YOU SAY GET OVER HERE, AND PLAY A VIDEO GAME…
Back in March, whilst staring down the barrel of the state-sanctioned lockdown with no sport, I purchased a Nintendo Switch. Bearing in mind that I hadn’t owned a new games console in almost 20 years – switching on the Switch was somewhat of a sensory overload, in terms of how much the gameplay has advanced. But something else had advanced, too… THERE. WERE. WOMEN!
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL… BUT, SO TOO IS THE PROGRESS
It’s often said that the only time you should ever look back is to see how far you’ve come. Well, this International Women’s Day, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Because in our seemingly endless quest for gender equality in sport in the future, it’s vital that we don’t lose sight of the huge strides that are actually being made at present, and be thankful for certain frustrations becoming relics of a bygone era in the past.
ESSENTIAL SPORTS BOOKS FOR YOUR READING LIST
Often I am asked for recommendations of books specifically about women’s sport – so, this is a selection of five favourites from my own personal Women in Sport library. This is far from an exhaustive list, and the books are in no particular order – more so, it’s a broad selection of reading material by female writers that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, and that I frequently revisit for research and reference purposes.
52 MIGHTY MOMENTS FOR IRISH SPORTSWOMEN 2019
It‘s been another stellar year for Irish sportswomen, both at home and abroad. What started as jotting down a list of 20 personal favourites soon became 50. Relive some of the magic…
THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
This is a story about the World Cup. It is also a story about my wife. When myself and Leanne met, I didn’t work in sport - but I watched it on TV non-stop, supported it any chance I’d get, and played it a lot. About a fortnight after our first date, I was...
BE THERE FOR THE JOURNEY – NOT JUST THE DESTINATION.
In the summer of 2018, we witnessed one of the greatest achievements in the history of Irish sport. Not Irish women’s sport – Irish SPORT. In order to fully appreciate the Irish hockey squad’s incredible achievement of reaching a World Cup Final, it is essential to take the three years that preceded the tournament into account. The journey to the podium was one which began in the Spanish city of Valencia, on June 18th 2015…
LEARNING TO SWIM AGAIN
In October 2018, I attended a conference hosted by Swim Ireland. #WePlay: Inspiring Girls In Sport is an annual event for female athletes of all ages and abilities, exploring the areas of body image, health and wellbeing. I went as a journalist, keen to hear athlete...
The Moment That Made Me: GRACE WALSH
Grace Walsh is not someone you’d want to see lining out opposite you on a Camogie pitch. The 25-year-old Tullaroan woman has become an integral piece of Ann Downey’s Kilkenny defence; a corner-back with pace to burn, and the ability to turnover and launch the next...
The Moment That Made Me: MICHAELA WALSH
Michaela Walsh got her 2019 off to the perfect start by successfully defending her title at the National Elite Championships, her seventh national crown. Once again she was officially the woman to beat in the 57kg division. For the 25-year-old featherweight, it was...
The Moment That Made Me: NICOLE TURNER
Nicole Turner lit up the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin last August, claiming Ireland’s first medal of the World Para Swimming European Championships with silver in the 50m Butterfly. Her name has become synonymous with swimming, and success - at still only 16...