Why do girls give up sport?
Participation in sport supports physical and mental health, improves quality of life, builds selfconfidence, develops teamwork skills and leads to building social networks which are beneficial to our overall well-being and development.
Galway Public Libraries invite you to Westside Library on Saturday 25 February 2023 at 11:00 to attend an important discussion titled “Why do girls give up sport?”. This is a panel discussion, which will feature:
• Carol Keenan, Player Development Manager for the Ireland Rugby Sevens and Life Skills
Advisor for Sport Ireland,
• Dr. Mary McGill, PhD, Journalist, and author of The Visibility Trap: Sexism, Surveillance, and
Social Media
• Marie Hegarty, Podiatrist, MA Health Promotion
• Karen Concannon, Galway Sports Partnership
Looking at topics such as the influence of social media on participation in sport, the impact of injury, and the importance of non-sporting interactions, as well as examining some of the actions which have been taken by sports groups to encourage continued participation, the discussion promises to be engaging, informative, and inspiring.
The event will be moderated by radio presenter and producer Barbara Nic Dhonnacha.
This is a Healthy Ireland At Your Library event, and is open to all, free of charge.
Speaker bios
Carol Keenan
Carol Keenan is a Qualified Guidance Counsellor and Secondary School Teacher with experience in 2nd and 3rd-level education sectors. She is on a career break from the University of Galway where she work as a Careers Advisor, coaching students and graduates toward their desired career paths. She is currently working with Sport Ireland Institute as a Life Skills Advisor and Rugby Players Ireland as a Player Development Manager. In both roles, she supports athletes to create a balance between all of their life commitments, especially outside of their elite sporting careers. Her role aims to foster the personal growth and development of athletes while they are still competing and ultimately prepare and support them for life after elite sport. The core groups she works with are the Men’s and Women’s Irish Rugby 7s teams and the Irish Women’s Hockey team.
Marie Hegarty
Marie is a Podiatrist based out of Momentum Foot and Ankle Clinic Oranmore Co. Galway and also works under Orthopaedic Surgeon Professor Stephen Kearns in the Bon Secours hospital Galway. She graduated with a degree in Podiatric Medicine from NUIG in 2016. Since then she has specialised in Musculoskeletal and Sports Podiatry helping people overcome lower limb pathologies and foot pain and helping such athletes to get back to the activities they love. She has an MA in Health Promotion. Her love of Gaelic Football and interest in woman in sport led her to completing her Thesis on the understanding and experiences of Menstruation among Female Gaelic Football Players.
Dr. Mary McGill
Dr Mary McGill is a Media Studies lecturer and researcher at the Institute of Technology, Carlow and lives in Athenry. Her first book, The Visibility Trap: Sexism, Surveillance and Social Media, was published by New Island in 2021. She is a former Hardiman Scholar at the National University of Ireland, Galway. She is a regular contributor to RTÉ Radio One’s nightly arts show Arena and the Irish Independent.
Karen Concannon
Karen Concannon is a Community Sport Development Officer at Galway Sports Partnership, where she has been involved with a number of programmes aimed at encouraging girls to participate in sports. A Galway native and keen sportsperson, she has competed in swim lifesaving, hockey, windsurfing and in more recent years adventure racing and stand-up paddleboarding. Karen has a degree in Sport & Exercise Science from UL and qualifications in Outdoor Education, Personal Training, Youth Strength & Conditioning and is a Group Exercise Leader with over 20 years’ experience in the industry.
Event Moderator: Barbara Nic Dhonnacha
Barbara has worked in TV and radio for over 15 years, offering people across Ireland the opportunity to share their experiences and stories in Irish media. Barbara’s radio experience is extensive and includes presenting and contributing for bilingual shows and shows in English including shows on RTÉ Radio 1, 4FM, RTÉ’s Raidió na Gaeltachta, iRadio, Raidió na Life, Dublin’s Q102 and Galway Bay FM. In 2022, Barbara was awarded best Irish language show on a commercial station at the Oireachtas Media Awards and has previously won the much coveted 'Music Broadcaster of the Year' award at the national radio awards. She has also been a judge for the prestigious Choice Music Prize and Celtic Media Awards.
