Tag Archives: Meghan Houlihan

by | August 29, 2012 · 7:13 pm

Farewell to Coach Rory and Coach Meghan

Since the creation of PeacePlayers’ blog, “From the Field”, American Fellows have used this space to say farewell and reflect on their two-year term of service.  It’s a fairly daunting task to attempt to sum up such a unique experience in a short blog post, but this week, departing Fellows Rory O’Neil and Meghan Houlihan asked each other a couple of questions to wrap-up their time with PeacePlayers Northern Ireland.

Meghan and Rory at Spring Jam 2012

Meghan: Rory, after two years in Belfast, you’re heading home to Washington, D.C. What will you miss most about Northern Ireland?

Rory:  Certainly not the weather or the food. Northern Ireland is a great place. There are a lot of people who would read that and think I am crazy but it really is a place that is on the up and up. If you look at the progress that has happened in the years following the Good Friday Agreement and compare it to other post-conflict/conflict societies…it’s not even close. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a long road ahead, but I am always encouraged by the progress that Northern Ireland has made and this is something I saw everyday working for PeacePlayers. As weird as it sounds, I’ll always miss the sound of a school hall full of screaming, enthusiastic, kids running around. To some it’s the sound of mayhem. To me, it’ll always sound like peace.

Rory: What about you? You’ll be staying in Belfast, but what will you miss about working with PeacePlayers?

Meghan: No question. The kids. I couldn’t agree more. Their contagious enthusiasm made my job so much fun. I loved their little personalities, their questions, their senses of humor and, perhaps most importantly, their willingness try a new sport or make a new friend. I also know that I will miss the sense of fulfillment and purpose I enjoyed while working for an organization that is doing such great work.

Meghan:What are some of your best memories of your work with PPI-NI?

Shannon, Rory and Meghan at the Giants Causeway

Rory: Northern Irish kids always found a way to put things so simply.  I would try and make this lengthy explanation, and then one of our kids would jump in with a one liner that totally summed it all up. At the North Belfast Interface Games Camp, I was running the Community Relations station talking about symbols associated with each of the three sports (Gaelic, soccer, and rugby). I was trying to stress the point that just because you play one of these sports, it doesn’t automatically determine one’s religion or nationality. Then, wee Sophie Love looks me dead in the eye and says: “Rory, it doesn’t matter what sport you play. Anyone can play whatever sport they want to. It doesn’t matter what religion you are…..duuuhhh.” Only one of our kids could have put it so simply and with such gusto. Other favorite one liners I’ll always remember:

- “Coach, friends are friends”

- “Why isn’t the other school here? It’s more fun when they are here”

- “Coach Rory, can we do PeacePlayers…EVERYday?

- “We love the kids from the other school…they’re class!”

I will also always remember the parent I met at the Flagship event a few weeks ago who said that her twin boys were born in 1998, the year of the Good Friday Agreement and that at the time she never imagined her children would be playing rugby, soccer, and Gaelic with children from the opposite , and religion, in the Seaview football stadium, and having so much fun. She was so proud.

Darryl, Meghan and Joanne in the PPI-NI office

Rory: What have you learned from this experience?

Meghan: Over the past two years I have learned a greater sense of patience and understanding. We live in a society that craves instant gratification, and when you’re working with a peace-building organization, you gain an appreciation for small victories. For me, I saw that most often during our community relations discussions or the simple act of a genuine high-five. Like you said earlier, there are signs of tremendous progress, but there is still work to be done. The Troubles affected so many people on both sides of the community and it can be a slow healing process.  While the political climate in Northern Ireland can be unpredictable, the ongoing support and dedication of the principals, teachers and parents of our participants represents the collective effort needed to achieve lasting peace. I am always encouraged by the resiliency of the children to engage with each other, and am continually inspired by the impact of integrated sports programs. Lastly, I have really enjoyed working with the local staff, living in a foreign city and learning about another culture. While Northern Ireland is probably the easiest adjustment (compared to the other PPI sites), I think every American can gain valuable perspective from living abroad.

