Former soccer and rugby international Jackie McCarthy O’Brien takes a deep dive into what it means to be Irish, gay and black

In her memoir, ‘We Made it, Kid’, Jackie charts how a sense of feeling different as a child fell away on the football pitch and how she went on to achieve success in playing both soccer and rugby for Ireland

Steely: Jackie McCarthy O’Brien. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Jackie McCarthy O’Brien tells us herself that this memoir – We Made it, Kid – is not a sports story but a life one. It’s remarkable given that she is the first mixed-race Irish woman to play rugby and soccer for Ireland at senior level.

And yet, the sporting success isn’t even close to the full story. Sports memoirs often skate along the surface, retelling matches and providing insights into their

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