Waterford’s ‘Queen of Sport’ is arguably, one of the most versatile sporting figures in the 20th Century, Newrath-native Josie McNamara.
Josie won Munster Camogie Championships with Waterford, played in All-Ireland finals for Kilkenny, and won County Championship medals with four different clubs across the two counties.
This was a female athlete for whom county borders posed no challenge, she simply loved the game.
Queen of Sport
Today, some might term Josie a ‘rented’ camogie player, drafted in to bring clubs and counties a sugnificant degree of success, but her talents extended far beyond camogie.
She was proficient in badminton, golf, table tennis, and tennis seeing her earn the title locally of ‘Queen of Sport.’
At the time, Josie was a pioneer for Waterford camogie, bearing in mind that in the 1940s and beyond, the game was not as widely supported as it is today and it was often maligned compared to today’s success.
Today, we proudly print the name of our local players who are nominated for All-Star awards, but back then, it was Josie.
For the Love of Camogie
In 2023, Nigel Kelly, former Head of Sport for WLR produced and directed a special documentary ‘For the Love of Camogie’- a special documentary on the 1945 All-Ireland.
The 12 players who would line out in the final hailed from St Mary’s St Columcilles, Clashmore, St Carthages, Ballyduff and Knocknore.
They were as follows:
Cáit Flynn was in goals.
Full Back, Maura Curran.
Mamie O’ Meara at Right wing-back.
Nellie Breen was the centre of the wall.
Nora Hennessy at left wing back to complete the defense.
The midfield comprised of Kitty O Sullivan, Josie McNamara (the Queen of Sport herself) and Captain Bríd McCraith.
The attackers were Teresa Hynes and Nora Healy at right and left-wing forward positions.
Angela Spencer was named at centre forward, with May Kennedy at full forward.
In this documentary you hear from Angela Spencer’s daughter and niece, Betty Lodge and Lillian O’ Sullivan, Mamie O’ Meara’s nephew Declan and Biddie McCraith’s daughter Máire who all reflect on the life and times of the 1945 team.
As always, Cian Manning has the story we should all hear, so at your own leisure, pour a cuppa and listen back to the story of Josie McNamara, Waterford’s ‘Queen of Sport.’
And don’t forget, you can catch Cian every Wednesday morning on The Big Breakfast Blaa after the news at 9.
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