Many thanks to everyone who made it such a special two years for both of us!

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by | June 6, 2012 · 9:40 am

PPI – Northern Ireland’s Spring Jam 2012

International Fellow Meghan Houlihan pictured with Spring Jam 2012 champions Liberty, coached by Advanced Leadership Programme participant Ashling Hughes

This week Project Coordinator Joanne Fitzpatrick looks back at the highlights from the past weekend’s Spring Jam 2012 tournament

Spring Jam 2012 was something of an emotional rollercoaster for many on Saturday 2nd June, as we celebrated the end of our programming year with a great basketball tournament whilst simultaneously saying goodbye to beloved staff members Tony McGaharan, Meghan Houlihan, Rory O’Neil and intern Garry Longfield.

The warm-up team of International Fellow Rory O’Neil and Project Coordinators Darryl Petticrew and Joanne Fitzpatrick opened the day by leading the collection of players and volunteers in the Cha Cha Slide, the Electric Slide and, no PPI-NI tournament would be complete without, the Party Rock Anthem (AKA the shuffle).

The highly sought-after Hustle and Spirit Awards along with the new addition of the Brooklyn Nets caps

Spring Jam seen many a strong bonds built through the various activities on the day. Each team played six basketball matches, participated in two team-building games and even squeezed in a game of basketball jeopardy. In my four and a half years at PeacePlayers, this being my 11th tournament, I’ve never seen a more impressive sight than looking across the sports hall in Stranmillis College to see hundreds of high fives between teammates. To the untrained eye, they looked like the oldest of friends, but many of these boys and girls only met eachother for the first time when they put their team shirt on.

Spring Jam is all about embracing the three components of PeacePlayers; bridging divides, developing leaders and changing perceptions. Each team was mixture of participants from primary schools and community centres all over Co. Antrim, giving the kids the opportunity to not only meet a new teammate from “the other side” of an interface, but also from the other side of the county.

Bridging divides, developing leaders and changing perceptions in Co. Antrim!

The day, of course, wouldn’t happen without the help of our volunteers. Many of our volunteers this year were made up of participants from our Advanced Leadership Programme (ALP), one of which managed to lead her team to the finals and win.

Each year four participants are rewarded for being a great team-mate, showing respect and sportsmanship, playing hard and never giving up. These awards are called the Spirit and Hustle awards, winners are presented with a trophy and, this year, a Brooklyn Nets cap.

The competition was fierce, the smiles were huge and the slap of the high fives could be heard throughout the building, in my eyes this was the best tournament I’ve been to during my time at PeacePlayers.

What is PeacePlayers?

SWEET TO THE BEAT!

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by | April 25, 2012 · 1:47 pm

All-Star Sunday in Belfast

PPI-NI's very own Coach Tony emceed the event.

PeacePlayers International first came to Northern Ireland in 2002, and since then, the organization has become well known throughout the different communities across the province. Through the involvement of our American fellows in local basketball clubs, PPI-NI has been able to build strong relationships within the Northern Ireland basketball community.

On Sunday 22nd April, several members of the PPI-NI staff participated in the inaugural All-Star basketball event, which took place in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

A golden ball for the All Star!

The event was organized by the Courtside Collective, including local PPI-NI Project Coordinator, Tony McGaharan, who emceed the event. Fellow Meghan Houlihan finished third the in the coed 3-point shoot-out, just missing out for a spot in the finals, and Fellow Rory Leddy O’Neil and local coach Connor McElroy were voted in as All-Stars and represented Belfast in the exhibition game. Local Coordinators Joanne Fitzpatrick and Darryl Petticrew played their role as the entertainment coordinators, running competitions for children during the time-outs and quarter breaks, while Gareth Harper, PPI-NI’s Managing Director, brought his entire family to support the event.

The event was another great example of how sport can bring people together, regardless of background, nationality or religion; a core theme of the PPI mission. The two All-Star teams comprised players from across Northern Ireland and spectators  travelled from as a far a field as County Donegal, Armagh, Newry and L-Derry to watch their favorite players.

