Humans of Gaelic

Conversations with experts, coaches and players, exploring elite performance in S&C and the GAA.

Humans of Gaelic is a sports podcast hosted by Kevin O'Brien, with 28 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Kevin O'Brien hosts Humans of Gaelic, a sports show with 28 episodes published.

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  Episode #28

  Sports psychologist behind Dublin's 5-in-a-row | Why teams collapse under pressure | Danger of 'gurus'

  Aug 5, 202645 minS1

  Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter⁠ Why do talented teams suddenly collapse under pressure? Can players train concentration in the same way they train strength or speed? And are GAA teams taking risks by hiring unqualified people to deliver sports psychology? Anne-Marie Kennedy has spent more than a decade working in elite sport, including roles with the Dublin footballers, Galway footballers, Clare hurlers, Cricket Ireland, Cycling Ireland and Swim Ireland. She joins this week’s episode of Humans of Gaelic to explain what sports psychology actually looks like inside a high-performance team. Anne-Marie discusses the Mindful Athlete programme developed during Jim Gavin’s time with Dublin, how the players trained concentration and emotional regulation, and why visualisation must prepare athletes for realistic challenges rather than perfect performances. She also breaks down the psychology of a collective team collapse, what happens to decision-making when panic spreads through a team, and how coaches can prepare players for momentum shifts before match day. We also cover: • How Anne-Marie moved from finance into yoga and sports psychology • Why Jim Gavin was ahead of his time in developing Dublin’s mental preparation • The role of mindfulness, breathwork and visualisation in high performance • Why concentration may be the most important mental skill in sport • How routines can help free-takers perform under pressure • What happens inside the brain when a team begins to panic • Why teams must prepare for opposition purple patches and momentum shifts • The dangers of unqualified people working as sports psychologists • What an embedded sports psychologist does during a typical inter-county week • Why trust, relationships and time inside the environment are essential Whether you are a player trying to handle pressure, a coach shaping a team environment, or someone interested in how elite teams prepare mentally, this episode provides a rare look inside the work of a sports psychologist. ➕ I've got some great guests coming up. Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes. Stay Connected Subscribe to the Humans of Gaelic podcast wherever you're listening. ⭐ Leave a Review: If you found value in this episode, please give it a rating and review - it helps me get more top guests. Share the Episode: Know someone who’d benefit from this? Share it to help spread the word! Follow Along Website: ⁠humansofgaelic.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠@humansofgaelic⁠ Facebook: ⁠Humans of Gaelic⁠ TikTok: ⁠@humansofgaelic

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  Episode #26

  Inside a county footballer's mind | Visualisation & journaling | Meeting Djokovic

  Jul 8, 202646 minS1

  Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter What does two years in the AFL system actually teach you that you can bring back to inter-county football? Why is a call-out culture one of the hardest things a squad can build, and why does it matter so much? And what was it really like sitting in a room with Novak Djokovic listening to him talk about discipline? Sligo footballer Luke Towey joins the podcast this week to break it all down. Luke spent two years with the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL before returning to inter-county football with Sligo, and has since built his own Performance Journal business used by loads of GAA players and teams. In this episode, we also cover: Reflecting honestly on a disappointing season with Sligo What actually happens inside a panel once an intercounty season ends The two years he spent in the AFL system during COVID Building culture and standards in a professional sporting environment Comparing GAA and AFL strength and conditioning A breakdown of Sligo's weekly gym schedule during championship Mental prep, visualisation and sport psychology The story behind his Performance Journal and turning it into a business Meeting the 'hyper-obsessed' Novak Djokovic at the Suns How he resets after a bad performance You can get 20% off your own journal by using the code 'HUMANS' if you go here . And you can follow Luke's business page here .

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  Episode #25

  Developing two-footed footballers: 'What we're currently doing is not working'

  Jul 1, 202656 minS1

  <p>Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter</p><p>Why are GAA players being dictated to by their dominant foot without even knowing it? Why does dominant-side kicking shape a team's entire tactical shape? And why is what we're currently doing to develop the non-dominant side simply not working?</p><p>Dr. Karol Dillon has just completed his PhD on bilaterality in Gaelic football - five years of research - and he's back on the podcast to break it all down.</p><p>After our first conversation, Karol has spen...

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  Episode #25

  Developing two-footed footballers: 'What we're currently doing is not working'

  Jul 1, 202656 minS1

  Join 7k+ athletes - Gaelic Games S&C, Performance and Coaching newsletter: ⁠⁠https://portal.humansofgaelic.com/newsletter Why are GAA players being dictated to by their dominant foot without even knowing it? Why does dominant-side kicking shape a team's entire tactical shape? And why is what we're currently doing to develop the non-dominant side simply not working? Dr. Karol Dillon has just completed his PhD on bilaterality in Gaelic football - five years of research - and he's back on the podcast to break it all down. After our first conversation, Karol has spent the last year visiting clubs and counties across Ireland sharing his findings. What he found surprised even him. In this episode, we cover: Why skill development in GAA needs to be treated like a lifestyle, not a drill at training What the research actually showed when Karol ran a three-month intervention - and why the result wasn't what he expected How dominant-foot kicking shapes team tactics across every division, male and female Why left-footed players are worth their weight in gold and are undervalued What David Clifford, Shane Walsh, Tomas Ó Sé and James O'Donoghue have in common that most coaches miss Why the games-based approach is what teenage players themselves say works best The role of parents in developing the non-dominant side - and why they matter more than the coach How S&C coaches can bring this into training How GAA's own 13-week coaching webinar only dedicates one week to skill - and what that tells us Why we're playing with half a pitch and what would change if this improved by 25% over 30 years You can follow Karol on X: https://x.com/KarolDillon8

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  Episode #24

  What GPS gets wrong | The reality of coaching in pro sport | GAA life in Sydney

  May 20, 20261h 4mS1

  <p>I’m joined by Jonny McGailey, a Louth native who has worked across elite rugby, GAA, basketball and high-performance sport in Australia, with the Sydney Kings in the NBL.</p><p>I played under Jonny for a season at Clan na Gael Sydney in 2023, so it was great to catch-up with him.</p><p>We discuss:</p><p>• Coaching NBA-level talent and managing elite athletes</p><p>• The realities of working in professional sport</p><p>• What GAA can learn from elite Australian systems</p><p>• GPS, load monitoring and the future of athlete tracking</p><p>• The rise of ADI and w...

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