Setanta College
Setanta College is a distance learning college, with a focus on sports courses. It offers internationally accredited qualifications, ranging from Higher Certificate to Master's degree level. The college is primarily web-based but also offers campus-based courses at its Limerick City campus. Other teaching locations include London, UK,[3] Karnataka, India,[4] and Pennsylvania and Florida in the United States.[5]
| Type | Private | 
|---|---|
| Established | 1999 | 
| Dean | Prof Ian Jeffreys PhD | 
| Academic director | Prof Liam Hennessy (coach) PhD[1] | 
| Location | Thurles (Main Campus) ,  | 
| Campus | Distance learning | 
| Affiliations | Higher Education and Training Awards Council, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC)[2] | 
| Website | www | 
History
    
Setanta College was founded by Liam Hennessy BA, MSc, PhD, FRAMI,[6] a former international pole vault competitor and record holder.[7] Hennessy is an exercise physiologist and strength and conditioning coach whose work has been published in scientific journals[8][9] and has worked with European soccer club teams in Italy,[10] and Germany,[11][12] the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU),[12] the Irish Olympic Team,[13][14] Tipperary GAA,[13] and as Fitness coach to three time Major winning golfer Pádraig Harrington.[15] Through his own work, Hennessy believed there was a need for better qualified experts in the area of strength and conditioning, and so designed a course that would concentrate on this area of expertise.
In 2019 Setanta College entered a partnership with Irish American University (IAU) that saw the graduate programmes accredited regionally by IAU.[16]
Other courses
    
Setanta College has designed and operates or facilitates courses for the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and World Rugby.[17] In addition to these courses, Setanta College has delivered education programmes to coaches at the National Cricket Academy of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)[18] and to other sporting organisations such as Saracens Rugby and Arsenal F.C.
Education partners
    
- Gaelic Players Association (GPA)[19]
 - Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO)[20]
 - World Rugby[17]
 - Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU)[21]
 - Rugby Players Ireland[22]
 - Irish Amateur Weightlifting Association (IAWLA)[23]
 - Titleist Performance Institute (TPI)[24]
 - The Irish Institute of Sport, a subsidiary of the Irish Sports Council, the state agency for sports development.
 - Saracens F.C.
 - Pádraig Harrington – Ambassador of the college
 - Football Association of Ireland[25]
 - Irish Wheelchair Association-Sport
 - Inspire Institute of Sport, an elite training facility in India[4]
 - Houston Astros
 - Washington Nationals
 - Philadelphia Phillies
 - World Academy of Sport (WAoS) with World Olympians Association[26]
 
Alumni
    
- Tommy Dunne – former Tipperary GAA hurling player and captain, All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winner 2001.
 - Tommy Carr – former Dublin GAA Gaelic Football player and manager, also former football manager of Roscommon GAA and Cavan GAA.
 - Mick Dempsey – former Laois GAA footballer and current member of management team for the all-conquering Kilkenny GAA hurling team.
 - Declan Meehan – Former Galway GAA Gaelic Footballer, winner of 2 All-Ireland Senior Football Championships and 2 GAA GPA All Stars Awards.
 - Johnny O'Connor – Irish International and Connacht Rugby player. Also previously played with London Wasps
 - Nicholas Walsh – Former Cavan GAA Gaelic Footballer and Melbourne Football Club Australian rules football player. Current coach of Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL team [27]
 - Gavin Duffy – Irish International and Connacht Rugby Rugby Union player. Also previously played with Harlequins.[28][29]
 - Joe Gamble – Former Reading F.C. and Republic of Ireland international Soccer player.
 - Liam Kearns – Former Limerick GAA and Laois GAA Gaelic Football manager
 - Gavin O'Mahony – Limerick GAA Hurler.
 - Derek Lyng – Kilkenny GAA Hurler and winner of 6 All-Irelands and 2 All-star award, current member of management team for Kilkenny GAA hurling team.
 - BJ Botha – Munster Rugby and South Africa rugby player. Previously Ulster Rugby and Sharks. 2007 Rugby World Cup winner
 - Aaron Dundon – Leinster Rugby player
 - Marcus Horan – Former Munster Rugby and Irish International rugby union player.
 - Charlie Hodgson – Saracens F.C., England and British and Irish Lions rugby player. Previously Sale Sharks
 - Michael Clegg – Former Manchester United F.C. player and current Manchester United F.C. coach
 - Louis Ludik – Ulster Rugby player. Previously Agen, Lions and Sharks
 - Brian Doherty – Irish international and Royal Beerschot (Belgium) professional Field hockey player.
 - Max Sorensen – Irish international and The Hills C.C. cricket player.
 - Chris Baker (high jumper) - International athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1]
 
References
    
- "Sports College Ireland | Online Sports College - Setanta College Ireland".
 - "ITEC Setanta College". www.itecworld.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014.
 - "Strength & Conditioning Qualifications | S&C Courses".
 - "Setanta College and Inspire Institute of Sport announce partnership to deliver MSC in Performance coaching programme in India". 20 April 2021.
 - "Welcome to Setanta College".
 - "Staff | Setanta College". Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
 - "The Examiner - Sport from Ireland - 20, January, 2000". archives.tcm.ie. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
 - Hennessey, L.; Watson, A. W. (1993). "Flexibility and posture assessment in relation to hamstring injury". British Journal of Sports Medicine. 27 (4): 243–6. doi:10.1136/bjsm.27.4.243. PMC 1332012. PMID 8130961.
 - 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.
 - "Sign in". GitLab.
 - "Coaching and Development Committee's Seminar". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
 - http://m.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2000/0119/rugby3.html%5B%5D
 - "SpeedFlexer.ie | About Us". Archived from the original on 12 October 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
 - "Presentor's Profiles | Coaching Ireland". www.coachingireland.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011.
 - "New adventure begins for Kelly - Independent.ie".
 - Tipperary’s Setanta College forms new partnership by Anne O'Grady, Tipperary Live, May 24, 2019.
 - "World Rugby Passport - Conditioning for Rugby". passport.world.rugby.
 - "NCA conducts Evaluation and Development Workshop". www.bcci.tv.
 - "GPA / Energise Sport Announce Fitness & Conditioning Workshops". Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
 - http://www.intolearning.ie/course/info.php?id=42%5B%5D
 -  "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "A Chat with Liam Looney of Setanta College". 7 January 2017.
 - "[links] IAWLA - the Home of Irish Weightlifting". Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
 - "Education Partners | Setanta College". Archived from the original on 2 February 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
 - "FAI link for setanta college | Setanta College". Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
 - "New AFEC School Announcement - Setanta | WAoS Education Pathway". istudy.sport.
 - "Nicholas Walsh Setanta College Graduate November 2011 | Setanta College". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
 - http://archive.galwayindependent.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25566&Itemid=90
 -  "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)