Sean Moriarty – PLC, Portobello, Physiotherapy
Alumni of Sports Therapy
Sports
For Sean Moriarty, the physio clinic was a familiar surrounding from a very young age. Growing up he suffered problems with his legs and feet quite often.
These regular visits to the physio allowed an interest to develop in pursuing it as a career.
However, like many, Sean was unnerved by the high points requirement to study physiotherapy in most third-level institutions.
Instead, he undertook a degree in Spanish and Economics from UCD, but after two years decided to drop it and begin working full time.
For some that might have been the end of any interest in third-level education, but not Sean.
“My interest in physiotherapy only developed over time as I ended up suffering quite a few injuries while playing rugby for my club, Old Belvedere.
“Again, I spent a lot of time in a clinic environment while going through my rehab.
“After working full time for a year, I decided to look into returning to education,” he said.
Sean knew that points and the CAO wouldn’t get him to where he wanted to go.
He went down the PLC route, taking a course in pre-university physiotherapy in Colaiste Íde and, on completion, came across Portobello Institute’s BSC in Sports Therapy.
From there Sean went through our process of an interview, speaking with Dr. Susan Giblin.
He was then given a conditional offer which would be contingent on the results from his PLC.
Because of his PLC completion, Sean was able to avail of advanced entry into second year of our BSc in Sports Therapy.
Sean completed the remaining two years of the course and there were many aspects which he found helpful.
“Noticing my skill set develop from scratch to confidently being able to practice sports therapy with a range of athletes and teams was my best experience during the course. With help from the lecturers I found the transition from the PLC course to the degree a lot more manageable than I expected.
“Small class sizes meant that the tutors and lecturers knew all students by name, which made the learning environment very supportive.
“Weekly practical classes allowed us to apply any theory we had covered that week in a practical sense,” he said.
And, like many graduates of our Sports Therapy course, Sean has been able to go on and pursue a Masters in Physiotherapy.
“I’ll shortly be starting my 2nd and final year in a Masters in Physiotherapy in Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen,
“Studying Sports Therapy at Portobello Institute provided me with an opportunity to work with teams and athletes as a Sport’s Therapist after graduating,” he said.
“It also laid the foundations for me to continue on my path to becoming a physiotherapist.
“Looking back, the practical element of the course really supported me initially in the Masters as a significant amount of what I studied in Portobello was also covered in my first semester here.”
It is never too late to follow the path to your dream career. Portobello Institute’s expert advisors are here to help you make an informed decision that puts you on the best path for your goals. Visit our sports department or contact our expert sports advisor, Jo Shaw.
