Our Athletes
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Sports Personalities
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Mal O KellyEx professional rugby playerStanding at 6'10, Mal O'Kelly is one of Ireland's most decorated rugby players. He has amassed 92 caps for Ireland, 181 for Leinster and played on the 2005 Lions tour (winning 5 caps) as well as for the Barbarians.
Currently working as business development manager for Line Up, Mal is also a qualified engineer and has a close partnership with brands like PM Group and Heineken. -
Jacqui HurleySports BroadcasterJacqui Hurley is an Irish athlete, sports manager and sports broadcaster currently employed by RTE. She has played at the highest level in the sports of basketball and camogie and has previously managed the Irish u16 women's basketball team. She can regularly be seen delivering sports bulletins on the 6.1 and 9 o'clock news aswell as the late sports update on RTE 2. Jacqui also co-presents Sunday Sport on RTE Radio One every Sunday from 2-6pm with Con Murphy.
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Keith GleesonEx professional rugby playerSydney based Keith retired in 2008, having played for Australia U21, NSW Waratahs, Leinster and Ireland. He won 27 caps for Ireland scoring 4 tries. He ammased 115 Leinster caps in his time there, becoming a fan favourite in the process.
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Girvan DempseyEx professional rugby playerRecently retired, Girvan has taken up the role of Elite player development with Leinster Rugby. He played with Leinster for his entire career, achieving 198 caps. He also represented Ireland 82 times, scoring 95 points.
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Mark PollockAdventure RacerFor the last decade, Mark has been racing in the world's harshest environments. He has survived the sub-zero temperatures of Antarctica as he raced to the South Pole over 43 days. He suffered the scorching heat of the Gobi Desert, completing six marathons in one week in "The Race of No Return".
What's different about Mark's perspective on these challenges is that he competes in a world of total darkness. For the last decade, Mark Pollock has been blind.
Mark is a professional adventure athlete as well as a public and motivational speaker. -
Bernard DunneBoxerOne of Ireland's few World Champions, Dunne has a glittering career with 30 fights and 28 wins, including 15 by knock out. He has the honour of being a European Champion, as well as WBA World Super Bantam Weight title holder. He won this title when he beat Cordoba on the same night that Ireland won their first grand slam in 60 years!
Now retired, Bernard has just published his book, "My Story", shortlisted for the Irish Sports book of the year award. Dunne now plans to pursue a career in media and TV and is a regular contributor on RTE and Newstalk radio. -
CAPT Mick LiddySailingMick has worked as a Search and Rescue helicopter pilot for seven years, amassing 150 Rescues and Air Ambulance calls, and now trains other pilots to do the same as a flight Instructor.
Mick has recently spent time flying the Garda Air Support Helicopter and served with the UN in Liberia and Sierra Leone.He has also flown politicians and heads of state as part of his government service duties.
On the water, Capt Liddy has received even more plaudits. As one of Ireland’s most accomplished amateur offshore yachtsmen, he has held two World Sailing Records, including the record for the fastest solo sailing time around Ireland, and won the Double-handed Round Britain and Ireland race in 2006.
He added a win in the Maxi World Championships in 2009, one of his many successful appearances for Ireland on the international yachting stage.
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Rugby
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Rob KearneyProfessional Rugby PlayerRob made his RBS 6 Nations debut against Italy in February 2008 and went on to win caps in each of the games, turning in some eye catching performances. The 08/09 season saw his star continue to rise. His coolness under a high ball and counter attacking pace lead to a regular starting position for Kearney at full back for both Leinster and Ireland. Rob helped Ireland secure their first Grand Slam in 61 years and Leinster win their first Heineken Cup in the clubs history. 2009 also saw Kearney get a place in the 2009 Lions squad.
In November 2010 Kearney injured his knee in the Autumn Internationals, an injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Rob bounced back from his long spell on the sidelines with an inclusion in Ireland’s 2011 World Cup Squad and in 2012 was awarded the Leinster Player of the Year.
At the age of 26, Rob has played 119 times for Leinster and has 38 caps for Ireland.
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Leo CullenRugby PlayerWicklow born Leo, was educated at Blackrock College and is currently the captain of the Leinster Rugby team. He previously played with Leicester Tigers achieving 56 appearances and captaining the team and winning the English premiership and EDF cup. Leo returned to Leinster in 2007 and captained Leinster to the 2009 & 2011 Heineken Cup win and now has 171 caps for his province .
Leo made his Irish debut in 2002 against the All Blacks and was a member of the 2011 World Cup Squad. Leo has 33 caps to date.
