In the latest instalment of the University of Limerick Alumni Spotlight series, we speak to Limerick hurler Tom Morrissey, a graduate of the Bachelor of Business Studies and Masters of Taxation at UL’s Kemmy Business School. Tom shares the reasons why he chose to study at UL, how sport played a key role during his time as a student at the university, and why the final year of his undergraduate degree was one of the best and most enjoyable years in his sporting career.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm from Lisnagry, which is in the parish of Ahane/Castleconnell in East Limerick, a 10-minute drive from UL. I went to secondary school in Castletroy College and then started in UL in September 2014.
Why did you choose to study Business Studies and then Taxation at UL?
I always had an interest in the business and finance type subjects in secondary school. I did business, accounting, and economics for my leaving certificate and I really enjoyed all three subjects which led me to choose Business Studies in UL as my undergraduate.
Throughout my undergraduate course I had a little exposure to taxation modules, and I really enjoyed them. I had conversations with my older brother Dan who was working in a tax department for a Big Four firm about the type of work he did on a daily basis and as a result I decided that a career in tax may be for me too. I then decided to undertake the Masters of Taxation in UL’s Kemmy Business School (now offered as a Professional Diploma in Contemporary Taxation) to broaden my tax knowledge ahead of beginning a career in tax.
Also, one of the main factors I chose UL ahead of other universities was because of their facilities. Both the academic and the sporting facilities are top class. Performing in both academics and sport was very important to me and I felt that UL was the best university to pursue my goals in both of these areas of my life.
What was it like to be a student at UL?
UL's sporting and academic facilities are the best in the country. Living close to UL, I would have been down around the UL campus for various events when I was in school. Hurling was always a big part of my life, and I knew given the unrivalled sporting facilities UL has, and the success UL's hurling teams have had over the years, that going to UL would give me the best chance of developing my hurling career.
However, it isn’t just hurling they cater for, the university covers so many different sports and is continuously evolving with the addition of more astro turf pitches, a rock-climbing wall, a boat house, and upgrading the running track. You get the feeling that you are surrounded by elite facilities and elite people competing in an array of different sports.
I have been to many other third-level campuses across the country, and I can honestly say that UL is definitely my favourite. The campus is a one site campus which gives a great sense of community as soon as you walk or drive through the front gates. Walking around the campus during semester there was always a great buzz of life and energy which I loved being around!
UL is known as the ‘Home of Firsts’ – are there any important ‘firsts’ that you experienced while studying at UL?
I was part of the first UL Fresher hurling team to win the Fresher Hurling Championship which we did so in 2015. A few years later, some members of that 2015 Fresher Hurling Championship winning team were on the Fitzgibbon Cup winning team becoming the first group of UL players to win both medals with the university.
Hurling with UL was some of the most enjoyable times I have had in my hurling career. I have some great memories from my time hurling with the college in the Fitzgibbon Cup, as well as a few heartbreaks too which included losing the Fitzgibbon Cup final to our Limerick rivals Mary I in 2016 after double extra time. So, to win it in 2018 in my final year of my undergraduate course was very sweet. The best part of hurling with UL though wasn’t the medals, it was the friendships and craic throughout my years in the university.
Winning the Fitzgibbon Cup in 2018 got the year off to a great start and to then go on and win the All-Ireland with Limerick later that year in August made the year truly remarkable. It was my first time winning either competition, so I always look back at 2018 as one of the best and most enjoyable years in my sporting career.
Tell us about your career journey so far.
Since finishing my Masters of Taxation in 2019 I have been working with Ernst & Young in the corporation tax department in their Limerick office. During my first few years at the company, I completed my Chartered Accountancy (CAI) exams and Chartered Tax exams with the Irish Tax Institute and have worked my way up to Tax Manager.
Why did you choose a career in taxation?
I always found tax extremely interesting and at the same time something very real as it is something that impacts everyone and every business. I was always intrigued and enjoyed the idea of challenging myself to use my knowledge to best assist an individual or a client to manage their tax efficiently and find ways to help minimise their tax exposure while also being compliant.
Both my undergraduate degree and my master’s degree helped provide me with a very large tax technical base which was extremely helpful when I first entered the workforce. What I learned in UL still provides me with an advantage to this day as I got some great experience and exposure to real life tax issues that required me to think on my feet and develop my research skills in respect of the tax legislation to find answers. Developing a skillset like this throughout my time in UL’s Kemmy Business School has stood to me massively in progressing in my career to date.
The world of tax is so broad, but the Masters of Taxation at UL managed to cover so many different areas of tax which I thoroughly enjoyed. We had modules that covered corporation tax, personal income tax, VAT, international tax, stamp duty, capital gains tax, and capital acquisitions tax. Covering all of these topics was challenging but also very rewarding and beneficial for me going forward into my working life. The modules were very much real-life based where we would have to think of solutions for tax issues that would be common for a professional tax advisor.
One of the main reasons I enjoyed my master’s so much was because of the engaging nature of the course. The class size wasn’t too large, and the lecturers always ensured a high level of engagement with us during lectures and tutorials, which allowed for a fun and open learning environment.
What advice would you give to anyone considering studying at UL and in particular in the Kemmy Business School?
I would advise that they go and talk to someone that has studied at UL and even better if it is someone that has studied in the Kemmy Business School. The KBS offers such a variety of courses covering nearly all areas of business and finance that really opens up your opportunities following the completion of your studies. It is just about finding the right course for your interests!
What are your hopes and plans for the future?
For the moment I am fully focused on progressing my career in tax with Ernst & Young. I have been involved in some really interesting tax projects and the international tax landscape is constantly changing, which provides fresh new challenges but also opportunities to learn and progress your career.
I am constantly seeking ways to better myself and learn new skills. Recently I have been considering the possibility of completing a course in leadership as I move up to management level in my firm. I know this is something that UL’s Kemmy Business School provides, as well as many other courses for people seeking to progress their careers in areas of management, finance, leadership and AI.
Finally, here at UL we encourage our students to ‘Stay Curious’. What keeps you curious?
The constant desire to improve myself keeps me curious. I always find that when I am trying to improve whether it be in my professional career or sporting life, this is when you think of new ways you can do things or new things that you can learn that will help you get to the next level.