A message from your teachers 

For over 20 years, I’ve dedicated my life to helping people move with more ease, strength, and confidence. I’m qualified in fitness, personal training, gym instruction, aerobics, aqua aerobics, swimming, mindfulness and meditation, yoga, Pilates, and breathwork. Over the years, I’ve also expanded my studies into fascia, somatic practices, energy work, and I am a certified Reiki Master, which allows me to bring an even deeper mind–body balance into my teaching.

My journey with Pilates began from a very personal place. After a car accident left me with Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain felt through the lower back and hips, I went searching for a form of movement that could genuinely strengthen the body, support healing, and prevent recurring pain. Pilates transformed everything. As my strength, mobility, and awareness improved, my pain disappeared. I also discovered how powerful it is to work the body and mind together through focused, intentional movement.

Pilates may appear to be “just exercise,” but it’s so much more. It’s a space to improve posture, release stress, lengthen and tone the body, reconnect with your breath, and cultivate a calmer, clearer mindset. Rooted in Joseph Pilates’ philosophy, the method develops deep core support, functional strength, and flexibility, with a strong emphasis on the lower back and abdominal areas.

I’ve been teaching Pilates in Sligo since 2002, and I absolutely love it. My training has taken me to Ireland, the U.K., the U.S., and Australia, and I continuously update my knowledge to bring the latest techniques and insights back to our wonderful community here in Sligo. My background in yoga, mindfulness, breathwork, somatic practices, and Reiki helps me create classes that not only strengthen the body but also support emotional wellbeing and inner balance.

Whether you’re recovering from injury, looking to build strength, improve flexibility, or simply want an hour each week that’s yours, I’d be delighted to support your journey.

I look forward to hearing from you—please feel free to get in touch.

Grá mór, Catriona

I’ve been teaching Pilates for over 15 years, but my journey into movement, healing, and the human body began long before that. Growing up in Boyle in the northwest of Ireland, sport was central to my life basketball, running, anything that kept me active. I later spent ten years working as a carpenter in London, a job I loved because it allowed me to work with my hands. But over time, the physical demands took a toll. I developed kyphosis (“roundback”), poor posture, and persistent lower back pain.

Everything changed when I joined Catriona’s Pilates classes. The improvements were life-changing. Pilates not only helped my posture and eased my pain it opened my eyes to the biomechanics of movement and how the body truly works. I was so inspired that I retrained with the NTC in Dublin and became a Pilates instructor myself. Since then, I’ve continued to build my knowledge, qualifying in holistic massage, neuromuscular therapy, kettlebells, personal training, and kayak instruction.

But my real transformation began after the passing of my father, when I developed the autoimmune condition polymyalgia rheumatica. The constant pain, stiffness, and fatigue brought me into a new, deeper relationship with healing. Instead of simply working on the body, I wanted to understand what the body was really trying to communicate. Why does pain exist? What is its root cause? How can movement, breath, and hands-on therapy bring relief?

This personal journey led me to the world of fascia manipulation, which I’ve been studying intensively for the last number of years. Fascia—our body’s connective tissue network holds tension, emotional history, patterns, and pain. Understanding fascia has given me powerful tools to help clients find relief, improve mobility, and restore balance in ways traditional approaches often miss.

Many people say I have “healing hands,” but I think it’s deeper than that. My years as a carpenter gave me an intuitive sense of structure, tension, alignment, and the importance of precision. Today, those same hands help release pain, unlock movement, and support the body in finding its natural ease again. Having lived through years of autoimmune pain myself, I understand what it means to feel depleted, restricted, or unsure if your body will ever feel normal again. Helping people move out of pain and back into their lives genuinely feels like my true calling.

Pilates was originally called Contrology the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. That philosophy runs through all of my work. In every class, I encourage people to use their breath, focus their attention, and give themselves the time and space they deserve.

“When you’re on the mat, this hour is yours your me-time.”

Whether you’re recovering from injury, living with chronic pain, needing to improve your posture, or simply wanting to feel stronger and more grounded, I’d be honoured to support you.

Come join us—at home or in the studio and reconnect with your body, your breath, and your sense of wellbeing.

In movement and balance,
Oliver