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Queer Trivia
She's an Irish athlete.
She was born on August 2, 1982, and raised in Dublin by her mother after her parents' marriage ended when she was still a baby. When she was six, her mother remarried into a family with four children. Though she was initially estranged from her father, they reconnected during her teenage years. Her grandparents played a significant role in her upbringing. As a child, she was active in sports, playing field hockey, cricket, and tennis.
Between 2001 and 2013, she earned 208 caps and scored 31 goals for the Irish national field hockey team. During her international career, she competed in six Women's EuroHockey Nations Championships, three Olympic qualification campaigns, and three Women's Hockey World Cup qualification campaigns. In recognition of her contributions to the sport, she was inducted into the European Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2015. Since 2014, she has been based in Lausanne, working as a Digital Manager for the International Hockey Federation.
She came out to her family at the age of 21. In October 2014, she publicly discussed her sexuality for the first time, appearing on RTÉ2’s Second Captains Live. It marked the first time a gay female athlete from Ireland had publicly spoken in the media about being queer.
When she agreed to appear on Second Captains, the country was approaching a national referendum on marriage equality. “I felt a responsibility to actually say I’m gay, and show other women and girls that everything was going to be OK if you come out,” she said.
Just months later, 62.1% of Irish voters cast their ballots in favor of equal marriage.
She’s ready to spark conversation once again. This time through a new podcast created with her friend Rachel Shelley, best known for playing Helena Peabody in the hit TV drama The L Word. Together, they explore how sports can empower women and pave the way for success beyond the playing field.
Do you know her name? The answer is at the bottom of the email.
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