Two Irish Daughters - Finding Role Models for Irish Girls

Some of us come into the world with everything made easy. We don't have to work at getting better at anything as money, garganutan biceps or high cheekbones will carry us to where we were pre-destined to be. A remarkable jounrey safe from the rapid waters of adversity and content in the knowledge that their world is built around them and those fit in to that world as it is. Some others though are born to fight back, not accept the system as it is and fully believe change is possible. Those others are epitomised by Sinead Burke. Born 1990 with a condition called achondroplasia, Sinead could have accepted the circumstances, kept her head down and bemoaned the lack of opportunites. Sinead scrumpled that note and threw it into the bin. A number of titles can be given to her but none really do her justice exclusively: Disability Activist, Podcaster, Artist, Fashionista, Author, Teacher, Activist. She is a woman of action, of these descriptions and much more. After deciding she c...

We all dreamt as children of flying to the Moon or being an Astronaut at some stage didn't we? For some it was a fleeting moment of interest, for others a lifelong itch to be scratched - for Dr Norah Casey it was the latter. From the moment she visited NASA's complex in Cleveland, Ohio as a child she was hooked and her life's trajectory moved towards that star. This was no facile, childish whim. This was the beginning of a quest to reach that celestial body which has transfixed and beguiled men and women for thousands of years. Norah is making it happen. 'The First Irish person in Space' has quite the ring to it and Norah is fully deserving of the title should she get there. This isn't something that she stumbled into. It has taken focus, determination, hard work, commitment and intelligence for Norah to get to where she is. A native of Ballina, Co Mayo she took a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in Limerick, followed by the International Space Univ...

What a glorious sight it was to see two teams battling in the ampitheatre of Croke Park Dublin in yesterdays conclusion to the Ladies Football Finals. The LGFA have to take enormous praise for the way they have transformed the Ladies game in the past 20 years. The spectacle of show was worthy of any showpiece, regardless of gender, and the atmosphere from the crowd as the game entered its final throes was simply exhilarating. The Women's game has had its detractors for a long time now. Whether this be the result of misogyny, begrudgers or those who hate change it is difficult to say but what i witnessed yesterday could not be viewed without the emotions being stirred nor the admiration for those who enter the crucible of battle on the hallowed turf of Croker. I had my daughter WITH ME for her first experience of the Stadium. I thought the jaunt would do her good to see the standards and levels of what Is needed to reach the pinnacle of Ladies Gaa Football. The Junior a...

  The anguished face of Ciara Mageean, following the tortuous final lap of the 1500m women's race in Toyko, touched our hearts. Having seen her Covid interrupted training schedules of 2020 and 2021, and the late tear sustained to her calf muscle, frustratingly the week prior to the race, we knew how much this would hurt her.  In truth it only served further notice of how bravely the 29 year old had battled to place in the race, in spite of the detrimental injury, and the guts it took to take the race to the favourites at the start knowing how few options were left if the strategy did not work out.  Typically, Ciara wasn't one to complain offering that she is not 'one for sharing troubles that arise'.   She takes ownership of her own problems and sets them right in her own assertive manner.   Ciara has worked hard to get to the top and she will stay there from her own work mantra. Ciara had hoped for a final spot and a PB in these Olympics. Hailing from...

                                                      Mona McSharry's breakthrough Tokyo Olympic achievements correctly have her as the name on the lips of anyone mentioning Irish Swimming and the surreal Gold medals of Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy have been rightly lauded and held up to give us a such a buzz this week, delighting the masses and giving pride at seeing our boys and girls do so well.   Conspicuous by its absence is the mention of the Olympian who won 3 gold medals and 1 bronze at the Atlanta Games in 1996 - Michelle Smith De Bruin. One time national hero consigned to the whispered equivalent of Voldemort. So many conflictions offered by supporters and detractors. Some make sense, others border on the idiotic. Conspiracy theories aplenty, friends now foes. I will hold my hands up - I want to bel...

When you fully believe in yourself, anything is possible.    Bronze medals for Aifric Keogh, Fiona Murtagh, Emily Hegarty and Eimear Lambe - Ireland's first of the games.  They knew, they just knew they had it in themselves to drive on in the 2nd half of the race, comforting themselves in the knowledge their aerobic fitness would see them get onto the podium. It is a gruelling and demanding sport with no hiding spots. Who could ever forget the documentary of Steve Redgrave of GB's Olympic training where he regularly collapsed with exhaustion. That is what it takes, and that is why these girls deserve our full admiration and respect. The girls had demonstrated how hard they finished earlier in the season and their competitors knew this thereby racing out early to try and blow off the Irish threat.  The hard training yards, realisation of their capabilities and trust in the Group meant the Irish girls could storm the 2nd half of the race, finishing with aplomb and over...

  Every time the Olympics comes around, there are the conflicting senses of optimism and pessimism.   We know the likes of the USA, China, GB, Russia (ROC), japan and Germany will dominate to an extent, and our race is pretty much ran before we get there.  But, and there is always a but, Team Ireland has that way of always doing you proud, fighting to the end, plucky minnow against the commercial beasts. This Olympics is no different. Still in its infant week, the sensational win by the women's hockey team over South Africa sparked the onset of belief that this tournament could be another World Cup repeat.  The defeat to the Netherlands while expected, showed the team are developing and improving tactically  all the time.  Ayeisha McFerran was simply brilliant as she repelled one attack after another, ably assisted by her crew who fought valiantly against the best team in the World.   It was rear-guard action at times, but that's what we expe...