On April 7th, Portobello Institute will be hosting its first in a series of informative webinars on the pathways that a selection of our sports courses opens up for our graduates. The first webinar will focus on how to become a sports therapist or physiotherapist.
We will have a panel discussion from former Portobello students at each of the three webinars who will share their experiences with their course and highlight the path they have taken since completing their degree.
We will also have reps from leading bodies in the UK and Ireland to highlight career progression paths through further education beyond the bachelor’s level.
Register to attend 'How to Become a Sports Therapist' here.
Shannon Byrne – Rebound Injury Clinic & Portobello Institute Graduate
Our first panellist is Shannon Byrne. Shannon began her studies in Sports Therapy in Portobello in 2017, finishing up in 2020. Upon completion of her Leaving Cert, Shannon opted for a PLC course in Physiotherapy from Coláiste Íde. This allowed her to gain advanced entry into the second year of the BSC (Hons) in Sports Therapy at Portobello Institute.
After she received her qualification from Portobello, Shannon made the bold move to set up her own injury clinic, Rebound Injury Clinic, early in the pandemic, and she hasn’t looked back since. The clinic is located in former Dublin footballer, Philly McMahon’s gym BeDo7, and Shannon caters for all kinds of athletes with the service she provides.
She has also made a return to Portobello Institute, as an assistant lecturer, on the very course she graduates from just two short years ago. You can read more about Shannon in her profile here.
Conor Sheils – Shamrock Rovers & Football Association of Ireland
Next up is Conor Sheils. Conor studied at Portobello Institute from 2013 to 2017, coming out with an Honours Degree in Sports Therapy. He is a certified personal trainer, working for almost seven years in Arena Health and Fitness Club in Malahide.
Since then, Conor has made great leaps in his career. He worked as Lead Sports Therapist for not only League of Ireland Premier Division champions, Shamrock Rovers, but he held the same role with the FAI for their U-21 Men’s National Team.
He also has his own clinic where he caters for over 300 clients in his native Swords, along with his work as a member of the Dublin Fire Brigade.
Seán Moriarty – MSc in Physiotherapy
Our final Portobello alumnus is Seán Moriarty. Before Portobello, Seán had completed two years of a degree in Spanish and Economics before eventually dropping out.
Seán always possessed an interest in physiotherapy from his days of playing in rugby and decided to follow his passion to pursue it as a career. He knew CAO entry requirements would prove a problem and so he entered Coláiste Íde’s PLC course in physiotherapy.
This allowed him advanced entry to the BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy at Portobello Institute, which he completed in 2020. He served as a sports therapist for his rugby club, Old Belvedere and, in January of 2021, he began his first year of an MSc in Physiotherapy at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.
Caroline Belchamber – AECC University College
Rounding out the webinar will be Caroline Belchamber. Caroline is a Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy at AECC University College, in Bournemouth.
Caroline will speak about the progression possibilities available to graduates upon completion of their BSc (Hons) in Sports Therapy at Portobello Institute, with a particular focus on advancing to physiotherapy at a postgraduate level.
Jo Shaw from our admissions team will also be present on the night and will field any questions attendees may have in a Q&A at the end of the webinar.
This free webinar will take place on Thursday, April 7th at 7 pm and you can sign up using the registration link here.
If you’d like to hear more about the course from our graduates you can check out their stories in the success stories section of our website here.
Get in contact
If you are interested in any of our sports courses or have any questions you can book a consultation call with our expert sports advisor Jo Shaw here, email jo.shaw@portobelloinstitute.com or call 01 892 0024.
