TWO DECADES LISTENING TO TEENAGERS
Inspired by Jim Stynes' work with teenagers in Australia, I helped bring that work to Ireland and co-founded the Soar Foundation. At its heart was a simple message: you matter, exactly as you are. Listening to teenagers changed the direction of my life. Their fears, hopes and stories became the foundation of The Teenager's Book of Life.
What brought me here
I came to this work through sport, grief and learning to begin again. As an All-Star hurler with Clare, I knew what it was to perform under pressure, and I came to understand that what happens inside us matters more than what happens on the outside. After my father died from cancer, I set off on a 7,000km cycle across Canada and Ireland in his memory. The Ride for the Cure raised funds for cancer care and research, and that journey became part of my memoir, Screaming at the Sky. Most of all it inspired my work with young people and those raising them.
It takes all of us
A teenager doesn't grow in isolation. Parents, teachers, coaches and the other adults around them all have a part to play. Supporting the young person also means supporting those adults: helping them understand themselves, notice their reactions and stay connected through years that can feel uncertain for everyone.
My approach is rooted in the conscious coaching method of Dr Shefali Tsabary of which I am an accredited Conscious Parenting Coach. It’s about helping parents and their young people not only weather the storm of the teenage years, but actually flourish and enjoy the journey more than they could ever imagine. The books, talks and resources are where it all lands: honest conversations with teenagers, and support for the adults raising them. The future runs through our teenagers. Building a stronger generation is the work I do.