Limerick Legend, Jackie McCarthy O’Brien to release memoir, “We Made It, Kid”

Limerick Legend, Jackie McCarthy O’Brien, to release memoir, “We Made It, Kid”. Photo: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Limerick sporting legend, Jackie McCarthy O’Brien memoir to tell the story of her extraordinary life on and off the pitch with the release of ‘We Made It, Kid’

Jackie McCarthy O’Brien is set to release her memoir ‘We Made It, Kid’, sharing her extraordinary life story on and off the pitch, available from October 2 with a special launch event scheduled for October 7 at O’Mahony’s Booksellers, Limerick.

Born in Birmingham in 1961 to an Irish Mother and Jamaican father, Jackie grew up in Limerick after spending her early years in an industrial school. 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 harassed 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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A natural athlete, Jackie has represented the Republic of Ireland between 1981 and 1993, earning 13 caps and won another 13 caps representing Ireland in rugby. In both sports, McCarthy O’Brien broke barriers as the country’s first mixed-race international player.

In a message to her family, friends, and followers on Facebook, Jackie said, “ I’ve got it in my hand, guys. Just jumping on to thank so many of you for encouraging me to write this book. There are a lot of tears, happy memories, and heartache. It’s been emotional, I’m not going to lie, but it’s finally here.”

Making the announcement, the sporting legend said she was “nervous as hell” ahead of the launch but that she was “very proud” of the book set for release this October.

“They’re my words, my opinion, my life story. But there are so many other people in it that help me along the way, especially my mom and dad and my family,” said Jackie McCarthy O’Brien.

Jackie said she is hopeful for the book’s success, saying it wasn’t just for her but for the people who helped shape her life who are mentioned in the book.

 ”It took a lot to get me to be able to sit here today and do this, and not least my family,” said Jackie, adding, “It’s a story that I needed to tell to heal from past wounds. To move forward to have a better, happier life. I wrote the book for me, but I think it will help others just to keep getting up and show you never give up. There have been times I felt like it, and the book is very, very honest about what my life was like.”

“We Made It, Kid: Living Life in Full Colour” is set for release this October 2 and will be available nationwide. During the video, Jackie announced that a special event to launch the book will take place on October 7 at 6:30 pm in O’Mahony’s Booksellers, O’Connell Street, Limerick, as she jokingly quipped, “Where else?”