Golf was never part of the plan.
Not for Mary. Not for Noreen. Not for Ninny or Marie.
Because golf, or so they thought, was for someone else.
Another crowd. Another postcode. Another version of Ireland.
And certainly not for Traveller women from Laois, sitting in a self-advocacy course, learning how to be heard in a country that often looks away.
So when Kevin Farrell, a youth worker with the Laois Traveller Action Group, suggested they give it a go, the response was immediate.
“Golf? This man is mad.”
And yet, just weeks later, they were standing in the boardroom of Golf Ireland’s national headquarters. Delivering presentations. Sharing stories. Talking about visibility, education, and respect. Then they stepped onto the practice green, holding a club for the very first time.
It wasn’t just the sport that changed.
It was who they believed the sport could be for.
An Invitation That Meant Something
This wasn’t a photo opportunity. It wasn’t a gesture. It was the result of a deliberate shift, Golf Ireland’s “Golf Like Me” initiative, designed to challenge long-standing perceptions and open the game to people who’ve historically been left out.
The five women, members of the Laois Traveller Action Group, were midway through a self-advocacy course supported by Laois Offaly ETB. They had already begun challenging systemic exclusion: speaking with Gardaí, winning national awards, and learning how to advocate for themselves and their communities.
Then came golf.
The day at Golf Ireland HQ included a boardroom presentation and coaching at the on-site academy. Ken O’Brien, Head Professional at Edenderry, taught them the basics, grip, posture, swing. And to their surprise, they enjoyed it.
“We never did golf before,” said Mary Harty. “But we had the lessons, and we all enjoyed it. We’re going to be following up.”
What started as curiosity is now a six-week programme at Portarlington Golf Club. There’s already talk of membership!
Belonging, Not Borrowing
There’s a line one of the women said, almost off-hand.
“We thought we’d be out of place, but we blended right in.”
Simple. Disarming. Transformative.
Because to feel at home in a space where you were never expected, never invited, is not just a personal win. It’s a quiet act of resistance.
“We just want to be treated fair,” Mary said. “We’re doing this for our kids, so they don’t have to feel what we felt.”
Already, golf has become part of that journey. The women are watching it on TV. Studying technique. Imagining their children picking up clubs. It was even mentioned, that they’d never heard of a Traveller playing golf before.
The perception of golf in Ireland hasn’t always matched its potential. But Golf Ireland is working to change that. Not by talking about inclusion, but by building it into programmes, policies, and partnerships that last.
“The women are naturals. Confident. Relaxed. Talented.”
And they are. But the most important thing isn’t how they swing. It’s that they showed up. That they were welcomed. .
For them, golf isn’t the end goal. It’s a new channel, to build confidence, challenge stigma and create space where it didn’t previously exist.
They didn’t change to fit golf.
Golf and Golf Ireland made space to fit them.
