“It probably all started for me with my Da’s cable ties. In secondary school, I went on a spree of tying school bags together and the school’s front doors. The investigation to find out who the culprit was going on for two days until my cousin, a recently qualified teacher, said in the staff room, “sure, it has to be an electrician’s son.” There were three electrician’s sons in the school, my two older brothers and me and I was the boldest.

I got a good telling-off and then was suspended. My poor mother was mortified and sent me to another secondary school in the hope of settling me down. She is a great woman and did everything she could to steer me in the right direction. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and she arranged an appointment for me with a career guidance person in Dublin. After a chat with that lady, I decided to apply for Physiology and Health Science in Carlow and then went on to Manchester to study physiotherapy.

I liked what I was studying but was also just going through the motions. Then, in my last year at college, I started treating people, and this was when it became something I knew I wanted to do.

I came home to Tullamore, where there was no work in physiotherapy and got a driving job at Bord Na Mona. I met Natalie one night in the Bridge House six years ago; we have been together ever since and are getting married this summer. They say behind every strong man is a strong woman, but behind me, there are three. My mother knocked the wild streak out of me, the careers lady set me on a life path, and if it weren’t for Natalie, I wouldn’t have my own business today. She gives me the focus and belief to push forward. And we are now working together on a joint vision to change healthcare in our area”.