Click here to view the BBC Newsline report.

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by | September 29, 2011 · 12:55 pm

Just Across the Road

Over the years, PeacePlayers International’s relationship with Holy Cross Girls and Wheatfield Primary Schools has gone from strength to strength: moving from single identity sessions in each school with a one-off twinning at the end of the term, to both schools participating in the full twinning experience from Primary 4 (2nd Grade) to Primary 7 (5th Grade). The reason we have been able to engage with the schools on this level is not only due to the schools’ increasing trust in PeacePlayers but also, their trust in eachother. The two schools have worked together on several projects in the past; however, this year, PeacePlayers is the only cross-community programme in which both schools are involved.

Last week, Local Coordinator Joanne Fitzpatrick and International Fellow Meghan Houlihan visited both of the Primary 6 (4th Grade) classes for session one of the eight-week programme. Session one is used as a refresher for the 9 year-olds, during which time we discussed their expectations and reiterated “The PPI Way”.

Yesterday, pupils from Wheatfield Primary School visited Holy Cross Girls Primary School for their first twinning session. This visit may be viewed by outsiders as a short walk ‘just across the road’, but the locals understand the significance of these pupils crossing the road and playing basketball together.  The pupils seem to have lost any fear there may have once been and instead are filled with curiosity and excitement.

Holy Cross Girls greeted Wheatfield with big smiles and schoolgirl giggles. Next, Wheatfield was given some insight as to what it’s like being a ‘Holy Cross Girl’ during their welcome presentation. The girls discussed the various activities they do at school; sports, Irish dancing and art. They also listed some of the annual school events such as their Halloween Hoolie, where each pupil wears their Halloween costume for a school-wide competition, and the St. Patrick’s Day Ceili, where the school celebrates the life of St. Patrick through song and dance. The pupils from Wheatfield then got the opportunity to ask the girls some questions.

After a few icebreakers and energizers, the pupils were split into four teams and were introduced to their new teammates and coaches. At this point, we ask each team to create a new team name and team cheer. Unfortunately, the team cheers were not caught on camera, as this was by far the most creative naming ceremony in PeacePlayers history. Firstly we met ‘Team Toast’ who Local Coach Tony McGaharan lead in a group huddle which resembled three of the players as slices of bread popping out of a toaster. Next up was Local Coordinator Darryl Petticrew with the “Basket-Bowlers” and their team chant included the players being knocked down by a “bowling basketball”. International Fellow Rory O’Neil was next up to introduce his team, “The Peace-Out Peeps” who were definitely the coolest dudes in the room at the time. Finally, International Fellow Meghan Houlihan’s team, WheatCross, who performed a modified rendition of Kriss-Kross’ “Jump”, dominated the team introduction session. Singing the lyrics “WheatCross will make ya jump jump, Coach Meghan makes us jump jump”, complete with dance moves and topped of with splits from the girls and a backflip from Luke from Wheatfield.

Teams then competed in dribble relays and discussed the similarities and differences found within their team. The session was finished with the PeacePlayers-Northern Ireland’s native call: “What is PeacePlayers? Sweet to the beat!” and every kid left the gym with a smile and a high-five.

A great end to a spectacular day!

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by | August 17, 2011 · 1:27 pm

Partner Spotlight: Good Relations Between Irish Football Association and PPI-NI

Today, we give you a closer look at the Irish Football Association, one of PeacePlayers International’s partner organizations for the Game of Three Halves. 

A recent IFA game, Northern Ireland vs. Faroe Islands, held at Windsor Park in Belfast.

The Irish Football Association (IFA) is the governing body in the soccer world of Northern Ireland; its main responsibilities include overseeing association-level soccer in the six counties. In addition to its role within the soccer community, IFA is well known and respected for its community relations work and commitment to curbing sectarianism that is often found in sports within Northern Ireland.

