Kyle Hayes: 'A lot of men see talking about their struggles as a weakness but it’s not'

LIMERICK'S All-Ireland hurling winner Kyle Hayes has stressed the importance of mental health in the workplace.

The Kildimo-Pallaskenry man is a HR Officer with Kirby and he made his comments in the company's #PeopleFirst series.

“A lot of men see talking about their struggles as a weakness, it’s not. The sooner you turn to someone and say that you’re not okay, the sooner people can come together and support you. That’s what a team does,” outlined Hayes.

Sports psychology and business have strong synergies and that’s something that Hayes brings to work every day.

“In hurling you never leave a team member behind; you are one team and work together to achieve a common goal. Kirby has the same mindset; we wear one jersey. Working in the HR team I know that the work I do prepares our team to put their best foot forward on our projects. The work that goes on behind the scenes at Limerick GAA is definitely comparable to what I see at work, as our site teams head out to the field with the backing of people like me behind the scenes. At Kirby we look after our team," explained Hayes, who plays in a Limerick hurling set-up that includes leading Performance Psychologist Caroline Currid.

Hayes worked in the Kirby HR department as an intern while at college in and joined full time after graduating from his Business Studies degree at the University of Limerick in 2020.

“Kirby is an incredibly supportive workplace; the directors are approachable and are all willing to develop and train you to be the best you can be. They are there for me on and off the field,” said Hayes of Kirby Group Engineering.

“Limerick is one of the most exciting places to be right now, the atmosphere is palpable,” said Hayes of the All-Ireland celebrations.

“This year was the first year, since 2018, that we could have a proper homecoming. At the end of the day, we play for our county, our fans, our families, and ourselves, it’s only fitting that we celebrate together,” said Hayes.