'Best Lady Athlete' Nuala Maher (née Bowe), former All Ireland track star, has passed away

Nuala Maher (née Bowe), renowned Irish athlete and a household name in Tipperary athletics throughout the 1960s and 70s has passed away.

Formerly of Nodstown, Boherlahan and Leigh, Two Mile Borris, Nuala passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 21, in the loving care of the staff at Cork University Hospital.

She is reunited with her beloved husband Kieran, who died less than a month ago on April 28.

You can read more about him here:

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Nuala formed part of the celebrated Bowe family who dominated athletics events across Tipperary and nationally for years.

Her individual achievements, of which there are practically too many to mention, speak for themselves.

The Two Mile Borris native made her athletics debut back in March 1967. It was here that she won a one-mile cross-country race at Cahir Park.

Just a few weeks later she won two silver All-Ireland medals in a blue and gold singlet at the inaugural All-Ireland (Ladies) cross-country championship run at Holycross.

One year later she won the 1.5 miles Southern Region (Munster) Intermediate cross-country title in Fermoy and the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship held at Mallow.

Another career highlight came in 1969 when Nuala was the recipient of the "Tipperary Sports Star Award".

In March of the same year, she won the bronze individual medal at the National Senior (Ladies) Cross-Country Championships held at Mallow Racecourse and gained selection on the Irish Ladies team for the World Cross Country Championships, which were held at Clydebank, Scotland.

During 1970, Nuala won athletic honours at county, provincial and national levels.

That year saw Nuala finished 2nd in the National Senior (ladies) Cross-Country and gained automatic selection on the Irish Ladies Team for the World Championships which were run at Frederick, Maryland, U.S.A.

Her running career saw Nuala Bowe take home; won four All Ireland gold, six silver and three bronze, eight Munster gold, two Munster silver and seven County gold and two silver along with numerous other trophies at open meetings and sports.

She, along with her sisters Breda and Kathleen, was a trailblazer for women's athletics and sport as whole in her local parish, and made Moycarkey-Borris AC one of the most feared athletics club in the country for a lengthy period.

Nuala is predeceased by her parents Jermiah and Nora and her siblings Ned, William, and Carmel.

Deeply regretted and sadly missed by her loving family: daughter Niamh, sons Jack and Brian, son-in-law James, daughters-in-law Mairéad and Caitríona, grandchildren Dylan, Aidan, Noah, Maggie, Tim, Cormac, Grace and Mia.

Also mourned by her brothers Con, Seamus, Tim, Gerry and Tossie; sisters Hannah Kirby, Mary-Anne Carew, Eileen Coakley, Kay McCarthy, Breda Bowe and Noreen Harding; brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends.

Reposing at Devitt’s Funeral Home on Thursday, May 22 from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Requiem Mass will take place the following day on Friday in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Boherlahan at 11.30am, followed by Burial in Ardmayle Cemetery.

The family have asked that any donations, if desired, be made to Bru Columbanus, CUH, Cork.

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