May Update
This month has been as busy as ever. We began with a major development that made headlines across the island: the Camogie shorts protest. Players stood up against outdated rules that prohibited them from wearing shorts during matches. The protest led to the cancellation of several games and culminated in an emergency meeting on May 22nd. In a significant outcome, 98% voted in favour of allowing women to choose what they wear on the pitch. This was a powerful moment for player autonomy and equality in sport. (Camogie Players Granted Kit Choice As Shorts Approved In Historic Vote )
In other camogie news, the Ulster Championship took place, with Antrim and Derry battling for the title. Antrim delivered a strong performance and secured the win with a final score of 2:17 to Derry’s 1:11. Congratulations to Antrim! We’re looking forward to seeing our Ulster teams take the field again this summer as the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Championship gets underway.
It’s also been a fantastic month for athletics in Northern Ireland. On both road and track, athletes have achieved impressive results. Hannah Gilliland, the Irish National 5K Champion, set a new personal best of 15:51 to win her race. Roise Roberts of CNDR ran a standout 16:36 at a British Milers Club meet, shaving 20 seconds off her previous best. Roberts is the reigning NI and Ulster 5000m champion and has represented Ireland at the European U23 Cross Country Championships. Emily Haggard Kearney from North Belfast Harriers clocked an outstanding 15:14 at the Mid Cheshire 5K, a time expected to be ratified as a new Northern Ireland record—surpassing Ciara Mageean’s previous best by 10 seconds. Roisin Flanagan of Finn Valley also broke her own NI 5000m record with a time of 15:25.51 in Brussels. In the U.S., Anna Gardiner of East Down AC, now running for Providence College, set a new Irish and NI U20 5000m record with a time of 16:17.63 at the Big 10 Conference meet.
Rachel McCann contributed to a strong performance by the women’s 4x400m relay team at the World Athletics Relays in China. Their efforts earned them a spot in the final—and with it, qualification for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo later this year.
In netball news, Shaunagh Craig has been named Assistant Coach for the Warriors. She will take up the post over the next six months while continuing her current role as a technical coach with the U21 World Youth Cup squad. In addition, she will remain Head Coach of the U19 programme for the 2025–26 season, supporting alignment and continuity across Netball NI’s performance pathway. Netball NI also brought its season to a close with a successful final day of competition.
Swimming performances were strong at the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour, where six Irish swimmers reached the finals. Danielle Hill added a silver medal in the 50m Backstroke (27.84) to her earlier gold from Barcelona, and also competed in the 100m Freestyle Final, finishing in 1:00.85. Grace Davison delivered a promising result in the 200m Individual Medley Final, clocking 2:14.94 for fourth place as she prepares for the 2025 European Junior Championships. Lottie Cullen also impressed by dropping over three seconds from her heat time to post 2:16.34 for seventh in the 200m Backstroke Final, just ahead of her teammate Annabelle Wilkinson, who placed eighth in 2:17.81. Ellie McCartney, preparing for both the European U23 Championships and the World Championships, finished sixth in the 100m Breaststroke Final with a time of 1:08.44.
The Northern Ireland Women’s National Team are preparing for a crucial match against Group B1 leaders Poland on Friday 30 May at Seaview in Belfast (7pm). Poland leads the group with 10 points from four matches, while Northern Ireland sits in second place with seven points. Their final match in Group B1 will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday 3 June in Zenica, with Bosnia currently in third place on four points. These final games will determine the group standings and could be key to qualification hopes.
Finally, the research group MIDE has released its Scoping Review, a foundational study that maps the work done to date and helps define the path forward for future research. The review not only examines the topics that have been studied but also the methods used, ensuring that future research is of the highest quality and impact. MIDE is also running a short survey to help determine the next steps in their work. If you have a few minutes, please take the survey: forms.office.com/e/jJRLWiADtB