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The purpose of UCC Sport’s performance programme is to support UCC teams and athletes in performing to their full potential. The programme is tailored for our sports scholarship students, our elite teams and athletes performing at top level sport in Ireland and internationally.
We work with our clubs, coaches and specialist staff in the areas of sports science, conditioning, nutrition, sports medicine, sports physiology and sports analysis. We also work in partnership with national governing bodies, provincial sports organisations, and with Sport Ireland in the delivery of the new high performance strategy. We also provide annual sports scholarships to help students achieve their goals.
What the Performance Programme entails
Student athletes admitted to the UCC Sport Performance programme begin by completing a performance plan which provides an assessment of the student-athletes’ needs and requirements. A suite of support services will be available to student-athletes and allow them to fulfil their full sporting and academic potential. UCC Sport Performance Framework
Access to expert Strength & Conditioning training
Sports psychology, finance and time management workshops
Mental health support
Ongoing academic support
Goal setting, performance planning and career advice
Physiological and fitness testing
Cardiac screening
Health and nutrition advice
Financial bursary
How to apply
The UCC Performance Programme is available to all student athletes on a UCC Sports Scholarship or the UCC Quercus Sport Scholarship.
Paul O Donovan, student, & Fintan McCarthy, UCC Alumnus won GOLD in the Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls;
Emily Hegarty, student, and Aifric Keogh, UCC Alumnus, won a BRONZE Medal in the Women’s Four)
The 2020 Olympics were hosted by Tokyo in 2021 due to the global pandemic
UCC Students Orla Cronin, Chloe Sigerson, & Hannah Looney won All Stars in Camogie for their performances with Cork in 2020
UCC Graduates Eimear Meaney & Aine O Sullivan won All Star awards and were named on the TG4TV 2020 Ladies Football Team of the Year.
UCC Graduates Jamie Barron, Tadhg de Burca, & Dan Morrissey won Hurling All Stars for their performances in 2020
UCC Graduate Conor Sweeney won a Gaelic Football All Star award for his performances in 2020
Basketball
The Irish Senior Women’s 3 x3 basketball team which included UCC Alumnus Claire Rockall, failed to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup. They competed in the qualifiers in Romania in June 2021
UCC Alumni Claire Rockall & Aine McKenna were part of the Irish Senior Women’s team who were beaten finalists in the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in July 2021
UCC AlumnusAdrian O Sullivan was part of the Irish Senior Men’s team who won the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in August 2021. Adrian is currently captain of the Irish Men's team for 2022
Hockey
UCC Women’s Hockey club player & current Quercus Sports Scholarship recipient Caoimhe Perdue made her senior debut with the Irish Senior team in May 2021. Caoimhe is also part of the Irish U23’s and captained them during the summer of 2021
UCC’s Rebecca Barry was part of the Irish U21 squad in 2021 and captained them on a number of occasions
Conor Beck is a member of the Irish U20 squad
Rugby
Jack Kelleher, UCC Sports scholar, Cian Whooley, Moss Keane Sports Scholar, & Alex Kendellan, Quercus Sports Scholar of UCC Rugby club were part of the Irish U20 squad for the Six Nations Championship in the summer of 2021
Alex Kendellan was Captain of the Irish U20 team for the Six Nations Championship 2021
Alex Kendellan was awarded “Player of the Match” in a number of Irelands U20 Six Nations matches
UCC Sport Star Award Winners 2021-22
In association with the River Lee Hotel and the Bank of Ireland
These awards were presented online in Dec 2020 due to Covid 19
Club
Student
Athletics
Ruby Millet
Athletics
Conor Morey
Para-Athlete
Mary Fitzgerald
Basketball
Amy Dooley
Gaelic Football
Diarmuid O'Connor
Gymnastics
Meg Ryan
Hockey
Caoimhe Perdue
Hockey / Soccer
Christina Dring
Hurling
Mark Kehoe
Ladies Gaelic Football
Katie Quirke
Rowing
Emily Hegarty, Tara Hanlon, Ronan Byrne, Paul O'Donovan, Margaret Cremin, Aoife Casey, Lydia Heaphy
Rugby
John Hodnett
Rugby
Alex Kendellen
Kieran Dowd Special Achievement Award 'Coach of the Year':Graham Catchpole - Women's Hockey
Team of the year:Women's Senior Hockey
European U23 & Senior Rowing Champions (Lydia Heaphy won Gold in the BLW2; Ronan Byrne won Gold in the BM2x); Quercus Sports Scholar Lydia Heaphy came 1st in the Women's Lightweight Sculls in the "B" Final
European Championships in April 2021: Paul O Donovan, student, & Fintan McCarthy, UCC Alumnus won GOLD in the Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls; Emily Hegarty, student, and Aifric Keogh, UCC Alumnus, won SILVER in the Women’s Four
UCC’s Sports Scholarship recipient and soccer club player Rob Slevin was awarded the Irish Colleges & Universities International "Player of the Year" at the FAI Awards in August 2020. Rob has joined Cork City FC following his exploits with UCC.
Sub Aqua
Cian Sexton and Ruairí Kenny successfully completed their Lead Diver Exam and are the clubs newest Mon1* instructors
Triathlon
UCC Quercus student Maeve Gallagher competed in her first senior International competition in Lisbon in May 2021 in the World Triathlon Cup. Maeve finished a credible 40th in a large field
RUGBY
Alex Kendellan also made his senior debut for Munster this year. Alex was also a member of the Irish Senior Sevens aiming for qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but focused on the Irish U20’s
Scott Buckley, Quercus Sports Scholar made his Munster “A” debut in 2020/21
Soccer
UCC soccer player Gordon Walker signed for Cork City for the 2021 season
Paralympics
UCC Quercus Scholar Mary Fitzgerald secured a bronze medal at the European Para Games in her senior European debut in the shot put in May 2021.
Quercus scholar Mary Fitzgerald represented Ireland at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo in shot put and finished in 6th place
Niamh McCarthy, UCC Alumnus represented Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in the Discus
Patrick O Leary, UCC Alumnus represented Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in canoeing in KL3 & VL3 and made the finals in both of these events
Swimming
UCC Para swimmer & Sports Scholarship recipient Sean O Riordan, competed at the Madeira European Paras in May 2021 in the hope of obtaining the qualifying times for the Paralympic Games this summer in the 400m freestyle. While Sean made it to the final, he unfortunately did not make the qualifying time on this occasion.