Recently, PPI-NI partnered up with IFA, in addition to Ulster Rugby and the Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), to deliver the first-ever Game of Three Halves at Ballysillan Leisure Centre in north Belfast. IFA has been an integral part of the development of the game, which aims to bring together children from both sides of the divide in Northern Ireland to experience sports that have been historically separated.

Michael Boyd, Head of Community Relations for IFA, says:

“The IFA’s partnership with PeacePlayers, the Ulster GAA and Ulster Rugby via the Game of Three Halves is a very positive development which is supporting all the partners to further use sport as a hook to promote good relations in Northern Ireland, challenging sectarianism and racism. Through this partnership, we are all reaching further than ever to promote respect for diversity and create sustainable links to foster new friendships that otherwise would simply not be possible.”

PPI-NI International Fellow Meghan Houlihan supports IFA by rooting for the Northern Ireland national team at a recent Euro 2012 qualifying game.

Last week, the Northern Ireland national team took on the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2012 qualifying game. Many thanks to IFA for inviting PPI-NI to attend! International Fellows Shannon Brown and Meghan Houlihan braved the stormy night to watch Northern Ireland win 4-0. The highlight of the evening wasn’t the awesome cheers, the four goals, or the sold-out crowd’s energy: the best part of the night was seeing the signs supporting anti-sectarianism around the field. Slogans like “Love football, hate bigotry,” and “Football for all: giving sectarianism the boot” could be seen from all over Windsor Park’s stadium.

Kudos to IFA for their involvement in promoting peace in Northern Ireland! Keep an eye on PPI-NI’s blog posts in the coming weeks to learn more about the Game of Three Halves and the involvement of Ulster Rugby and Ulster GAA.

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by | July 27, 2011 · 2:09 pm

High Five to Claire Perry

Don’t be confused. This is a post from Northern Ireland, it is Wednesday after all; however, this week’s blog will be about PPI Fellows Meghan Houlihan and Shannon Brown’s recent trip to South Africa.

Meghan and Shannon after their hike to the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

Shannon and I decided to laugh in the face of credit card debt and plan a trip to South Africa this summer. Over the course of ten days, we visited Cape Town, Durban, home of PeacePlayers International – South Africa (PPI-SA), and ended with a safari in Kruger National Park to celebrate my 30th birthday. The motivation for the trip largely came from the relationship that we’ve developed with Claire Perry, PPI Fellow in South Africa, over the past several months. Claire, a fellow Ivy League women’s basketball alum, and I often chat about the challenges of day-to-day life as an American living in a foreign city and share ideas as to how to improve programs, develop fund-raising initiatives, and of course, to celebrate the achievements of our respective sites.  Inevitably, we’ve also talked a lot about planning visits to each other’s sites. It didn’t take much convincing from her end, and on July 7th Shannon and I headed to South Africa.

Our trip was book-ended by two incredible, albeit very different, experiences in Cape Town and Kruger National Park; however, the focus of this blog will be the great work being done by Claire Perry and PeacePlayers International – South Africa in Durban. Claire was gracious enough to host Shannon and I in Durban for four days, taking time out of her busy work schedule to show us around the city and introduce us to some local cuisine, including ‘Bunny Chow’, hollowed out bread filled with curry.

PPI-SA's first operations meeting in their new office.

During our stay, we were able to visit the new PPI-SA office and attend an operations meeting.  It became immediately obvious that PPI-SA is structured in a very different way than PPI-NI as there were about a dozen local program coordinators in attendance at the meeting. It was very interesting to see how the core mission of PeacePlayers – bridging divides, changing perceptions, and developing leaders – can take many forms to best suit the needs of program participants. Throughout the course of the meeting we learned more about their programs in the townships, and about the ‘life skills’ focus of their curriculum.  My favorite part of the meeting was when staff members were given the opportunity to give a ‘high five’ to a fellow staff member in recognition of a noteworthy achievement.  That said, Shannon and I decided to borrow this practice, and give Claire a high five for her unwavering dedication and commitment to PPI-SA.

