Biography

Tom joined the PESS Department in August 2015 as a lecturer in Human Movement Science and Strength and Conditioning. His research and teaching interests involve all aspects of Human Movement Science with a particular focus on Strength and Conditioning (S&C) and Rugby Injury Epidemiology. Tom is co-Theme Leader for 'Rugby Science' one of the core themes, of the Sport and Human Performance Research Centre, based at the University of Limerick. He is also the co-PI on the Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance project funded by the IRFU. Tom is a graduate of the PESS Department in UL. He has a BA in Physical Education (1996), an MSc in the area of motor skill acquistion (1999) and a PhD in the area of strength training for Rugby Union (2006). His research was funded by the IRFU and provided scientific evidence for optimising the potentiation benefits of complex training for Rugby players. Following the completion of his PhD, Tom worked as an S&C coach with Munster Rugby and the IRFU before taking up the post of Head of S&C at the Irish Institute of Sport, leading S&C provision and strategy for Ireland's Olympians and Paralympians. He is currently S&C coach to a number of Ireland's Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In addition, Tom is himself an Olympian and an accomplished Irish sprinter. He competed in the 4 x 100 m relay for Ireland at the Sydney Olympic Games.

Research Interests

Tom's research interests are in the area of Strength and Conditioning as well as Rugby Injury Epdiemiology. Currently Tom is undertaking research in the area of rugby injury surveillance, monitoring of training, strength and power diagnostics, pedagogy of the S&C coach and strength training interventions. Tom is collaborating with the Irish Rugby Football Union and Swim Ireland on these research projects. He currently supervises six PhD scholars and has supervised 9 PhD students to completion.

Tom is the co_PI on the IRFU-UL Injury Surveillance project, named IRIS (Irish Rugby Injury Surveillance). This project investigates the incidence of injuries within the domestic Rugby union game in Ireland. This research project is funded by the IRFU and commenced in September 2016 for an initial period of six years. In 2022 this funded was extended to 2030.


Postgraduate Students - Current PhD Students (6 in total):
Lorna Barry: Training load and relationship to injury and illness in competitive swimming (IRC funded project)
Kilian Bibby: Injury surveillance and prevention in women's amateur rugby union (IRIS project)
Patrick Dolan: Injury prevention strategies in rugby union (IRIS project)
Lauren Guilfoyle: Injury surveillance and prevention in school rugby union (IRIS project)
Ed Hartery: SSC and rowing performance
Antonia Rossiter: Jet-lag and travel fatigue in high performance athletes and support staff

PhD Graduates (9 in total):
Claire Brady: Development of a strength and power diagnostic system for use with Irish Olympic athletes. (IRC Scholar)
Alan Griffin: Training load and relationship to injury in amateur rugby union. (IRC Scholar)
Richard Johnston: Injury surveillance within endurance sporting disciplines. (UL EHS Faculty PhD Scholar)
Therese Leahy: Injury surveillance in schoolboy rugby union. (IRIS project, funded by the IRFU)
Cathal Óg O'Sullivan: FMS and student voice in post-primary schools.
Caoimhe Tiernan: Monitoring in Rugby union. (PESS Department PhD Scholar)
Frank Nugent: High-intensity training in swimming. (Part-funded by the National Aquatic Centre Swimming Club)
Ciara Sinnott-O'Connor: Monitoring in Paralympic sports. (Funded by Paralympic Ireland)
Caithriona Yeomans: Injury surveillance in Rugby union. (IRIS project, funded by the Irish Rugby Football Union)


Professional Activities

Employment

  • 2012 Irish Institute of Sport - Head of Strength and Conditioning
  • 2012 Dublin City University - Lecturer in Biomechanics
  • 2006 Munster Rugby - Strength and Conditioning Coach

Education

  • 2006 University of Limerick - PhD
  • 1999 University of Limerick - MSc
  • 1996 University of Limerick - Bachelor of Arts Education

Association

  • Accredited Strength and Conditoning Coach (ASCC), UK Strength and Conditioning Association
  • Accredited Strength and Conditioning Coach, Sport Ireland Institute
  • Member of the panel that evaluates applications by service providers for Professional Memnership of the Institute by service, Sport Ireland Institute, Professional Quality Assurance Programme Panel Member

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

2021

Epidemiology of Shoulder Injuries in Schoolboy Rugby Union in Ireland

Leahy, TM;Kenny, IC;Campbell, MJ;Warrington, GD;Cahalan, R;Harrison, AJ;Lyons, M;Glynn, LG;O'Sullivan, K;Purtill, H;Comyns, TM (2021) Epidemiology of Shoulder Injuries in Schoolboy Rugby Union in Ireland. THOUSAND OAKS : SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC Orthopaedic Journal Of Sports Medicine

2019

Corrigendum to" Injury surveillance in schools rugby: a systematic review of injury epidemiology & surveillance practices"[Physical Therapy in Sport 38 (2019) 170-178]

Leahy, Therese M and Kenny, Ian C and Campbell, Mark J and Warrington, Giles D and Cahalan, Roisin and Harrison, Andrew J and Lyons, Mark and Glynn, Liam G and Comyns, Thomas M (2019) Corrigendum to" Injury surveillance in schools rugby: a systematic review of injury epidemiology & surveillance practices"[Physical Therapy in Sport 38 (2019) 170-178]. Physical therapy in sport :44-44

2019

Training load and baseline characteristics associated with new injury/pain within an endurance sporting population: a prospective study

Johnston, Richard and Cahalan, Roisin and Bonnett, Laura and Maguire, Matthew and Nevill, Alan and Glasgow, Philip and O’Sullivan, Kieran and Comyns, Thomas (2019) Training load and baseline characteristics associated with new injury/pain within an endurance sporting population: a prospective study. International journal of sports physiology and performance :590-597

2018

Injury Monitoring and Player Education, a Survey of Current Practices in Irish Amateur Rugby Union: 775 Board# 36 May 30 200 PM-330 PM

Yeomans, Caithriona A and Comyns, Thomas M and Cahalan, Roisin and Warrington, Giles D and Harrison, Andrew J and Hayes, Kevin and Lyons, Mark and Campbell, Mark J and Kenny, Ian C (2018) Injury Monitoring and Player Education, a Survey of Current Practices in Irish Amateur Rugby Union: 775 Board# 36 May 30 200 PM-330 PM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise :168-

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