Jackie McCarthy O'Brien has led a truly remarkable life, from being born in 1961 to an Irish mother and Jamaican father (whom she never met) in Birmingham to growing up in Limerick. She was put in an industrial school as a baby by a priest for being an "illegitimate" black child and not recovered by her mother until she was five.
As a teen she excelled at sport and played for Ireland in soccer, but when she was sexually harrassed by a coach she changed to Irish rugby team. She got married at 21 before accepting her sexual feelings for women, and leaving the marriage with her three young children. Always a hilarious raconteur, this memoir tells her extraordinary story up until becoming a TikTok star and LGBTQ+ icon in her sixties.
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The autobiography of Jackie McCarthy O'Brien: Irish soccer and rugby star, LGBTQ+ icon, TikTok star and all round Limerick Legend.
Jacqueline "Jackie" McCarthy O'Brien is a former Irish International and rugby player. She played forward for Republic of Ireland women's national football team. McCarthy O'Brien represented Ireland 13 times each in soccer (1981-1993) and rugby (1994-1998). She was the country's first mixed-race player in both games. A vocal advocate against racism, in 2021, she appeared on the Claire Byrne show speaking on the subject. She is openly gay and has participated in Limerick Pride events. Her daughter Sam McCarthy is also a football player.
