The Physical Education, Physical Activity and Youth Sport (PEPAYS) Ireland Research Centre has become known nationally and internationally for the quality of its research outputs and has been a destination of choice for more than 40 international scholars to visit and work with staff and post-graduate students. PEPAYS Ireland researchers have supervised to completion numerous postgraduate students at Masters and Doctoral level with a number supported by Irish research funding bodies. PEPAYS Ireland researchers publish frequently in high quality peer-reviewed journals. Research funding, beyond student scholarships, has been modest and has come from Irish sporting, health and educational agencies as well as European funding such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. PEPAYS Ireland has a programme of research with significant research outputs. The Centre hosted its largest event to date in 2011 with 350 delegates from 30 countries attending the first ever International Conference for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) in Ireland.

The PEPAYS Ireland Research Centre was established in January 2005 by Professor Mary O'Sullivan. Dr Deborah Tannehill took up the position of Co-Director of the Centre with Professor O’Sullivan in 2006. In 2014, Co-Directorship was transferred to Dr Ann MacPhail, University of Limerick and Dr Elaine Murtagh, Mary Immaculate College. Professor Ann MacPhail remains as a Co-Director with Dr. Brendan O’Keeffe, University of Limerick, taking up the role of Co-Director in 2022.

There are plans to ensure PEPAYS Ireland remains a relevant hub for active researchers across Ireland and aligned with several international research networks. PEPAYS Ireland seeks to expand its international research profile through professional and scholarly research outlets. With a view to maximising such opportunities, in July 2022, PEPAYS Ireland advertised an opportunity for a Research Master’s aligned to the mission and core values of the PEPAYS Ireland Research Centre. In particular, the candidate was to maximise available information, resources, and outlets, e.g., national agencies, to determine how the mission and core values of PEPAYS Ireland support (or need to change to support) recent developments, nationally and internationally, in the interrelated fields of physical education, physical activity and youth sport. Mairead Grogan successfully secured the appointment and has since transferred to undertaking a PhD. Mairead presented her research at the 2024 PEPAYS Ireland Forum at MTU in June 2024. 

PEPAYS Ireland hosts an annual research forum in June each year. PEPAYS Ireland currently has one designated research space within the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick.

 

Our Mission

To use high-quality, multi-disciplinary and multi-entity research to shape, influence and inform policy and practice relating to advancing the health and well-being of populations in the areas of physical education, sport, physical activity and health.

Core Values

PEPAYS-Ireland has identified values that underpin its activities:

  • works with key agencies to identify and address ideas, issues and challenges within the policy and practice arena that require evidence-based research.
  • advocates for multi-disciplinary and multi-entity high quality research that shapes, influences and informs policy and practice.
  • provides leadership and collegiality to those interested in advancing the health and well-being of populations in the areas of physical education, sport, physical activity and health

Goal

PEPAYS-Ireland has identified a strategic goal over the next four years;

To develop a critical mass of researchers actively contributing to multi-disciplinary and multi-entity research that impacts policy and practice related to health and well-being of populations in the areas of physical education, sport, physical activity and health.

In working towards achieving this goal PEPAYS-Ireland will;

  • foster reciprocal relationships with those responsible for developing policy in the areas of education, sport, physical activity and health
  • identify and prioritise ideas, issues and challenges related to policy and practice that require quality research programmes
  • promote collaboration across disciplines and institutions/agencies in determining quality research programmes that will influence policy and practice
  • maintain an active community of researchers interested in contributing to the physical education, sport, physical activity and health agenda

Co-Directors: Prof. Ann MacPhail & Dr. Brendan O'Keeffe 

Administrator: Anthony O'Leary