Shannon and Meghan with PPI-SA kids in Lamontville.

Claire is very humble, and will likely be embarrassed by this recognition, but we think it very necessary to highlight her contribution as she wraps up the last few months of her two-year service. Perhaps most impressive about Claire is the strong relationships she has developed during her time in Durban.  It is clear that the local staff has a high level respect for Claire and often seeks her guidance and support when challenges arise.  This respect and admiration was demonstrated when Shannon and I wanted to visit one of the townships even though no programs were scheduled. Claire reached out to a few local coordinators from Lamontville, one of the townships that participate in PPI-SA programming, who agreed to meet us and even play some pick-up basketball. For me, one of the highlights of the afternoon was a conversation I had with Sifiso Mthembu, one of the area coordinators, who has worked with PeacePlayers for the past few years. He spoke passionately about the impact of the programs and described the sense of purpose and fulfillment he derives from his work with PPI-SA.

Claire surrounded by PPI-SA participants

When we arrived, the basketball court was empty, but within minutes, several kids appeared to shoot hoops.  While Shannon taught some of the younger kids how to play patty-cake (which they LOVED), I organized some very competitive shooting games and awarded a couple t-shirts in the process. The kids were eager to participate and I believe it’s a credit to Claire and the local coordinators that we were welcomed with such excitement and enthusiasm.

Claire plays pick-up in a pair of running sneakers with several holes, and when asked about it, she shrugs it off, “I gave away my basketball sneakers. The kids need them more than I do.”  This casual, innate generosity and desire to help others drew Claire to PeacePlayers many years ago, and it was a joy to see her fulfilling her long-time dream of working with PeacePlayers in South Africa.

High Five, Claire!

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by | June 22, 2011 · 11:30 am

PeacePlayers Northern Ireland Marches in the Lord Mayor’s Parade

PPI-NI coaches and participants marched in the Lord Mayor's parade.

On Saturday, June 18, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland was invited to march in the Lord Mayor’s Parade. The parade was a celebratory event to welcome Belfast’s new Lord Mayor, Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile. The theme of the festivities was ‘One World, One Future, One Vision’ and showcased the diversity of Belfast. In addition to the PeacePlayers coaches, children from PPI-NI’s primary school twinning program marched in the parade, as well as PPI-NI junior coach, Courtney McQuillan. Additionally, special guest, Brian Cognato, who is visiting Northern Ireland from PPI’s Washington, D.C. office, enthusiastically joined in the spirited march.

International Fellow Meghan Houlihan with PPI-NI twinning participants from Carr's Glen primary school.

The parade kicked off at Writers’ Square, opposite St. Anne’s Cathedral, continued down Royal Avenue and Donegal Place, and finished at Belfast City Hall where all parade participants were treated to lunch and live music.

Although the parade route was only 1/3 mile, all of the participants had a great time waving to the crowds, dancing alongside parade drummers, and chanting, “Peace what? PEACEPLAYERS!”

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by | May 11, 2011 · 1:21 pm

St. Clare’s and Carr’s Glen: PPI-NI Class of 2011

In this week’s blog, PPI-Northern Ireland’s Coach Training and Engagement Co-Ordinator Joanne Fitzpatrick looks back and fondly recalls three years of coaching students from St. Clare’s and Carr’s Glen primary schools in Belfast.

After a record-breaking three years of participation in PPI-NI’s twinning program, the primary seven classes (ages 10-11) from St. Clare’s and Carr’s Glen are saying goodbye to PeacePlayers and their long-term teammates as they prepare to graduate on to secondary school.

St. Clare's and Carr's Glen students continued to play together at Spring Jam 2010. On the yellow team, Jordan from Carr's Glen (with the big smile) and his teammate Sean Paul from St. Clare's get ready to take on David and Sam from Carr's Glen who are teamed up with Fionntan from St. Clare's.

