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A woman who will be fronting the coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup — which kicks off on July 20 — alongside Evanne Ní Chuilinn, Clare MacNamara and Peter Collins, Marie Crowe has been heavily involved in sports from an early age.
Now an RTÉ sports broadcaster that has become a regular fixture on are and on screen, Crowe is the anchor for Women’s World Cup coverage on RTÉ television, as well as the presenter of Sunday Sport on Radio 1 and 2FM’s Game On.
Reporting on GAA, soccer and golf, Marie Crowe is a passionate sports journalist with years of experience in analysing a match. Here, we chat with her about the role sport has played in her life…
Photography by Andres Poveda
Name: Marie Crowe
Profession: RTÉ Sports Presenter
Earliest sporting memory?
My earliest memory is being brought to matches and training sessions with my Dad and siblings. We were out playing constantly.
How did you become involved in sport?
I was always encouraged by my parents to play sports. I have four sisters and two brothers and they ensured we were all treated equally. My sisters and I all played camogie in the local GAA club in Sixmilebridge and soccer with a team in Ennis, Lifford Ladies.
What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?
It’s really important to believe in yourself, if you work hard and stay committed to your goals you can achieve anything.
Proudest moment so far…
My dad was the manager of a senior hurling team that won the county championship, and I interviewed him afterwards that was pretty special as without him instilling a love for sport in me and his constant encouragement I wouldn’t have the career I do.
The female athlete I admire most is…
Katie McCabe, she has worked extremely hard to become one of the best footballers in the world, it wasn’t a straight path to success, but she made hard decisions that paid off and now she has the world at her feet with Arsenal and Ireland. She always has time for every little boy and girl who aspires to be her and she seems like good craic too.
Favourite sporting memory…
Clare winning the All-Ireland hurling final in 1995, to be there in Croke Park was magical and seeing the joy in the county after it was amazing, sport has an ability to create so much happiness.
Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?
I think there was in the past but that has now changed, as has the landscape in general for women’s sport. We now celebrate our athletes and rightly so. At grassroots level it is normal now for girls to play sports.
What is the biggest barrier to driving visibility in women’s sports?
The biggest barrier is lack of facilities, it’s very hard to promote women’s sport when often the fixture details are only known a few days before because of lack of available pitches.
The biggest stigma/pre-conception that exists in women’s sport is…
That we don’t share the same love and passion for sport as men do.
My daily routine is…
Gym, work, followed by kids training sessions.
Sports brands I love (Irish or otherwise)…
I love Queen B leggings and you will rarely see me without a pair of Nike Air Max on.
How do you mind your mental health?
Exercise really sets me up for the day. I go to Platinum Performance in Walksintown in the morning before the kids get up and it always puts me in a good mood.
My three desert island beauty products are…
Sunscreen, detangler and toothpaste.
I need 8 hours of sleep a night because…
I like to go to the gym first thing so it’s over and done with for the day.
Confidence, to me, is…
Being fully prepared for what I need to do.
Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?
For me and so many others sport is a way of life, going to matches, meeting at the local sports club for training and social events. It gives you a community who provide support to people during tough times and is a social outlet for people too.
Imagery provided by Andres Poveda and Marc O’Sullivan