I am a Chartered Psychologist with the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and an Accredited Sport Psychology consultant [with the Irish Sport and Exercise Science Association of Ireland (ISESA) – from 2024; previously the remit of Sport Ireland]. I completed a B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology in UCD (minoring in Pharmacology).
I then completed an M.Sc. by Research (my study was entitled: ‘Cognitive Style and Cognitive Strategies in Track and Field Athletes’), followed by a Ph.D. (entitled: Psychological Understanding of, and Responses to Sports Injuries in Elite Athletes’), in University College Dublin (UCD), under the supervision of Professor Aidan Moran (RIP). I was awarded an Open Postgraduate Scholarship from UCD for Year 1 of my Ph.D. research study, and an Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) Scholarship for Years 2 and 3 of my Ph.D. research study.
I am now the Academic Lead in Sport and Performance Psychology at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT, Dun Laoghaire). I run a very successful Certificate in Sport + Performance Psychology Level 8 part-time program in IADT, which many elite athletes and coaches enroll on and graduate from each year. I am also an annual Guest Lecturer in RCSI, and in various other academic institutions at various times (e.g., in UCD / DCU / UUJ).
I have been a member of Sport Ireland’s panel of Approved Sport Psychology Consultants for over 15 years. The accreditation remit for this consultancy work moved to the Irish Sport and Exercise Science Association (ISESA) in early 2024. In my consulting role, I work with top athletes and performers to help them enhance their performances, while also prioritising their well-being. My philosophy in this capacity is a person-centered one (followed by an athlete / performer acknowledged, in-part, identity).
Over the past two decades, I have published a number of academic papers and book chapters.
My second edition of Sport Cyberpsychology was published by Routledge in 2024 (first edition – 2018)
Second edition (https://www.routledge.com/Sport-Cyberpsychology/Hurley/p/book/9781032432090)
My free e-book, ‘Brave Action: Sport Psychology for Life’ was published in February 2021. It is available for complimentary download from my free ‘Resources’ page.
I have also contributed to various media and mental wellness online enterprises, such as ‘A Lust for Life’, the initiative founded by Niall Breslin (a graduate of my Certificate in Sport Psychology in IADT) and Thrive Global, established by Arianne Huffington in New York, USA. I have also written or contributed to pieces for various print media publications such as the Irish Independent, The Irish Times and The Irish Examiner.
I am a former international sprinter and a long-standing juvenile Irish 60m indoor sprint record holder. I am passionate about all things sport and psychology related.
Professional Memberships
- Chartered Psychologist (Psychological Society of Ireland; PSI) – for over 10 years.
- Secretary of the Division of Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology (DSEPP) in PSI for ~12 years – from ~2010 to 2022; Member of the PSI-DSEPP from 2010 to present.
- Sport Ireland Institute (SII) -> Sport Psychology Consultant: Full Technical Service Provider – to December 2023 -> Now the remit of the newly established ISESA (2024) – Now an Accredited Professional Practitioner with the ISESA.
- Overseas Member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) – for over 10 years.