A new video capturing the raw ambition, authentic energy, and world-class talent of the University of Limerick’s high-performance sports community has been launched.
‘UnLeash Your Best’ is a new video focusing on UL’s sports scholarship students.
The film, shot cinematically, features six UL sports scholars and offers a glimpse into what it truly means to train, study and achieve at Ireland’s sports campus.
Captured across UL’s sports facilities, from Ireland’s only indoor rowing tank, the 50m Olympic Swimming Pool, UL Sport Arena, to UL’s expansive outdoor training environments, the film brings the viewer into the rhythm of authentic high-performance sports scholar life.
At its core is a story about student-athletes and their environment. UL is home to a growing family of elite athletes who push one another, support one another and achieve sporting greatness together.
Surrounded by top-end sports peers, scholars train and learn in an environment built specifically for high performance, giving them the space and support they need to truly unleash their best.
The aim was to tell the story of UL sports scholars as authentically as possible, while showcasing the calibre of high-performance talent that chooses UL to pursue big ambitions in both sport and academics.
The piece was a collaboration between UL Sport and UL’s Marketing and Communications team with Keith Lawler of LAUDHAUS, who collaborated with local filmmaker Shane Serrano of Crude Media and musician MuRli, a graduate of UL who composed a soundtrack built entirely from the sports and the athletes themselves captured during filming.
Professor Shane Kilcommins, Acting President of University of Limerick, said: “We experience Irish sporting greatness every day at UL because we are privileged to have some of the country’s top sporting talent as scholars.
“High-performance sport is tough, honest work. What you see are genuine moments in the spaces on campus where athletes push themselves every day.
“At University of Limerick, we have always been different, and we have always led from the front. Our sporting legacy and current role call reflects that. This approach aligns with our values of creativity, innovation and ambition, and it honours the incredible sports community we have here.”
“UL has a unique sporting DNA. It’s a community that feels like a tribe – a place where ambition, humility and support meet. It’s where athletes inspire one another to unleash their best. ‘UnLeash Your Best’ captures that spirit in a way that is cinematic, confident and unmistakably UL.”
Neasa O’Donnell, Head of Student Sport at UL, said the video reflects not just individual talent but the strength of unique supports offered to sports scholars at UL.
“UL has long been the home of Olympians and Paralympians, world medallists, internationals and national champions. But what makes UL truly special is the community that surrounds those athletes. This is a place where you’re pushed by the high calibre student athletes beside you and supported by the UL student support team behind you. It’s a special sports tribe to help each and every sports scholar unleash their best. That’s the magic of high-performance sport of UL.
“When you pair incredible young athletes with world-class facilities, specialist support, an unmatched high-performance agreement with our academic colleagues and a community that genuinely believes in them, something extraordinary happens. ‘Unleash Your Best’ captures that beautifully. It shows what’s possible when high-performance athletes are in an environment deserving of their efforts.”
The six scholars featured in the video represent the breadth and depth of UL’s sporting community, each bringing extraordinary talent, dedication and character.
They are:
- John Shortt, the Galway swimmer rewriting national records and an Olympic hopeful for LA28, moves with a calm power that anchors the film
- Nell McLaughlin, from Mayo, is a world medal-winning boxer whose power, rhythm and presence shape the heartbeat of the video
- Caitríona Finn, from Limerick, represents the next generation of elite talent in women’s rugby
- Sadhbh Ní Laoghaire, a Paralympian rower from Bantry, Cork, brings a blend of strength and composure
- Diarmuid Stritch, a Clare senior hurler from Clonlara, showcases sharpness, agility and exceptional skill, reflecting UL’s high calibre contribution to the GAA
- Fintan De Whirst, an Irish 400m hurdler from Donegal, brings explosive pace, power and technical mastery
UnLeash Your Best will be showcased across UL’s digital channels and across the broader campus during upcoming events, and it reflects the institution’s commitment to championing its sports scholars, celebrating its community and highlighting the unparalleled environment that helps athletes reach their full potential.
