There are few things more satisfying than watching someone quietly get on with it. Compete at the Olympics. Teach maths and Irish to teenagers. Have a baby. And somewhere in between all of that, complete a postgraduate diploma. Naomi Carroll has had quite the week.
The Cratloe woman and Ireland hockey international was conferred at University of Limerick's Summer Conferrings this week, graduating with a Dioplóma Gairmiúil i gCeannaireacht Scoile (Professional Diploma in School Leadership) from UL's Faculty of Education and Health Sciences. She joined more than 1,200 fellow graduates at the ceremony, though it's safe to say not many of them had also represented their country at the Olympic Games or were doing the whole thing with an eight-month-old at home.
From the pitch to the podium
Naomi has been a central figure in Irish women's hockey for over a decade, having made her senior debut in 2012. She was part of the team that captured hearts across the country with appearances in European Tournaments, World Leagues and the World Cup — and then came Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Games, a moment she describes with real emotion.
"Walking out in an Irish jersey on the biggest sporting stage in the world is something I will never forget," she said. "It was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and support from so many people, with my parents Fintan and Margaret and my husband John being constant sources of support throughout."
That journey to Tokyo wasn't without its setbacks. Two years before the Games, Naomi suffered an ACL injury playing football for Clare that kept her out of action for almost a year. "Physically, it required a huge amount of rehabilitation, but mentally it was just as demanding. When sport has been such a significant part of your life, losing the ability to play can be incredibly difficult." She came back, got to Tokyo and made it count.
Naomi Carroll
Balancing elite sport, teaching and further study
Away from hockey, Naomi teaches Maths and Irish at Gaelcholáiste Luimnigh. It's the kind of timetable that would exhaust most of us just reading it — and yet she found room to pursue postgraduate study at UL, drawn to the School Leadership programme by her years in high-performance team environments and a genuine curiosity about what makes good leadership tick.
"Curiosity has played a huge role in both my sporting and professional life. I have always wanted to learn, improve and understand things better — whether in the classroom, on the pitch or in leadership," she explained. "Staying curious keeps you open to growth and new opportunities."
She credits Professor Patricia Mannix McNamara from UL's School of Education with shaping how she thinks about leadership — not as a title or a position, but as something that can genuinely shift a school's culture and the experiences of its students. "Her enthusiasm for education was infectious, and many of the ideas from the programme continue to influence my teaching," Naomi said.
UL has been a thread running through her sporting life too. Professor Tom Comyns from UL's Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences coached Naomi during her preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, support she describes as "invaluable." And UL Sport's Noreen O'Connell has been, in Naomi's own words, "consistently encouraging and helpful" throughout her time there.
A new chapter — with baby Peadar in tow
If the Olympics and a postgraduate diploma weren't enough, Naomi and her husband John welcomed baby Peadar eight months ago. Graduation week looks a little different when you've also got a small person demanding your full attention at home — but from the pictures taken at the conferring ceremony, it looks like Peadar made it along for the occasion too.
Naomi Carroll pictured with her husband John and son Peadar at University of Limerick's Summer Conferrings.
"Life has changed completely — in the best possible way," she said. "Peadar has brought so much joy into our lives. He has also taught me to slow down and appreciate the small moments." Any mum who has tried to slow down while also managing elite-level sport and a full-time teaching job will probably read that and smile.
She's back playing with Catholic Institute now, with the Irish Senior Cup and Irish Hockey League on the horizon. And she still lines out for Cratloe and The Banner Ladies when she can, something she says feels more meaningful than ever since becoming a mother. "After years in elite sport, I really value the sense of community that GAA provides and the connection to your club, parish and people."
Naomi is the kind of person who makes you want to quietly reassess your own excuses. But she'd probably be the last one to frame it that way. In her own words: "Some of my proudest moments have also happened outside of sport — overcoming injury setbacks, completing further education, seeing students succeed and becoming a mother. Those experiences have shaped me just as much as anything I have achieved on the pitch."
Congratulations, Naomi. Quite the week indeed.
