We Are Women

We are daughters, we are sisters. We are cousins, we are nieces. We are friends, we are partners. We are wives, we are mothers. We are women who have become doctors, teachers, lawyers, leaders, journalists, actors, musicians, sportswomen.

I wrote in my very first article that women and sport are the two greatest gifts God granted to man, even more exceptional when combined for then history is waiting to be made. Of all the many comments and statements I have strung together this one is definitely one of my personal favourites for so many reasons.

The Ulster ladies finals were a popular subject to report upon after last weekends display of fine footballing with Tyrone ladies ending their seven years of heart break and were crowned Ulster Intermediate champions for the first time at Clones.

Monaghan ladies were the ones to clench the senior title, following their win joint captains Ciara McAnespie and Laura McEnaney took to the stand. “Alone we can do very little, together we can do so much…. the Monaghan ladies were a sinking ship, but by God that ship is sailing here today!”

Not only do these words spoken by these two footballers represent their team mates, their team, and their journey which they embarked upon together but the passage of women over the centuries.

We women were once upon a time no more than a procession of man, we brought life into the world and held our families together creating a beloved household. I find it utterly disturbing to think that we were devalued for being able to do the two things which have such great importance within this worldly place. For there would be no man without women and no place to call home without mothers.

Together women changed their own lives and their own destiny. Today we continue to do that through our choices of lifestyle. We chose to save the lives of those we love, we chose to teach the leaders of tomorrow, we pen the book that granted you freedom and escapism. We chose to represent our clubs, our county, our county through our hard work, our determination and commitment, choosing to give you, our people something to believe in.

The Euros are almost over but Rio is perched in a perky fashion upon the horizon politely waiting it’s turn. At the last Olympic games boxer Katie Taylor became the Irish hero, generating a overwhelming sense of proudness in the hearts of the Irish people and this year she will do the same along with triathlon competitor Aileen Reid, cyclist Shannon McCurley, eventer Clare Abott and athletic competitors Ciara Mageean and Breege Connolly to name a few.

These are our sportswomen leading the way to the Olympics, chomping at the bit to make history, the women who will highlight the spell bounding talent of the Irish and the mythical support of our Irish natives.  There is no place no more captivating and drowned with endless possibilities and brimming with dreams than the Olympic stage. The ball is in the court of our Olympians and we all know there is no one more capable than these Irish bred women who have been reared in a squabbling household by doting Irish mammies.