Paralympics Ireland Performance Analyst Niamh O’Brien was recognised at the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association Conference in Athlone, where she received the award for best postgraduate research poster presentation.
The ISESA Conference brings together students, researchers, academics, practitioners and professionals from across the sport and exercise sciences community in Ireland. The 2026 event took place at Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone, and featured a programme of symposia, oral and poster presentations, workshops and discussions, creating a space for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development across the sector.
Niamh presented on the transformation of Paralympics Ireland’s data approach through the use of Teamworks, and how this has improved data management across the organisation. Her work highlighted the role of performance analysis and effective data systems in supporting athletes, coaches and high-performance teams.
Alongside her role with Paralympics Ireland, Niamh has built an impressive profile across Irish sport. She has worked in performance analysis with a number of leading high-performance environments, including Paralympics Ireland, Swim Ireland, Wicklow GAA senior men’s team and IRFU academy teams.
Her work with Paralympics Ireland and Swim Ireland has included the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, as well as multiple major championships, reflecting the trust placed in her within high-performance settings and the standard of her contribution.
A graduate of Technological University Dublin with a First Class Honours degree in Sport Science and Health, Niamh is continuing to develop her academic and applied expertise through an MPhil in Performance Analysis in Para Swimming, supervised by Dr Shane Mangan and Dr Shane Malone.
Her recognition at the ISESA Conference comes shortly after she was named in the Sport for Business 30 Under 30 for 2026, which celebrates emerging leaders across the Irish sport industry.
Her nomination for the Sport for Business 30 Under 30 read: “Niamh embodies high-performance sport in every sense through her knowledge, professionalism and impact. She is a valued member of every team she works with and would be a tremendous addition to this year’s Sport for Business 30 Under 30.”
The Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association is the representative association for Sport and Exercise Sciences in Ireland. A non-profit organisation, ISESA works to lead, represent and advance the sport and exercise sciences community through advocacy, knowledge exchange, collaboration and accreditation.
