A great start to the week for Cork star Seán Powter 

CORK footballer Seán Powter has celebrated success off the pitch ahead of a big weekend after being conferred with a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery degree from University of Limerick.

The Douglas star graduated from UL’s Faculty of Education and Health Sciences today.

Having made his debut in the Munster Championship in 2016, Powter is one of the key players for Cork and will be a crucial cog in the machine when the Rebels head for Tullamore this weekend to face Tyrone on Saturday at 3pm in the All-Ireland SFC Group 3 Round 3 tie.

Powter studied Neuroscience at UCC and played in the Sigerson Cup during his time there. He was part of the 2019 winning team, despite being injured for most of the competition. In 2020, he moved to Limerick to undertake graduate studies in Medicine.

“During my time studying Neuroscience, I developed a fascination with how the human body and brain work. Being an athlete also played a big role,” he said.

“I’ve had my fair share of injuries and learned first-hand how crucial medical knowledge is for recovery and overall health. The idea of making a real difference in people’s lives through healthcare really appealed to me. So, combining these interests and experiences, going into medicine felt like the right path. I went to UL because of the specific graduate medicine programme they offered. The problem-based learning model used in UL was extremely beneficial and a major reason why I did chose UL.” 

A recipient of a prestigious UL Sports Scholarship, the Douglas star played Sigerson football with UL under the guidance of manager Declan Brouder. They reached the final in 2022, but the team narrowly lost to University of Galway.

“My most memorable experience at UL was reaching the Sigerson final in 2022. It was the first final in 25 years for the footballers,” Powter says.

“Despite not getting the desired result, I ended up making friendships for life out of it and that’s what college is about. There were times when I needed to focus on my studies and football suffered and vice versa but thankfully I had amazing support from family, friends and managers who helped along the way.

“My parents have been the main driving force behind my development as an athlete and a student. Without them, I would not have made it this far, so I am extremely grateful to them. My motivation comes from the fear of not reaching my potential. I don’t ever want to wake up and think I have reached only 70/80% of what I could have been. That’s why when I commit to something it’s always 100%.” 

The main focus at the moment is on the Tyrone game this weekend but once the season is over with Cork and Douglas, the 26-year-old hopes to go travelling before pursuing a career in sports medicine.

“The plan for the future is to survive the internship and then maybe see Australia where my father is from. I have always been interested in sports medicine with my injury history, especially hamstrings.

“At the moment things are good, we are after two good wins against Clare and Donegal. The final game against Tyrone will see who tops the group. The hope, like every year, is to bring some silverware back to Leeside.” Powter concluded.