Acclaimed Limerick hurling sports psychologist reveals reasons for stepping away

ACCLAIMED former Limerick senior hurling sports psychologist Caroline Currid has revealed her reasons for stepping away from the high-profile and highly-decorated Limerick management set-up for the coming season.

The Sligo native said she took the decision to stand down from her role largely due to her long commute from her home county to Limerick, three times a week.

The sports psychologist who played a crucial role in Limerick securing five All-Ireland titles in six years is also completing her PhD studies in the University of Limerick which requires a lot of her attention.

The news that the sports psychologist and performance coach would not be on board for Limerick’s 2024 intercounty season was revealed last October. But no reason was given at the time for her decision.

However, Ms Currid spoke openly about her decision last Thursday when she was one of three panellists at the second-ever Resilience and Resolve Networking Breakfast hosted by Cliona’s Foundation in the Limerick Strand Hotel.

During the insightful discussion Ms Currid said that the commuting to Limerick from Sligo - a six-hour round trip each time - became draining and she felt her energy levels weren’t where they should be for the role.

“I said to the lads, if they were in Sligo or even Connacht, you’d just keep going and we’d keep doing it,” Ms Currid remarked.

“One of the things I constantly talk about is self-care and looking after yourself and making sure that you have the energy for what you want to be doing.

“So what was the point in me coming down to these phenomenal lads if my energy wasn’t there to do it,” she added.

Interestingly, her comments came just 24 hours before Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp shocked the world of football by announcing that he will stand down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season after admitting he is “running out of energy”.

Ms Currid cited another aspect - growth - in relation to the hurlers, backroom team and herself - in determining her decision to stand aside this season.

In Pictures: Speakers share stories of resilience and resolve at Cliona’s Foundation event

“Six years is a long time in one project. I think if you peel back psychology, if we bring it back to psychology, and you peel it back, and you say what are the two things that give us energy? It’s growth and contribution. So giving back.. which is why everybody's here this morning because it's a phenomenal foundation and charity, and we want to give back and it gives us huge energy.

"But growth does too and we have to keep learning, we have to keep developing ourselves so I knew it was going to be me to continue with Limerick or thrive in the doctorate. I couldn’t do both,” she said.

Ms Currid has been involved in the backroom teams of four All-Ireland winners – Tyrone Footballers (2008), Tipperary Hurlers (2010), Dublin Footballers (2011) and the four-in-a-row All-Ireland winning Limerick hurlers.

She has worked with world-class athletes including Limerick rugby legend Paul O’Connell and Kenya’s 800m Olympic champion, David Rudisha. She has worked with Celtic FC and more recently with Munster Rugby.

Ms Currid said that she has no doubt that the hurlers will continue with their high-performance attitude because it is ingrained in them at this point.

“I absolutely wouldn’t be betting against those young men, that’s for sure,” Ms Currid said.