Leo is also taking his professional ACCA exams through Dublin Business School whilst continuing his rugby career. -
Fergus McFaddenProfessional Rugby PlayerMcFadden, aged 25 originally from Kildare and educated in Clongowes Wood College, Fergus has played 71 times for Leinster, scoring 278 points. Fergus featured in the Irish team for the RWC 2011 all Six nations games in 2012, and now has played 11 tests and scored 3 tries . Fergus was also a member of the 2011 World Cup Squad and made his world cup debut in New Zealand against Russia scoring a try for Ireland. Fergus can play at 11/12/13/14 and is a formidable place kicker.
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Mike RossRugby Player31 Year Old Mike Ross arrived in Leinster at the start of the 2009-10 season after spending a successful spell with London with Harlequins where he was a regular in the Premiership team.
A powerful scrummager, Mike was part of the Ireland ‘A’ team who competed in the 2007 and 2008 Churchill Cup. He signed for Harlequins from Cork Constitution/Munster at the end of the 2005/6 season and quickly established himself as a regular in the first team.
Since then Mike has become a stalwart in both Leinster and Ireland set-ups confirming his status as a world-class player. Mike was part of the 2011 World Cup Squad.
Mike has made 64 appearances for Leinster and has 20 caps for Ireland.
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David KearneyProfessional Rugby PlayerDavid, younger brother of Rob, is currently playing with Leinster. Aged 23, he has played for the Irish Schools, Leinster A, has 35 caps for the senior team and was selected in the Six Nations Squad 2012 and featured on the bench V Scotland! The promising fullback/wing stands at 1.80 and plays his club rugby with Lansdowne.
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Surfing
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Fergal SmithSurferMayo Native Fergal Smith is one of the most photographed surfers in Europe. He is pioneering in big wave surfing, discovering big previously un surfable waves in Ireland and all over the planet. Teamed up with Tom Lowe and Mickey Smith, they have produced some of the most impressive surfing footage ever seen in Ireland. Fergal is sponsored by Burton Group (Gravis & Element) as well as C-Skins. His goal is to become one of the greatest big wave surfers on the planet!
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Easkey BrittonSurferEaskey has surfing in her blood. She comes from Ireland's first surfing family and grew up in Rossnowlagh surfing with her sister Becky-Finn. Her Dad, Barry Britton, and his brothers were the pioneers of Irish surfing beginning when Easkey's Grandmother returned from California in the 60's with two malibu boards for her hotel. Fortunately her boys had other ideas, rescued the boards & learned to surf!
Easkey is following in their footsteps. Her Mum and Dad taught her to surf when she was 5 years old and her life has revolved around surfing ever since.
Easkey lives up to her namesake wave, the famous west coast break which can be translated to a 'fish' in Irish.
Ireland's 4 time National Champion and current British Universities champ, she is leading the charge of the next generation of Ireland's surfers taking on the International surf scene.
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Triathlon
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Aileen MorrisonTriathleteDerry Born Aileen is one of Ireland's brightest hopes for medal success at the 2012 Olympics. Currently ranked 15th in the individual world rankings and 11th in the Olympic rankings, Aileen has guaranteed qualification for London 2012. She has finished no less than three times on the podium in the past 12 months with two second place finishes at ITU events, most recently 2nd in the last ITU World Cup event of the season in South Korea. Aileen also finished 1st in the Hong Kong ITU Triathlon Asian Cup. Aileen represents an excellent opportunity for brands who are looking to support home grown talent with medal potential in one of the fastest growing sports in the country!
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Other Sports
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Nikki SymmonsHockeyNikki has played 142 times for Ireland and recently became a dual international when she represented the Irish Women's Cricket team in South Africa in October 2010. Having played for Ireland now for 9 years, she works as a teacher and sports coach and has a clear goal of helping the Irish women's hockey team qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.
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Lisa KearneyOlympic JudoLisa started Judo at 8 years old at a local club in Belfast. Through her teenage years she began serious training and competing on the European circuit under the guidance of her coach Ciaran Ward. In 2006 she was invited to join the Sports Institute Northern Ireland after winning 2 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
In 2007 at 17 years old she had the first of 5 operations in a 2 year period including ACL reconstruction, shoulder slap repair, left thumb reconstruction, right thumb joint fusion and a nose operation. When she left school in 2008 despite the operations she decided to train full time and as there is no full time judo centre anywhere in Ireland she moved to Edinburgh where she trains at the Scottish judo institute, a GB centre of excellence for judo. She has now been in Edinburgh for 4 years and returned from injury to full time training for the last 3 years.
By the end of her junior career she held 14 national titles, and became the first female junior world cup champion as well as winning a few other junior world cup medals. She was also placed 5th at both the junior European championships and European youth Olympic festival.
In the last two years she has been taking part in the judo Olympic qualification process for the first time and secured her place at the London Olympics. She became Irelands first ever female senior world cup champion and also won 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at Olympic qualification events. She also finished 16th at last years world championships where she was Irelands sole representative' male or female. At 22 she is the first ever Irish female judoka in history to qualify for an Olympic game and is currently ranked 20 in the world.
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