Sligo Physio Space has been created by Claire McGuinness, a Physiotherapist with extensive experience in Sports Physiotherapy, Pilates & Yoga
Who are we
Claire has been a physiotherapist for over 20 years. She worked initially in the physiotherapy department in Sligo General hospital before moving to Australia to pursue experience in physiotherapy private practice and sports. Claire has completed a sports physiotherapy masters with the University of Bath in the UK. Claire has gained extensive experience in sports physiotherapy working with professional rugby teams in Australia and more recently with the IRFU. She has also worked as a physiotherapist at a high level in gymnastics, AFL and GAA. While working in Melbourne sports physiotherapy, which was an elite sports physiotherapy private practice, her specialised area of physiotherapy was with youth athletes and endurance athletes such as triathletes.
Claire is also a qualified strength & conditioning coach, a yoga and pilates teacher and has been teaching yoga, reformer and mat pilates in Ireland and Australia for several years. It is Claire’s belief that exercise is a fundamental part of physiotherapy treatment, and aims to use exercise to allow you to not only fix your problem but to help you improve your performance in everyday activities or sport.
Claire has also gained valuable experience working in Melbourne Headache Centre, a physiotherapy clinic that specialises in hands on therapy for treating headaches and migraines. Claire is one of few physiotherapists in Ireland to have trained in the Watson headache approach, which has revolutionised the treatment of headaches and migraines in Australia. Claire is extremely excited to bring this specialised physiotherapy technique to Ireland and Sligo.
Claire is an active person who loves the outdoors and especially the rugged wildness of the west coast of Ireland, she is a keen surfer, and has played GAA, rugby, tag rugby and has injured most of her body so she understands the trials and tribulations of being injured. She has also suffered chronic lower back pain in the past and is strongly empathetic with anyone in pain and will do her best to assist you on the road to recovery no matter where you are in your journey.
Sligo Physio Space is a warm, young innovative physiotherapy clinic and Claire looks forward to welcoming you to what she believes is Sligo’s premier physiotherapy clinic.
Meet Jenn: Physiotherapist and Exercise Enthusiast
Dr. Jenn McKee is a chartered physiotherapist with a BSc in Kinesiology and a minor in Psychology from Humboldt State University, and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh.
Jen moved to Ireland in 2019, and has spent two years as a faculty member at the University of Limerick, where she taught MSc and BSc physiotherapy students, contributed to research, and co-authored numerous publications. This has allowed her to keep up to date with the latest physiotherapy evidence. She established her private practice in Enniscrone in 2020 and has been helping patients ever since. Jenn is also a yoga and pilates teacher and has been involved in strength & conditioning for a long time, so her physiotherapy focus is heavily exercise based.
Jenn works with people to manage pain, improve balance, recover from surgery, build strength, and stay active. Whether you’re recovering, training, or simply aiming to move and feel better, Jenn provides a detailed assessment, clinical diagnosis and individualised rehabilitation to suit your daily tasks or sports.
Jenn is available for all sports & musculoskeletal physiotherapy, massage, pilates and strength & conditioning appointments.
Meet Tuulia: Excellent Physiotherapist
Tuulia Tähkälä
Physiotherapist | Women’s Health | Reformer Pilates
Originally trained in Finland, Tuulia brings a wealth of knowledge in physiotherapy, rehabilitation and movement to Sligo Physio Space. Her academic background includes research into spinal stability, movement control and back pain prevention.
Tuulia provides Massage, Women’s Health Physiotherapy, Reformer Pilates and Strength & Conditioning, tailoring her approach to each individual’s needs and goals. With additional training in PhysioPilates, she combines hands-on physiotherapy with exercise-based rehabilitation to help patients build strength, improve mobility and move with confidence.
Tuulia is passionate about empowering people to take an active role in their recovery, long-term health and wellbeing.
Meet Rob: Internationally Experienced Physiotherapist
Robert Smith is a CORU and AHPRA-registered Senior Physiotherapist with over nine years of clinical experience across Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, specialising in complex musculoskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation and persistent pain management. He offers appointments in physiotherapy, strength & conditioning, reformer pilates and massage.
Meet Daire: Great Physio with Athletic therapy background
Daire O’Regan is a qualified physiotherapist with a strong background in athletic therapy and musculoskeletal care. His clinical expertise spans injury assessment and diagnosis, rehabilitation, neurological physiotherapy (stroke, Parkinson’s, MS), and respiratory/cardiac care across private clinics, NHS hospitals, and sports settings.
Previously operating his own Athletic Therapy practice (2020-2023), Daire provided musculoskeletal services to sports clubs across Sligo and Mayo, and served as Athletic Therapist for Sligo Rugby Club and Mayo GAA Senior Hurling Team. His experience includes placements at Saint Louis University (USA), Back in Motion UK, Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge, and Grantham & District Hospital, demonstrating versatility across sports medicine, private practice, and acute care environments
What to expect from your visit at Sligo’s premier Physiotherapy clinic
Excellent service begins with a detailed verbal and physical physiotherapy assessment in order to establish the cause of your problem. You will be provided with a clear explanation of the nature of your problem and the necessary treatment required to resolve it. We will work with your goals to achieve your desired outcome. You will be provided with appropriate manual therapy including joint mobilisations and dry needling, detailed advice on how to best manage your condition and a person and sports specific exercise program to help accelerate your recovery.
What to bring
Shorts or a vest top are advisable but not necessary. You can also bring any imaging or referral letters that relate to your problem, again not necessary.
Do I need a referral?
Not at all, Physiotherapists are first line practitioners and no referral is necessary. As Physiotherapists work closely with doctors and other health professionals, they will often recommend that you see a physiotherapist and may provide you with a referral, which is great and much appreciated.
Health Provider Cover
As chartered physiotherapists we are covered by all the major health insurers. If you check with your provider they can advise you on what level of cover you have and how much of the costs will be covered.
A receipt will be issued following your session, which is essential if you wish to reclaim a portion of the cost and can be done as follows:
Tax relief:
20% tax relief can be claimed on all medical expenses including visits to a chartered Physiotherapist. This can be done by completing a revenue commissioner’s med1 form via www.revenue.ie
Health Insurance:
Allowances for visits to a chartered physiotherapist vary depending on the insurer and the policy, so contact your provider for your policy details.
Cancellation Policy:
Sligo Physio Space operates a 24 hour cancellation policy of all physiotherapy and class appointments. Please contact the clinic to cancel your appointment within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment, in order to avoid the cancellation fee which is 50% of your appointment fee.