Sports journalist and broadcaster Marie Crowe shares her pitch-side experiences

Marie Crowe, soccer player, Republic of Ireland correspondent for UEFA, and award-winning sports journalist and broadcaster with RTE and the Sunday Independent, shares her pitch-side experiences.

IN PRIMARY SCHOOL, I WAS A HUGE WRESTLING FAN. I used to watch the Royal Rumble, and other WWF matches, with my dad and write down the results in a notebook. At school the next day, I’d tell everyone what happened.

I PLAYED LOTS OF SPORTS GROWING UP BEFORE FOCUSING ON SOCCER. I currently play for St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin. I joined them when I moved up to Dublin in 2008, and I’m still going strong, just about.

I SECURED MY FIRST TWO PAGES OF GAA COVERAGE while on a college work experience stint with the Sunday Independent. Clare were
playing Tipperary in the Munster hurling championship, and I secured an interview with Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath and also former Clare hurling manager Ger Loughnane. After that, they asked me to stay for the summer, and I ended up staying for six years. I learned the value of good contacts on that first work experience week, as Shane had been a classmate of my brother and Ger was a classmate of my father.

THE EXCITEMENT OF LIVE SPORT IS UNBEATABLE and that’s why I possibly love reporting from matches the most, but I also really enjoy feature writing because I get an insight into some of the most fascinating, driven people in the country. Spending hours transcribing the notes, however…

LOOKING BACK, I WISH I WENT TO AMERICA ON A SOCCER SCHOLARSHIP; a few of my teammates went and then ended up coming home and playing for Arsenal, but I was a home bird. There are more opportunities now for women to turn professional and earn a living with the Women’s Super League in England doing well.

MY FIRST LIVE SPORTS BROADCAST WAS FOR CLARE FM. I covered a Gaelic football match between Clare and Kerry about 12 years ago. It was cold and windy, but I was delighted to be there. It was a much more relaxed scene back then in terms of access to players. I sat on a bench beside the subs, up close to the action, and everyone was happy to talk after the game. It’s not as easy to get interviews any more.