Elizabeth "Lil" Kirby ( ga, Éilís Ní Chiarbha; 1921–1987) was a camogie player who won six All Ireland medals and became fifth president of the

Camogie Association The Camogie Association ( ga, An Cumann Camógaíochta, formerly ga, Cumann Camógaíochta na nGael) organises and promotes the sport of camogie in Ireland and around the world. The association has close ties with the Gaelic Athletic Associati ...

Early life

She was the daughter of DW Kirby of Carrigpeter, Bishopstown Park, Model Farm Road, Cork. She went to

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...

, and played on

Ashbourne Cup The Ashbourne Cup is an Irish camogie tournament played each year to determine the national champion university or third level college. The Ashbourne Cup is the highest division in inter-collegiate camogie. The competition features many of the c ...

camogie teams, joined

Sunday's Well Sunday's Well () is a suburb of Cork (city), Cork city in Ireland. It is situated in the north-west of the city, on a ridge on the northern bank of the River Lee. Sunday's Well is part of the Dáil constituency of Cork North-Central (Dáil const ...

swimming club (winning the ocean swim from

Crosshaven Crosshaven () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in lower Cork Harbour at the mouth of the River Owenabue, across from Currabinny Wood. Originally a fishing village, from the 19th century, the economy of the area became more re ...

to Ocean's Point in 1940), Muskerry golf club, and became captain of her local

Reserve Defence Forces The Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) ( ga, Na hÓglaigh Cúltaca) are the combined Military reserve force, reserve components of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The RDF is organised into the First Line Reserve (FLR) and an active S ...

during The Emergency. Members of Old Aloysians camogie club formed an archway of hurleys when she married David Crowley on 18 April 1941 in the

Honan Chapel The Honan Chapel (, formally Saint Finbarr's Collegiate Chapel and The Honan Hostel Chapel) is a small Catholic church built in the Hiberno-Romanesque revival style on the grounds of University College Cork, Ireland. Designed in 1914, the buil ...

Playing career

She won All Ireland medals at midfield in 1934, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940 and 1941, when she captained the team. She also refereed the 1937 All Ireland final between

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

. Her record of six All Ireland medals was not equalled until 1953 and not by a

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

player until

Pat Maloney Patrick William Maloney (January 19, 1888 – June 27, 1979) was a Major League Baseball outfielder. Maloney played for the New York Highlanders in 1912. In 25 career games, he had a .215 batting average with 17 hits in 79 at-bats. He batted an ...

and

Marion McCarthy Marion McCarthy is a former camogie player, winner of the B+I Star of the Year award in 1980. and All Ireland medals in 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1983. She won National League medals in 1984, 1986 and 1991. She is the only player in camogie hi ...

both won their sixth medal in 1980.

Achievements

Lil Kirby was a decorated player. She is one of thirteen players to have six All-Ireland camogie medals. These are from the years 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940 and 1941. She captained the team in 1940, leading them to success over Galway in the final. She captained then UCC university team and led them to win the

in the year 1936. She also captained the team in 1937, where they were beaten by UCD in the final. The Ashbourne Cup is an Irish inter-varsity camogie championship played every year, the cup for which was donated by Lord Ashbourne in 1915. Kirby also refereed matches during the course of her career including the 1937 All Ireland Final between Dublin and Galway as well as a senior match between Glen Rovers and Barryroc in 1936. Kirby was the first female chair of the Cork County Board, a position she held from the year 1938 to 1942. According to the Camogie Association's website, the board "benefited from her firm and capable leadership". Kirby was also the first woman to become president of the Camogie Association. She held this position from 1942-1945 inclusive. She took on this position soon after a dispute occurred between the Cork and Dublin county boards. This dispute was over the GAA banning GAA players from playing "foreign" sports, such as football and hockey. Kirby was also described as a "top class swimmer" and swam over two miles from White Bay to Graball Bay across Cork Harbour in 1931. She was the first woman to finish the swim, and second overall.

Later life

She became involved in the Irish Countrywoman's Association and continued to play whist after her husband died in 1975.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirby, Lil 1921 births category:1987 deaths Alumni of University College Cork Camogie referees Cork camogie players Presidents of the Camogie Association UCC camogie players Women referees and umpires