As National Disability Week highlights inclusion across Ireland, few stories reflect its spirit more clearly than that of Roscommon’s own Jacqueline McCormack, volunteer, advocate, and Chairperson of the Roscommon Special Olympics Club. Her journey began with a simple realisation that people with special and additional needs in her community “deserved more, more opportunities, more connection, and above all, more belonging.” It’s a belief that continues to guide her work and create what she describes as “a real sense of family” for athletes, volunteers, and the wider community.
Tell me about Jacqueline McCormack?
“I’m Jacqueline McCormack, I live in Roscommon Town and I am the current Chairperson of a wonderful bunch of athletes and volunteers that make up Roscommon Special Olympics Club,” she says, smiling. “I coach our bowlers each week and, along with our super volunteers, provide weekly meet-ups and activities for our athletes.”
Jacqui for short, has been volunteering with Special Olympics for over 20 years. What first drew her in wasn’t an organised programme or a formal ask it was noticing what was missing.
“There was a lack of supports, sports and social activities for people with special and additional needs,” she recalls. “That’s what drew me to the Club in the first instance.” Through her sister Bernadette, Jacqui saw first hand the limited social opportunities available to adults after day services closed in the late afternoon.
“I recognised a need for social integration for the special needs community in Roscommon Town and surrounding areas,” she explains. “When the various centres finished at 4pm, particularly adults had nothing to do and were somewhat secluded. Social activity and meet-ups were practically non-existent.”
Around that time, her colleagues Maire Allen and Marie Keane had started a swimming club. Together, they realised the community’s needs extended far beyond a single activity.
“There was a need to have other sports and social activity where athletes could compete but, more importantly, be in a safe space in a social setting.”
As their conversations evolved, so did the vision for the Club, one that would eventually grow into a thriving swimming and bowling programme, with weekly meet ups and opportunities for athletes to take part in badminton, tennis, golf and orienteering. Today, the Club also proudly hosts two annual centrepiece events: the February bowling challenge with the Roscommon Fire Brigade, and the Maire Allen Cup in September, where athletes take on a Roscommon Town Garda selection.
A turning point came with the opening of Rosbowl by Micheal O’Connor the birthplace of what would become their bowling club and the spark that ignited everything else.
A National Moment That Inspired Local Change
For Jacqui, the roots of her involvement run deep, beginning with her sister Bernadette and a close-knit group of friends who deserved more than what the community could offer at the time.
“My sister Bernadette and her cohort of friends were probably the reason I was inspired to research the development of a Club in Roscommon and to get one going,” she says.
Then came a national turning point.
The 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, hosted by Ireland, became a defining moment for Jacqui and for the country as a whole.
“When Ireland proudly hosted the Games, it wasn’t just a sporting event, it transformed the country,” she recalls. Thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities stepped into the global spotlight, welcomed and celebrated with unprecedented pride. Communities across Ireland embraced a spirit of inclusion that left a lasting impression.
For Jacqui, it was personal. “I cannot put into words the joy and sense of belonging that being a member of Roscommon Special Olympics brings to me and all the other volunteers. It’s a real sense of family amongst us all,” she says. “I often describe the feeling I get from it, it’s like a drug. You keep going back to it week in, week out. It never feels like a chore; it’s always fun and brings a huge sense of satisfaction.”
The momentum of that era helped shape Roscommon’s Special Olympics community but sustaining it required local commitment and generosity.
“Of course, we wouldn’t be able to function but for the kind generosity of the people who come out year in, year out to take part in the Roscommon Community Challenge,” Jacqui explains. The event, a joint venture between her family and Roscommon Sports Partnership since 2011, has become a crucial lifeline. “Funds from this event enable the work of Special Olympics to continue throughout the year. We also recognise all the financial help we get from various donations.”
The Community Challenge not only supports the Club financially, but it strengthens the very spirit of inclusion that Jacqui has championed for more than two decades.
Croke Park 2003 Special Olympics World Games
A Club That’s Much More Than Sport
Roscommon Special Olympics has grown into a thriving hub offering bowling, swimming, badminton, tennis, golf orienteering and more. Beyond sport, it has also become a social lifeline.
“Our Club isn’t just a sporting club,” Jacqui says. “We run social activities throughout the year tea parties, carol singing and next week we have our Christmas wreath-making workshop.”
During the pandemic, she set up a WhatsApp group so athletes could check in daily. It still thrives.
The annual Roscommon Community Challenge also returns this year, training beginning January 5th. “All fitness levels are catered for,” she stresses. “There’s a place for everyone walkers, runners, or anyone recovering from illness.”
The impact on athletes and their families is immeasurable.
“It’s not just sport. It’s knowing athletes can come to you if they are afraid or lonely. It’s watching someone ask for directions to a bathroom for the first time or order a cup of coffee.
Some memories stand out forever like watching Bernadette represent Ireland at the World Games in Shanghai, returning home with a bronze medal. My never-forget moment,” Jacqui says.
“There are no words to describe when you see an athlete do something for the first time like get a strike, swim a length, score a goal that’s when you know you are doing a good job”.
Partnerships That Make It Possible
Jacqui is quick to credit Roscommon Sports Partnership (RSP) for its steadfast support. “I cannot express enough gratitude,” she emphasises. “From CEO Noel Feeley to the tutors on the ground, they always go the extra mile.”
RSP provides qualified coaches across a range of sporting codes not readily accessible through mainstream clubs. “The tutors are fully aware of our athletes’ needs,” she says. “They bring encouragement on the good days and calmness on the challenging days.
“This is why we do what we do”
One of the most memorable challenges came during a new orienteering programme last year.“Initially my athletes were anxious. It involved a lot of thinking and working out clues,” she recalls. “But with RSP’s support, we worked together and by the end my crew were so proud of themselves.”
It’s not always the competitions that matter most. Often, it’s the simple moments the confidence, the joy, the pride on a parent’s face that stay with her.“Recently, an athlete who has been coming to us for years was bowling. Week after week he plays, but on this particular day he won his game convincingly something that doesn’t happen often for him.” His parents were there to witness it. “To see the delight, the love, the pride in their eyes, it was incredible,” she says. “They’re really good parents, and you could just see how much it meant to them. They were absolutely thrilled.” Breakthrough moments, she says, happen all the time.
“It usually has nothing to do with sport. It’s when I see an athlete chatting away, feeling safe. Or when a parent realises their child is in a place where they’ll be minded, protected and taught a new skill, when you see that you know this is why we do what we do”
A Community That Cherishes Its Athletes
Looking at the Club today, Jacqueline feels nothing but pride. “Some athletes may never reach a national or international podium and when they do, it’s wonderful. But for those who don’t, knowing they are in a community that loves and cherishes them is something I am so proud of.”
What keeps you motivated?
“Seeing the warm smiles on my athletes’ faces as they turn up for events and sessions. Knowing they want to be there.”
A Message for National Disability Week
As National Disability Week highlights inclusion across Ireland, Jacqueline’s message is simple, that people understand the transformative power of inclusion through sport. “When people feel safe, supported, and part of something that’s when the magic happens.”
The Moonlight Community Challenge 8 Week Training Programme is now live to register https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1963970007160
Credit: Irish Times for Croke Park Picture