A reflexive thematic analysis on the lived experiences of elite Gaelic games student athletes at third level education in Ireland

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorWhelan, Conoren
dc.contributor.authorRyan, Lisaen
dc.contributor.authorGomez, Jeffen
dc.contributor.authorDaly, Eden
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-22T10:59:36Z
dc.date.available2025-07-22T10:59:36Z
dc.date.issued2025-07-10
dc.description.abstractThis study explores the experiences of elite Gaelic games student-athletes (EGSAs) in managing dual careers while pursuing third-level education in Ireland. Using a reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) approach, data were generated through four semi-structured focus group discussions (N = 14) with current senior inter-county athletes (7 male, 7 female) enrolled in full-time third level education across multiple sporting codes and academic disciplines. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) well-being and the dual-career experience, and (2) athletic identity and its impact on academic life and social perception. Participants described significant challenges in balancing academic responsibilities with the demands of elite level sport, including financial strain, travel fatigue, social isolation, and institutional inflexibility. A dominant athletic identity, reinforced by peers, coaches, and institutional cultures frequently overshadowed academic engagement, leading to perceptions of academic disadvantage and uncertainty regarding future career transitions. This study offers new insights into the dual-career realities of amateur elite athletes within a culturally embedded, non-professional sport context. It contributes to the limited empirical literature on Gaelic Games and dual-career management and puts forward actionable recommendations, including dedicated dual-career liaisons, structured recovery periods, peer support networks, and targeted financial aid for universities, sporting bodies, and policymakers aiming to build athlete-centred systems of support.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationWhelan, C., Ryan, L., Gomez, J. and Daly, E. (2025) 'A reflexive thematic analysis on the lived experiences of elite Gaelic games student athletes at third level education in Ireland', Sport, Education and Society, pp.1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2025.2528906en
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/13573322.2025.2528906en
dc.identifier.issn13573322en
dc.identifier.journaltitleSport, Education and Societyen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/17739
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherRoutledgeen
dc.rights© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided theoriginal work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been publishedallow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectDual career athletesen
dc.subjectElite Gaelic games student athletesen
dc.subjectGaelic Athletic Associationen
dc.subjectIdentityen
dc.subjectMental healthen
dc.subject~Education - Journal Articles~en
dc.titleA reflexive thematic analysis on the lived experiences of elite Gaelic games student athletes at third level education in Irelanden
dc.typeArticle (peer reviewed)en
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
A reflexive thematic analysis on the lived experiences of elite Gaelic games student athletes at third level education in Ireland.pdf
Size:
863.7 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published Version
Download
Collections
School of Education