Limerick All-Ireland winner Hennessy reveals battle with eating disorder
Kilmallock and Limerick goalkeeper Barry Hennessy celebrates with the cup after winning the 2021 Limerick SHC
Four-time All-Ireland winning Limerick goalkeeper Barry Hennessy has revealed he hid an eating disorder for years and dropped around six stone in weight at one stage.
The Shannonsiders' reserve goalkeeper, 33, said the problem was at its peak between 2009 and 2012 and led to him suffering from bulimia and poor mental health.
Kilmallock clubman Hennessy, a recent county finalist, acknowledged that 'one incident of self harm', when he cut his arm, was 'just a complete cry for help' and he urged others not to suffer in silence as he did.
Hennessy said that while he came to be known as 'the fella who was super healthy' and 'didn't eat rubbish', the reality was that he was struggling badly with a disorder which he hid 'extremely well'.
Limerick legend Ciaran Carey and former Clare manager Tony Considine intervened with warnings but it wasn't until Hennessy was part of a workshop with Limerick sports psychologist Caroline Currid that he revealed the full extent of the problem.
"I can remember even my birthday going out for a Chinese at the time with my family and running up to the toilet to get sick after the starter, putting my fingers in the back of my throat to get sick, the same thing after the main course," said Hennessy in an interview with former Cavan football goalkeeper Alan O'Mara on The Players Voice podcast.
"I went home then that evening, weighing myself to make sure I hadn't put on weight, or perceived weight, or fat in my eyes. That's where it kind of started and it accelerated from there where it was a daily thing.
"It was morning, lunchtime, it was evening time, and it was literally just going down to the toilet, sticking the fingers in the back of your throat and getting sick and standing up on the weighing scales to see where you were at.
"That led to me going from 16 and a half, 17 stone, down to I think it was 11 (stone) one, and I broke into the 10s at one stage, so it was a quite significant drop.
"I can remember two (other) incidents that were eye-opening. It was a friend of mine, we were playing Cork below in Pairc Ui Chaoimh in the Munster championship in 2010 and I remember they text me after asking, 'Are you okay, it looks like you are sick? It actually looks like you have cancer. I'm very worried about you'. I said, 'No, I'm fine, don't worry about it'. Then a second incident was coming home from college in Tralee one evening for Kilmallock training.
"I remember coming home and sitting outside the front door just bursting out crying, sitting there crying and not knowing what was after happening, whether it was a mini-breakdown or what. My life would have revolved around protein shakes, protein shakes. If I ate a bit of food, it was literally down to the toilet and throw it up."
Hennessy, on the bench for last July's All-Ireland final behind Nickie Quaid and a starter against Cork in the National League in February, said he developed 'unhealthy relationships with food' and 'to this day, I won't eat chocolate, won't eat Taytos, takeaways, things like that'.
Hennessy reckons that at times he was 'probably skeletal' but when he looked in the mirror he would still think, 'Jesus, I'm very heavy, like'. He believes his story will chime with some people and has urged them to seek help.
"That's why I'm speaking about it, I spoke about it last year briefly and what I'd say to people is, 'Reach out, if you're in any sort of difficulty, reach out, because I know for a fact that if I had spoken to someone early, would it have stopped it? Maybe. But it definitely wouldn't have lasted for as long as it did."
* The full interview with Barry Hennessy is available on The Players Voice podcast.
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