Our Team

Could you introduce yourself?!

Hi, I'm Cian McDonnell, and alongside being a licensed Chartered Physiotherapist / current member of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, I'm Gold Standard's Founding Member / Managing Director! 

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What / where did you study?

After completing primary school in Burgess, I went to secondary at Nenagh C.B.S (which is of course only down the road from our Home Clinic!). Post-Leaving Cert, I went to University College Dublin, where I obtained my Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Physiotherapy and Performance Science Degree.

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So fortunate to love the career path I chose, I've gone on to complete a number of Post-Graduate courses in the intervening years. As a result, I also hold qualifications such as:

- a Master's Degree in Sports Performance from the University of Limerick,

- a Sports Traumatology Graduate Diploma,

- a Manual Concepts Certificate,

- a Langer Group Orthotic Prescription Certificate,

- a Western Acupuncture Certificate,

- an Instrumental Manual Therapy Certificate,

- NSCA CSCS Accreditation,

- RVEEH Vestibular Rehabilitation Certification,

- Phlebotomy Certification,

- Shockwave Therapy Certification and

- British Society of Lifestyle Medicine Core Accreditation (pending).
 

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What kind of clinical experience do you have?
After graduating from UCD in 2009, I continued to develop my professional skill-set whilst working in a number of excellent private practices in Ireland, the United States and New Zealand. By 2012, I felt ready to start my own practice and so began Gold Standard's relationship with the Mid-West public, who have been so unbelievably supportive - I really can't ever thank them enough.

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Possessing over 50,000 hours of first hand experience at this stage, I feel privileged to be able to say that I was asked to work with:

- the victorious All Blacks' Rugby World Cup winning team,

- Irish International Soccer teams,

- Scottish International Soccer teams,

- the Otago Rugby squad,

- Limerick F.C,

- the Offaly Senior Hurling team,

- UCD's Senior Gaelic Football and Hurling teams,

- Mary I's Senior Hurling team whilst...

...most definitely not forgetting pretty much every sports team in the North Tipperary area either!

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What are your professional interests?

While I've a huge interest in all Physiotherapy disciplines, I particularly enjoy providing Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy to the General Public (i.e. treating various muscular, bone, tendon, ligament, joint, and cartilage injuries of theirs, which can be felt as neck / shoulder / back / hip / knee / foot pain etc. etc.)

Not only are there some amount of great characters out there but I don't think there's a single person who has come through the door that I haven't learned something interesting or important from. I've a great job really and truly.

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I've a huge grá for treating Sports People / Sports Injuries too (where I place a particular emphasis on Exercise Prescription).

I've also a massive interest in Performance Science and feel honoured to have been entrusted to help a variety of different athletes (including All Blacks Rugby great Joe Rokocoko and Minnesota Vikings NFL player Raonall Smith) realise their amazing potential.

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What kind of personal interests do you have?

I'm huge into all sports, especially Hurling (I'm a life-time member of the Burgess GAA Club).

 

On a weekly basis, I also aim to get in a little bit of Swimming, Astroturf Soccer, Running, Cycling, Weight-lifting and Walking/Hiking - I find the variety great for mind and body. 

 

Gaelic Football, Handball, Squash, Golf / Pitch & Putt, and Tennis are other sports I've dabbled in (with varying degrees of success to be perfectly honest!!).

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I'm also big into reading and podcasts (particularly upon topics like health and well-being) - Andrew Huberman being a current favourite.

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Family time is very important to me as well; my wife, Ciara (who is also a Chartered Physio here at Gold Standard!) and I never experience a dull moment with our two young children, Ciadhla and Hugh constantly tearing around the home-place!

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Tell us one thing about yourself that others may not know?!

I'm red-green colour-blind (so maybe be wary of me at traffic lights, haha!!!)

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Anything else you'd like to add?

I think I've probably gone on enough already!! What I will quickly say is I know the thoughts of receiving treatment can be a bit a little bit daunting for some so please rest assured that we will do everything in our power to make your visit as pleasant and relaxing as is humanly possible. And to repeat a previous point, if there's anything you'd ever like to get in touch about at all, please feel wholly free to, using any of the details provided below.

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Slán go fóill,

Cian