Girls Play Too Inspiring Stories of Irish Sportswomen

by Hurley, Jacqui

• ISBN13: 9781785374661
• ISBN10: 1785374664
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-08-29
• Publisher: Merrion Press

Summary

Irish sportswomen have been breaking the mould for a very, very long time. In 1956, Maeve Kyle became our first female Olympian, and in 1978 rally driver Rosemary Smith broke the country’s land-speed record! Through the 1990s and 2000s we had world champions in Sonia O’Sullivan, Derval O’Rourke and Olive Loughnane, and more recently, the fantastic Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington and Annalise Murphy have been among those who have put Irish sportswomen on the map. This book breaks the mould once more, as a first ever compendium of stories for children about our best contemporary sportswomen. With a fairy-tale touch, RTÉ’s Jacqui Hurley tells the stories of women who have proved that being a girl is not a barrier to sporting success. Each story is one of overcoming big challenges, and the role models celebrated here are sure to inspire the next generation of Irish sportswomen. Featuring twenty-five dazzling athletes, and with delightful pictures by five wonderful female Irish illustrators, Girls Play Too is a celebration of come of our brightest and best sporting stars, and of all that you can achieve if you try your best and never give up on your dreams.

Author Biography

Jacqui Hurley is one of Ireland’ s leading sports broadcasters. In 2009, she became the first ever female anchor of Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio One. She presents the daily sports bulletins on RTÉ ’ s Six One News and is also a regular anchor of RTÉ ’ s soccer output on television. She lives in Dublin with her husband Shane and her children, Luke and Lily. Girls Play Too her first book. The sequel, Girls Play Too: Book 2 was published in 2021.

Table of Contents

Katie Taylor (boxing) Susan Moran (basketball) Sarah Rowe (GAA/Aussie Rules/soccer) Katie Mullan (hockey) Olive Loughnane (athletics) Cora Staunton (GAA/Aussie Rules) Jenny Egan (canoeing) Ciara Mageean (athletics) Nicci Daly (hockey/motorsport) Denise O’ Sullivan (soccer) Derval O’ Rourke (athletics) Rena Buckley (GAA) Leona Maguire (golf) Ellen Keane (para swimming) Annalise Murphy (sailing) Kellie Harrington (boxing) Joy Neville (rugby) Rachael Blackmore (racing) Lindsay Peat (basketball/GAA/rugby) Katie George Dunleavy (para cycling) Stephanie Roche (soccer) Natalya Coyle (modern pentathlon) Sanita Puspure (rowing) Fiona Coghlan (rugby) Briege Corkery (GAA)