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and consistent practice over a sustained Football Club (DUFC) offered their crest, the period. sprig of shamrock, to stand as the new Irish Ryan is aware that certain training days are so intense he will not have the mental capacity to study. So, he plans college work and meetings for recovery days when it is easier to focus. Though he is currently performing at the elite level, Ryan acknowledges it has been drilled into It’s not easy, but it’s certainly doable. It’s all about prioritising what’s important to you crest and adopted the coat of arms of the college as their new emblem. Looking to the future, Ryan hopes that his experience as a professional rugby player will shape his future career, ‘I have a great interest in leadership and human performance. For me, there is nothing more pleasing than following the process and seeing him that this will not last forever, hence why the results. I have an ambition to be a leader who his academic studies are so important to him. ‘It’s leads himself first and foremost but then leads others to not easy, but it’s certainly doable. It’s all about prioritising reach their full potential too.’ what’s important to you. If you look at some of the most successful people in the world and what they’re achieving, you might ask, “How do they have time for that?” It’s because they prioritise and plan. Everyone has the same number of hours in the day; it’s all about how you use them.’ Ireland’s journey in the Rugby World Cup 2023 was nothing short of remarkable. They began their campaign in Pool B with a dominant 82-8 victory over Romania and followed that up with a strong 59-16 win against Tonga. On September 23, they secured a thrilling 13-8 victory against Trinity is helping Ryan to prepare for the future by enabling the defending World Cup champions, South Africa, and on him to study Computer Science and Business Studies at October 7, they had an impressive victory against Scotland, Trinity Business School while competing at the same time. emerging victorious from Pool B. Crucially, Ryan can spread the average annual workload over a two-year period. He is slow-tracking his degree as he was selected for the Rugby World Cup. However, in the quarter-final, Ireland faced New Zealand’s formidable All Blacks, and despite a closely fought battle, fell short in their quest for victory. Nevertheless, the Irish team Trinity has accurately been described as ‘the cradle of Irish showcased their talent and determination throughout the Rugby Football’. In 1879, the Irish Rugby Football Union was tournament. We eagerly await more exciting rugby action formed in House 9, just a stone’s throw away from where and future successes for both Ryan and the Irish team. Baird now studies. In a show of support, Dublin University
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The Road to Paris 2024: Katie Mullan’s Olympic Dreams G rowing up, Katie Mullan had her eye on the Olympics. As a teenager, she played a lot of camogie alongside hockey, before the latter became her primary focus. In 2010, she represented her country at the Youth Olympics in Singapore. ‘From then I decided my dream was to become an Olympian and I was committed to achieving that. My journey has been full of ups and downs. The heartache of not qualifying for the Olympics in 2016 to the highs of winning a silver medal at the hockey world cup, not to mention a few injury struggles along the way.’ she explains. However, like those before her, the positive mental attitude and resilience that sports has built into her, allowed her to learn from those experiences and work harder. Katie Mullan remembers the magic of Ireland’s Hockey World Cup final appearance in London in 2018. But the Portstewart native knew that was never going to be the pinnacle of her hockey career. ‘It was a highlight, but I think you start a journey with Ireland and the Olympics becomes a dream very early on. So even though we won that silver medal, and it was amazing, we always wanted to break down that barrier, to be the first Irish hockey team to go to the Olympics.’ Ireland’s women’s hockey team qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, but with those games delayed by a year due to COVID-19, the team did not get the full Olympic experience. ‘The day we qualified for the Olympics in Donnybrook, I remember the excitement of knowing our families were going to come and enjoy the Olympic experience. When that was taken away from us, it was a taint on our own experience. So hopefully we can give them another opportunity to see us play at the Olympics!’ Since she was 15 years old, Katie has balanced performing academically and athletically, and is currently an MBA student at Trinity Business School. Without the school’s support, including two scholarship programmes from Trinity Business School and Trinity Sport, studying for a full-time MBA at such a prestigious institution would not have been a possibility. ‘I have three key principles to balancing my hockey and academia. The first is time management. I always know my training schedule in advance, so planning my study opportunities around it is key. Secondly, I have a fantastic support network, both in my hockey teammates and MBA peers. Lastly, I am a strong believer that there are many benefits to having both major commitments in my life,’ she says. Trinity has provided Katie with an academic mentor to support her with managing schedule conflicts, access to world-class training facilities and coaching on campus, and additional learning opportunities from lecturers for periods when she has been away. She looks forward to a future career that will integrate the skills she has learned from elite sports. In particular, the support that can come from working as part of a team is something that she believes will be vital for her future professional development. ‘My sporting experience has given me the best opportunity to grow as a leader and someone who strives to get the best out of those around me. I hope to continue to develop both in my career. The network that the Trinity MBA has helped me create, along with the practical and theoretical learning, in all modules, has given me perspective and understanding of what I want my next career step to be.’ But for now, Mullan’s mind is firmly focused on qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Ireland competed at the European Hockey Championships in August 2023 in Germany. It was the next step on the road to Paris as Ireland took on Scotland, Germany and England in Group B, and finished fifth in the tournament which guaranteed Ireland a place in one of two Olympic qualifying tournaments in January 2024. The last dance for Mullan’s dream of an Olympic experience alongside her family.