In the Spring of 2009, Coach Dean and I began our work with St. Clare’s and Carr’s Glen Primary Schools where we  were met with open arms by both classes. Both P5 classes were very excited about starting their journey with PeacePlayers, to say the least Our first session together was like no other and the energy in the St. Clare’s gym was overwhelming! The six weeks that followed did not disappoint as the children never ceased to amaze us, both on the court and in the community relations discussions.

“Both classes were so much fun to work with. Each child took to every drill like a duck to water; and every year the teams came together like old friends. I really loved working with those kids. Amazing twinning, period!” said Coach Dean Polly, who has coached both classes with me from the start.

Three years later, with the same group of kids, the enthusiasm was no different. This year, I handed over the lead coach reigns to Coach Meghan Houlihan, but was happy to get to coach my own team: ‘Team Grass Blowing in the Wind’. When I spoke to Kirsty from Carr’s Glen, a member of the Team Grass Blowing in the Wind, she had this to say about her experience with PeacePlayers:

For me, PeacePlayers is a place where you can let all your energy out, have fun, make new friends and get to know some amazing coaches. Over the past three years with PeacePlayers I thought that  it was good craic - having fun with your school and others! I thought that it was really good. My favorite moment of PeacePlayers was when we all did our team cheer! I would really like to stay in touch with my teammates.

Similarly, Joanne from St. Clare’s had this to say:

To me, PeacePlayers is a place for fun – where you can communicate, make new friends and clear your mind. When I first started with PeacePlayers, I thought , ‘I can’t do this’, but the coaches said if you want to learn something new stick to it and you’ll improve it. Over the past three years, I’ve really enjoyed making new friends and having Coach Joanne as my coach and being on Team Grass Blowing in the Wind.

Deep in discussion at Spring Jam 2009, Becky and Chelsea from Carr's Glen regularly attend PPI-NI tournaments.

In the upcoming months we will have the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to both classes. Both schools will, no doubt, be attending Spring Jam en masse. We have also been invited to attend the Carr’s Glen’s Summer Fayre and school production, from which the school will be donating all profits to PeacePlayers.

Carr’s Glen Primary Seven teacher Tony Young has been a great supporter of the program and had these kind words to say:

I don’t think that any member of staff at our school will ever forget the day PPI-NI came into our lives! Perhaps the loudest, most exciting and infectious assembly we have ever seen or will ever see. Since then we have come a long way on our relationship with PPI-NI. Through sport, the coaches introduce the pupils to challenging issues that face us all in society. Everything the pupils learn is taught through non-confrontational sporting activities and the positive, motivated approach of the coaches. Each one of my classes has loved the PPI-NI experience, with quite a few children taking part in Spring Jam and Jingle Ball, as well as our shared school experience. One of the things that I most enjoy about the program was watching the pupils who aren’t sporty and seeing the great progress they make and the enjoyment they get during the eight weeks. It offers a great alternative for these pupils who aren’t happy with the usual offerings like football.

PPI-NI is important for the staff as well as pupils. It has allowed me to develop relationships with colleagues from another school, as well as the excellent working relationship with the PPI-NI coaches. I think their enthusiasm motivates me some days!

I know that my current class is very sad that as they leave primary school it could be the end of their involvement with PPI-NI. Further programs that would include pupils in the early years of secondary school would be excellent. This would encourage them to continue towards possible leadership courses with the group.

I, personally, have thoroughly enjoyed working with both of these classes and would like to thank each and every pupil who has enthusiastically participated in our program. We at PPI-NI hope that we will see some, if not all, of you at Spring Jam and at Cross-Community League next year. Also, a huge thank you to the teachers and principals from both schools who have been so supportive throughout the years!

A word of “thanks” from two of the kids from the St. Clare’s/Carr’s Glen twinning:
 

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by | May 5, 2011 · 1:54 am

Tackling Sectarianism in Northern Ireland

Basketball is an integral part of PeacePlayers International. Outsiders who are not fully educated in our programing might believe that it’s the most important aspect of our mission– after all, we operate on the premise that “children who play together can learn to live together.” That said, the most important outcome of PeacePlayers is the relationships that develop between the children both on and off the court.

