Smith in contention for Ireland’s greatest woman accolade

DISGRACED Olympic swimmer Michelle Smith is in the running for the accolade of Ireland’s greatest woman after being nominated in a radio competition, it emerged yesterday.

The swimmer, who was banned from the sport for four years in 1998 for charges of manipulating a sample, is one of the 10 finalists in the RTE Radio Marian Finucane show competition.

Smith, who won four medals for swimming at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, was nominated by her husband Erik De Bruin for the competition for Ireland’s greatest woman.

The nationwide phone poll at the radio station over the past few weeks had listeners pitch the reasons why their nominee should be given the accolade of Ireland’s greatest woman.

Some of the well-known names, of those living and dead, who were nominated include Christina Noble, journalist Veronica Guerin, Peig Sayers and Maureen Potter.

Smith joins Christina Noble, whose foundation works to aid the street children of Vietnam struck a strong chord with listeners, in the ten finalists in the competition.

Mary Robinson’s work as the former President and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is held in strong esteem by radio listeners - ensuring her a top 10 slot. Sophia McColgan, who told her story of abuse at the hand’s of her father Joseph McColgan who was convicted in 1995, was also nominated.

A primary school teacher, Nora Herlihy, who died in 1988, made the competition’s final for her work teaching in the poorest parts of Dublin and setting up the first credit union in the country.

A woman, Nano Nagle, who was born in Cork in 1718, was nominated for establishing girl’s education in Ireland, while St Brigid, who founded a monastery in Co Kildare was also placed in the running.

Another of the deceased nominations includes the Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley and Edel Quinn, who worked for the Legion of Mary until her death in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1944.

Dr Kathleen Lynn, who was born in 1874, made the nomination list for her efforts in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and founding Saint Ultan’s Hospital for Sick Children in Charlemont Street in Dublin.

The programme’s nation wide poll to award the accolade continues and voting can be done by phoning Republic of Ireland: 1512 717 112 or Northern Ireland: 0905 581 204.