Young Roscommon woman says ‘nothing should stop you from playing the game you love’
Roscommon Herald/SuperValu Special Achievement recipient, Aisling Hanly, with Seán, Róisín, Colman, Liz and Declan Hanly at last Friday night's sportstar awards in the Abbey Hotel. Pictures: Gerard O'Loughlin
If you have a passion for a sport, then nothing should stop you playing the game you love — this was the message from Special Achievement award winner Aisling Hanly when she spoke at the Roscommon Herald/SuperValu Sportstar of the Year awards on Friday night last. (click on the video below to hear Aisling's story)
The young Kilbride woman, who had rushed to the awards ceremony in the Abbey Hotel straight from playing in the O’Connor Cup semi-final in Cork with her college DCU, revealed that the reaction she had received to a video in which she spoke about her deafness and her cochlear implant had taken her by surprise when it went viral. However, she added that she was glad she had spoken out.
“I wanted to show people that nothing should stop you from playing the game you love. There is always a way around it. A disability does not define you. If you have a talent and a passion for something, then go for it,” she urged.
Aisling paid tribute to her parents Liz and Colman, sister Róisín, brothers Declan and Seán, her wider family, Roscommon intermediate ladies’ football manager Ollie Lennon, and her Kilbride, Roscommon, and Roscommon Convent of Mercy teammates for being “exceptional” in every way.
Aisling came to prominence nationally early in March 2023 when, ahead of the Convent of Mercy’s All-Ireland schools’ football final, she revealed to the nation in a powerful interview that she was profoundly deaf — eight years after her sister, Róisín, received the same diagnosis.
However, equipped with cochlear implants and her unmistakable scrum cap, Aisling has never let her disability define her and is inspiring a generation of sportspeople, both young and old, to dream big and conquer their goals in life.
Aisling captained the Convent of Mercy to last year’s All-Ireland success, scoring 1-2 in the final.
At just 19 years of age, she has won two senior ladies’ football medals with her club, Kilbride, including being chosen as Player of the Match in the 2019 replay.
She has represented Roscommon at underage and adult levels, winning a Connacht intermediate and Division Three League title with the county intermediate ladies’ football team.
She has been part of the Irish Deaf Futsal squad since she was 13, representing her country at two European Championships and one World Cup.
Described as a wonderful team-mate, Aisling inspires those around her, on and off the field.
Aisling celebrated on the double last weekend when she returned to Cork on Saturday to be part of the DCU panel that captured the O’Connor Cup alongside Áine McGrath from St. Brigid’s following her side’s 2-16 to 2-14 victory against UCC. (click on the video below to hear Aisling's story)
