Michelle O’Neill: ‘From the age of seven, I wanted to represent Ireland at an Olympics’

Michelle O’Neill is one of only eight European assistant referees chosen for the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

From cheering Sonia O’Sullivan to a medal as a child, Michelle O’Neill gets to live her own Olympic dream as an assistant referee at the upcoming Tokyo Games.

The Wexford native is one of 99 officials — and the first ever from Ireland – appointed to preside over the men’s and women’s football tournaments in Japan.