Niamh O’Brien

Niamh O’Brien has shown exceptional talent and expertise in the early stages of her career, already establishing herself as one of the most impressive young performance analysts working in Irish sport.

She has contributed to some of the country’s leading governing bodies and high-performance environments, including Paralympics Ireland, Swim Ireland, Wicklow GAA senior men’s team, and the IRFU academy teams.

Her work as analyst with Paralympics Ireland and Swim Ireland has included the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as well as multiple major championships, underlining both the trust placed in her and the standard of her contribution.

A graduate of Technological University Dublin with a First Class Honours degree in Sport Science and Health, Niamh has continued to build her academic and practical expertise through an MPhil in Performance Analysis in Para Swimming, supervised by Dr Shane Mangan and Dr Shane Malone.

Alongside her applied work in elite sport, she has also stepped into guest lecturing, sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of sports science students.

Her nomination 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.”

 

Already Appearing on the 2026 List

Sarah Redmond, Connor Ellis, Garry Kehoe, Yvonne Hedigan Conor Keenan Roman Uzun, Louise McCleery

 

Nominations for 2026

So, who do you work with that has shone over the past twelve months or more and is deserving of recognition as they rise through their career?

It could be someone you work alongside, or in another area that you have admired or been impressed by.

Now is your chance to do something special for them. Nominations wil remain open until we hit number 20 of our 30 in the listings, and will reopen again in February 2027.

Criteria

The criteria for submission is that the person should be working within the sports industry, or in a sponsorship or agency capacity that is bringing sport to life, and that they should be born in or after 1996.

You are invited to submit names and a short summary of why an individual deserves to be recognised below.

Our ambition from the start has been to create a network of people making a real difference within our industry.

Who should we be looking to for the next wave of excellence?

Over the coming weeks we will feature a run of interviews with those who have gone before, and we will continue to highlight some of those that have taken on a new role in the past year or two.

Then in June we will gather once more in the offices of PwC to meet in person, share experience and forge connections that will be of real value.

And we will also be looking at additional ways in which we can help those nominated to enhance their career and build strong friendships across the sector, particularly in this the tenth year of the list.

 

If you, like PwC, would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.

 

Image Credit: Sport for Business

 

ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS

Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies and public institutions through high-quality content, events and insight. Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.

Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practice and make better-informed decisions. Its work positions sport not just as entertainment, but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.

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