Life after the Leaving: Cork footballer Brian Hurley headed to IT Carlow

"I always hoped to go for a degree but my football commitments were an important consideration when choosing what to study. I heard about the BA in sport and exercise in IT Carlow so I had a look around. I didn't know what to expect. I barely knew where Carlow was, if I'm honest, but I was really impressed. The facilities were unbelievable, top class. There was a brand new, massive gym with high-performance programmes. It seemed a really professional set-up.

“It was definitely the place for me, but I found the first few days difficult. We had just lost the minor football final, so I was a bit down, and combined with a bit of homesickness, living away for the first time, I struggled at the start. The lads I was sharing a house with were great, and I quickly settled in.

“It was definitely intense. I combined college with training every day and I drove to Cork twice a week for training as well. The staff in Carlow were very understanding and there was a lot of support there for me. I needed a bit of help with finance in third year so I had some one-on-one tutoring, which was great.

“The course itself was a great mix. You had lectures some days, other days you’d be coaching. There was stuff like anatomy, coaching, nutrition, social media, finance, economics and so on. I mean, the likes of finance and economics would sort of frighten me, but because it all related to sport and exercise, with the GAA focus, it made it more manageable.

“I never thought I’d do more than the three-year BA, but I surprised myself by going on to a business and marketing degree at level eight this year. I never really thought I’d be the sort to get a marketing and finance type of degree, and yet I felt I was doing well enough in third year to consider it.

“Lots of study would never have been my thing, but in Carlow I realised I’d need to up my game. It helped that the course was interesting and relevant to my background. So now I’m hoping to keep my options open. I’m applying for jobs, but I’m also considering a Master’s or an internship in college. ”

– In conversation with Gráinne Faller