Liam Hennessy (coach)

Liam Hennessy FRAMI^{[1][clarification needed]} is an Exercise Physiologist, Strength and conditioning coach and former international athlete from Cappawhite, Tipperary, Ireland, who competed in the pole vault, and has worked both with professional athletes and teams and as an academic researcher. He founded the distance learning institution Setanta College.

Liam Hennessy

Personal information
Nationality	Irish
Born	(1958-05-26) 26 May 1958 (age 65) Cappawhite, Tipperary, Ireland
Sport
Sport	Track and Field
Event	Pole Vault
College team	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania New Mexico State University Thomond College of Education, Limerick University of Limerick
Club	Limerick/ Tipperary Town
Achievements and titles
Personal best	4.96

Career

Athletics

Hennessy is a retired international athlete,^[2] who competed and holds records^[3] at the pole vault in international competition representing Ireland at more than 55 events,^[4][5] the first being at the age of 15.^[6] As of 2022 he is still listed amongst the best Irish performers in international competition.^[7] Hennessy broke his first Irish record in 1977.^[8] His Munster U-23 Men's Indoor record set in 1978 of 4.70 still stands as of 2022,^[9] with his career personal best at 4.96.^{[citation needed]}

Coaching

Hennessy has worked with several GAA teams in nearly all codes of the game, including Tipperary GAA and its All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship team of 1991.^[4]

He was Director of Fitness with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU)^[2] for ten years,^[10] where he oversaw a number of Triple Crown (rugby union) wins and the Grand Slam (rugby union) Six Nations Championship win in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Hennessy was involved with a number of football clubs in England, Germany and Italy, including Blackburn Rovers F.C., Liverpool F.C., S.S. Lazio,^[11] and FC Bayern Munich.^[12][2]

He became National Jumps Coach in Ireland after he finished competing and also acted as Irish team manager at the first IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics in Athens in 1985. Also, Hennessy has worked with many Irish Olympics Athletes throughout the years. At Atlanta 1996, he was the Chief Exercise Physiologist to the Irish Olympic Team.^[4][13]

Hennessy was part of Pádraig Harrington's^[14][15] coaching staff for his Major wins; The Open Championship 2007 & 2008 and PGA Championship in 2008.

Academic

Hennessy is a published author and researcher in the fields of exercise physiology and strength and conditioning. He published in British Journal of Sports Medicine,^[16] Sports Biomechanics,^[17] and The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research^[18][19][20] Hennessy has studied at University of Limerick, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, New Mexico State University, and Loughborough University.^{[citation needed]}

He founded Setanta College, a distance learning college,^{[citation needed]} which offers sport related courses from Higher Certificate to Bachelor's Degree level. All of the college's qualifications are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).^{[citation needed]} The college provides courses in strength and conditioning for both beginner and experienced coaches for several sports.

Hennessy worked in the Cardiopulmonary Department at the Blackrock Clinic, Dublin^[13] and also was a P.E. teacher at St Columba's College, Dublin.^[21] In 2003, Hennessy developed Club Energise,^[22] an isotonic drink.

References

1. . Setanta College. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
2. RTÉ Publishing (14 June 2007). "Rugby: Hennessy new IRFU National Director of Fitness - RTÉ News". M.rte.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. Examiner Webmaster. "The Examiner - Sport From Ireland - 20, January, 2000". Archives.tcm.ie. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
4. . SpeedFlexer.ie. Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
5. . Seamusjking.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
6. Malachy Clerkin (19 July 2009). "Part of a learning desire". Tribune.maithu.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
7. "Race type: Pole Vault". Sindar.net. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
8. "Championship: Irish Universities Representative Matches". Sindar.net. Retrieved 1 March 2012. Liam Hennessy, an 18-year-old from Tipperary, leapt to the top of Irish Pole-vaulting.
9. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. Live Blog (3 December 2006). "The Continuity IRFU: McLaughlin's role in Irish success can't be overstated - Rugby, Sport". Independent.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
11. Peter O'Reilly (17 September 2000). "Doctor'S Orders: Less Work More Rest". Tribune.maithu.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
12. . Sixmilebridgegaa.com. 10 February 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
13. . Coaching Ireland. 2 February 2003. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
14. . Pádraig Harrington. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
15. Exambrief Science Issue (30 September 2009). "New adventure begins for Kelly - Golf, Sport". Independent.ie. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
16. Hennessey, L.; Watson, A. W. (1993). "Flexibility and posture assessment in relation to hamstring injury". British Journal of Sports Medicine. 27 (4): 243–246. doi:10.1136/bjsm.27.4.243. PMC 1332012. PMID 8130961.
17. Comyns, Thomas M.; Harrison, Andrew J.; Hennessy, Liam; Jensen, Randall L. (2007). "Identifying the optimal resistive load for complex training in male rugby players". Sports Biomechanics. 6 (1): 59–70. doi:10.1080/14763140601058540. hdl:10344/5639. PMID 17542178. S2CID 3206505.
18. Comyns, Thomas M.; Harrison, Andrew J.; Hennessy, Liam K.; Jensen, Randall L. (August 2006). "The Optimal Complex Training Rest Interval for Athletes from Anaerobic Sports". The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 20 (3): 471. doi:10.1519/00124278-200608000-00003. hdl:10344/5673. S2CID 26074939.
19. Hennessy, Liam; Kilty, James (August 2001). "Relationship of the Stretch-Shortening Cycle to Sprint Performance in Trained Female Athletes". The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 15 (3): 326–331. doi:10.1519/00124278-200108000-00011. PMID 11710659.
20. Hennessy, Liam C.; Watson, Anthony W. S. (February 1994). "The Interference Effects of Training for Strength and Endurance Simultaneously". The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 8 (1): 12. doi:10.1519/00124278-199402000-00003.
21. "Time Added On". Georgehook.com. Retrieved 1 March 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
22. "Archived News | Energise". Clubenergise.ie. 19 August 2003. Retrieved 1 March 2012.