I got my Masters in Physiotherapy.
I also worked under former Irish rugby strength and conditioning coach Mike McGurn at Queen's University Belfast, completing an internship that shaped how I think about athletic development. From there, I earned my national certificates in strength and conditioning.
Why I Started O'Hanlon Performance
I set up O'Hanlon Performance for one reason: to help club GAA players access the same level of coaching that I was able to access at DCU. The coaching and S&C I received there is what transformed me from an average club player into a county footballer.
Most club players never get that. They train hard, they show up every night, but they don't have access to evidence-based speed and strength programming built for the demands of Gaelic football. That's the gap I'm filling. So that more players can reach their potential and hopefully become county players themselves.
Qualifications
The Credentials Behind the Coaching
BSc Sport Science & Health
Dublin City University
MSc Physiotherapy
Chartered Physiotherapist
National S&C Certificates
Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach
Internship under Mike McGurn
Former Irish Rugby S&C Coach, Queen's University Belfast
Ready to Train Like a County Player?
Get evidence-based speed and strength programming built for GAA — the same approach that took me from club player to county panel.