Our P7 participants (10 and 11 years old) recently completed PPI-NI’s eight-week twinning program; many left with a changed perception of the “other” community and made new friends, too! Once participants have spent a number of weeks getting to know each other and are comfortable with their teammates, they are introduced to a new term during the Community Relations session: sectarianism. Sectarianism, the act of treating someone unfairly based on his/her religion, is a problem that exists within everyday society in Northern Ireland. PPI-NI coaches discuss sectarianism with the kids on a frequent basis and use examples of sectarianism to highlight the benefits of having diversity and differences within a population.

The following conversation took place as PPI Fellow Meghan Houlihan led participants in a Community Relations activity called “The Line of Sectarianism.” The children were faced with hypothetical situations and decided as a team whether or not the act displayed sectarianism.

Meghan: “Catholics playing football with Protestants. Is that sectarian?”
Kids: (mixed reviews): “No…” “Yes!” “Noo.”
M: “That’s a great example! Can you say it a little louder?”
Boy: “We play basketball with everybody here, a mix of Catholics and Protestants. If you’re not mean to each other then it’s not sectarianism.”
M: “Exactly. Perfect. People playing together is not sectarian.”

Next situation read aloud:
Girl: “Catholics and Protestants talking about their differences.”
M: “Right, we do that the first time we get together. We do the similarities and differences, right? We do that with your class and then with your team. Is that a bad, thing– to talk about differences? (Kids: “No”) Think it’s a good thing? (Kids: “Yeah”) Exactly. So we did that when we joined our teams, and we got to learn about each other, talking about our differences and similarities.
Girl: “Is this kind of one? My granny lives by the peace wall and people throw things over.. is that…?”
M: “What do you think… sectarian? Do you think that’s sectarianism?”
(Girl shrugs, unwilling to commit)
M: “Why don’t you ask your team?”
Boy: “What is it?”
M: “If people are throwing things…”
Girl: “Rocks.”
M: “If people are throwing rocks over the peace wall. Do you think that would be sectarianism.”
(Chatter ensues amongst the kids)
Kid: “… and they throw potatoes, too.”
M: “Is that an example of sectarianism?”
Kids, all: (emphatically) ”Yeahhhh.”

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by | February 2, 2011 · 1:57 pm

Ulster Rockets (and PPI Fellow Meghan Houlihan) Become First All-Ireland Women’s Champions from Northern Ireland

In this installment of the PPI – Northern Ireland blog, PPI Fellow Meghan Houlihan recounts her path to an All-Ireland Championship with her team, the Ulster Rockets.

The Ulster Rockets and U.S. Consul General in Belfast, Kamala Lakhdhir

As an American working for PeacePlayers in Northern Ireland, I inevitably spend many hours on the basketball court; however, over the last several months, those hours have significantly increased as I’ve been training with the Ulster Rockets, an elite senior women’s basketball team that represents Northern Ireland in the All-Ireland National League.

Led by coaches Joe Toner and Sean Wynne (a PPI-NI Board Member) and team captains Nicola Smye and Niamh Toner, the team began training in early September with one goal: to win the All-Ireland Championship. In November, we successfully advanced through the first round of the All-Ireland Cup in Donegal and then went on to beat St. Mary’s, a team from Kerry, in the quarter-finals in December. Two weeks ago, we traveled to Cork and defeated the Meteors, a team from Dublin, in a tough semi-final match-up.

Ulster Rocket Super-Fan Shannon Brown and Meghan Houlihan

Finally, this past Saturday, we faced the University of Limerick in the finals at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. At the end of four quarters, and in front of a spirited crowd of supporters from Belfast (including PPI Fellow Shannon Brown and the U.S. Consul General in Belfast, Kamala Lakhdhir), we convincingly defeated Limerick 72-46 and were crowned the All-Ireland Champions! The win marked the first time a team from the North won the All-Ireland Cup and I am truly honored to be a part of this historic team. Many thanks to all of my teammates, coaches, and supporters for a great season!

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