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We Made It, Kid
- Author
- Jackie McCarthy O'Brien
- Narrator
- Jackie McCarthy O'Brien
- Publisher
- Eriu
- Publish Date
- 18 December 2025
- Run Time
- 8 hours 7 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
- Genre
- Memoirs, Child abuse, Biography: sport
What to expect
Jackie McCarthy O'Brien has led a truly remarkable life, from being born in 1961 to an Irish mother and Jamaican father (whom she never met) in Birmingham to growing up in Limerick. 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.
Critics Review
-
'Compelling, heartfelt and inspiring. I found this book so real. so honest. It has taught me about drive, ambition, persistence and love. And what it means to be really Irish! A triumphant story of achievement in a world made for men!'
author of Poor
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'A story about identity, adversity and what it takes to be yourself when you stand out ... you will be recommending it to everyone, not just sports fans'
Irish Independent
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'Jackie is a trailblazer, not only in sport, but in life, love, resilience, and the journey of finding her identity. As someone navigating multiple cultures being a woman of colour, her story hit home in powerful ways. I laughed, cried, and saw many parts of myself in her journey. This book is for everyone, but especially for those who have ever searched for where they truly belong'
author of Yeah, But Where Are You Really From?
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Jackie McCarthy O'Brien
- Narrator
- Jackie McCarthy O'Brien
- Duration
- 8 hours 7 minutes
- Release Date
- 18 December 2025
- ISBN
- 9781804441862
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Eriu
- Genre
- Memoirs, Child abuse, Biography: sport
Synopsis
'Compelling, heartfelt and inspiring. I found this book so real. so honest. It has taught me about drive, ambition, persistence and love. And what it means to be really Irish! A triumphant story of achievement in a world made for men!' - Katriona O'Sullivan, author of PoorJackie McCarthy O'Brien has led a truly remarkable life, from being born in 1961 to an Irish mother and Jamaican father (whom she never met) in Birmingham to growing up in Limerick. 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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