New tennis coach looking forward to growing the game in Longford

Longford Tennis Club is set to welcome experienced tennis coach Ciaran Crowe, who will begin coaching at the club on Tuesday June 16 and will be a resident coach.

Originally from Sandymount in Dublin 4, Ciaran grew up with a passion for sport. He played GAA and rugby throughout his childhood, but tennis was always the sport that stood out.

"Tennis was always my real passion," he said. "I spent countless hours practising with my dad when I was young and that's where my love for the game really started."

Although tennis played a major role in his life, Ciaran initially pursued a different career path.

After studying Auctioneering in DIT, he spent a year working in estate agency before deciding to follow his passion for tennis coaching.

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Having coached part-time in his home club, Claremont Tennis Club, Ciaran made the move into full-time coaching and joined Glenageary Tennis Club, where he was mentored by former National Coach Paul Casey.

"Working with Paul was a fantastic opportunity. I learned so much from him and it helped shape me as a coach."

He later returned to Claremont Tennis Club in a full-time role, coaching alongside respected coach Will Wilshere and working with players of all ages and abilities.

Away from tennis, it was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Ciaran met his wife, Laura Peters, who is from Longford. Through Laura, he developed a strong connection with the county.

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"I fell in love with Longford from the first time I visited," he said. "The people are incredibly welcoming and there is a real sense of community here. Every time I came down, I enjoyed it more and more."

Following their marriage and the arrival of their baby, Longford became an increasingly important part of the couple's future plans.

"It feels like a wonderful place to raise a family and being close to Laura's family is something that means a lot to us."

Adult Group Lessons

Tennis is a sport that’s great for maintaining health, fitness, strength and agility. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed with friends and family as a regular social activity, all you need is a racket, a couple of tennis balls and a spare hour of the day and you're good to go!

The Crowe Tennis Adult Coaching Programme is open to players of all levels and divided into 3 categories:Beginner: Never played before or find it hard to keep a rally going Improver: Can Rally but has little experience of competitive play. Experienced: Has begun to play competitively.

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The groups take place on weekday evenings, Thursday Morning and Saturday afternoons.

Each term is five lessons with multiple terms running throughout the year. The cost is €70 for members and €90 for non-members.

For more information contact: Ciaran Crowe 087 796 4553, email [email protected]