Like father, like daughter: Irish sportswomen and their Dads

She’s close to her father and says she looks like him: “A smaller version, but with hair.”

Not only do they look alike, but they share a sense of humour. “Dad is the funniest person I know,” says McEvoy. “He’s full of jokes and banter and that’s rubbed off on the rest of us. We’re all jokers in our family.”

A love of football also runs in the family. “My grandad, Andy, played for Ireland and Blackburn Rovers and dad played League of Ireland for Waterford and Bray Wanderers, before becoming a coach for Glenview Football Club,” says McEvoy. “Dad’s always been mad about football and so have I. There are pictures of me as a small child playing with not one, but six or seven footballs at a time.”

She was a daddy’s girl growing up. “I’d follow him to training sessions and when I started having training sessions and matches of my own, he was the one who would bring me,” she says.

When she’s had a disappointing match, her dad offers support. “It can hit me hard when things don’t go my way in a game, but dad always tries to cheer me up,” she says. “He points out what I did well in the game and reminds me of all I’ve achieved so far. He tells me there’s a reason why I’ve had the successes I’ve had and that one setback doesn’t mean I should give up.”

He has taken great pleasure in those successes. “It was huge for the family when I got picked for Ireland’s U15s schools team and again for the U17s and 19s,” says McEvoy. “And dad couldn’t believe it when I told him I was chosen for the senior team. He thought I was winding him up.”

McEvoy’s focus is on training with Shamrock Rovers. “We train three times a week and play a weekly match,” she says. “I also train with the Ireland squad once a week and am waiting to see if I get named in the squad to go to Australia. Whatever happens, football will always be a big part of my life, just like it is for my dad.”

My dad gives 110%

Golfer Leona Maguire attributes much of her success to her father, Declan. “I wouldn’t have achieved a fraction of what I have without his hard work, dedication and support,” she says.

“As children, he would bring my twin sister, Lisa, and me to GAA matches and introduced us to practically every sport.”

He first brought them golfing when they were about eight. “I remember that there was a walking path that crossed the driving range about 100 yards out and he set us the challenge of hitting the ball across that path,” says Maguire. “It took us ages to do it, but he kept encouraging us until we did. In the process, we started enjoying golf more and more and Dad would take us out playing at weekends and in the evenings after school.”

Their parents drove the twins to tournaments throughout Ireland. Eventually, Lisa decided not to pursue golf competitively, but Leona persisted, and her father continued to support her, particularly through challenging times.

“Dad always encouraged us to work hard and often gave us a nudge to work even harder when things didn’t go according to plan,” Leona says. “He instilled in us the importance of preparing well for competitions and letting the results look after themselves. And he was always conscious of media attention. Both he and mum tried to buffer that as much as possible, so we could live our lives as normal teenagers and just focus on playing golf.”

Like McEvoy, Maguire considers herself a daddy’s girl. “He passed his love of sport on to me, and I’ve always loved going to matches and games with him,” she says. “Even still, we go to matches together whenever I’m home. That will never change.”

She inherited her strong work ethic from her dad and admires his motivation to give “110%” to everything he does. “We can both be stubborn at times, too, but I think this works in our favour, especially when working to achieve a specific goal.”

And what are her plans for Father’s Day? “We usually go out to dinner as a family for Father’s Day and I’m looking forward to doing the same this year,” she says.

He always cheers me on

Meghan Carr is the eldest of world champion racewalker Robert Heffernan’s four children. Aged 20, she is also a soccer player, having played for Cork City for four years, until she recently transferred to Limerick’s Treaty United and donned the green jersey for Ireland’s U19s team.

“Dad encouraged us all to play a variety of sports as children,” says Carr. “I started in athletics, which is his sport, but, aged 12, I realised I loved soccer.”

Her father supported her decision. “No matter what sport I’ve played, he’s always been there on the sidelines,” she says. “Even if I can’t see him, I can hear him as he whistles for me.”

Carr says she looks like her dad. “I have his petite build, too. And I think I might also have his endurance and ability to keep going in sport.”

She describes her dad as strong-minded and confident, with a great sense of humour. “He’s always laughing and joking around and never too serious. And he’s honest. If there’s feedback that I know I’m not going to hear from someone else, I’ll hear it from him. But it will be constructive and have a positive spin.”

She hopes she has inherited some of these traits. “Having confidence and being strongminded are good characteristics to have in sport and in all areas of life,” she says.

She relies on his advice to get through bad days. “There are definitely ups and downs in sport and when things get tough, I know Dad will have advice on how I can keep going and improve,” she says. “He’ll always focus on the positives first and then tell me where I need to pull my socks up.”

He’ll be right by her side on good days, too. “He’s only delighted to see all of us achieve things and take steps up the ladder,” she says. “He’ll remind you that it didn’t come easy, that you had to work hard for it and, because of that, you should enjoy the sense of achievement.”

She was a daddy’s girl as a child. “I still am and suppose I always will be,” she says.

However, Carr won’t be by her dad’s side this Father’s Day. “Usually, we’d go out for a meal to celebrate but this weekend, I’ll be at a wedding, so maybe all he’ll get is a text message,” she says. “But isn’t every day Father’s Day? Dad knows how much I appreciate him.”