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Sporting Memories joins launch of Ulster Sports Legacy

We joined some of Ulster’s sports stars in gathered at Studio Ulster to officially launch a new community organisation focused on celebrating Ulster’s sporting success, with Sporting Memories being a founding partner.

As part of the partnership, Sporting Memories activities will be coming to Ulster enabling older adults to connect and reminisce through a shared love of sport, a series of online exhibitions is being developed, and a physical Hall of Fame remains a firm aspiration. 

Legends Lady Mary Peters and Nigel Carr are co-directors of Ulster Sports Legacy along with founder Amanda Jones. The launch night is bringing together sporting icons spanning generations, including some of USL’s Founding Ambassadors: Mike Bull, Marissa Callaghan, Peter Canavan, Beth Coulter, Jimmy Kirkwood, Gareth McAuley, Willie John McBride, Phillip McCallen, Gareth Maguire, Billy Murray, Julie Nelson, Rebecca Shorten, Rosie Tennyson and Demi Vance. 

Tommy Bowe, Carl Frampton, Rachel Furness, Dermott Lennon, Wayne McCullough and Stephen Martin also back the initiative, along with Ulster University, Studio Ulster, CoStar Screen Lab, the National Museum of Ireland, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Coast to Capital, Fraser Randall and Sporting Memories.

Amanda Jones, Founder & Chair, Ulster Sports Legacy said: “Ulster’s sporting history is not just for the record books; it is part of who we are. When our teams and individuals succeed, it creates hope and possibility, inspires confidence, and drives our collective pride and ambition. Even in disappointment, it helps us become more resilient and determined. A successful sports culture brings a stronger international profile and so celebrating our success will encourage visitors and boost our economy. It will increasingly bring us closer together through our shared love of sport, creating opportunities for volunteering, reminiscence and story-telling. We’re particularly proud to be bringing Sporting Memories clubs to Ulster for the first time and delighted so many of our sport stars are supporting us as Ambassadors.”

“Our first online exhibition, Objects of Resilience is well worth a visit – some of the objects may surprise you! We’re asking the public to get involved too by sharing their own objects and memorabilia. There will be items sitting on shelves, tucked away in drawers or preserved in photo albums, that others would be fascinated to discover. Whether it’s a ticket from a legendary match, signed memorabilia or something more personal, we’d love you to tell us about it. What you have at home is already a small piece of history and you have a story that deserves to be shared.”

Nigel Carr, former Ireland and British & Irish Lions rugby international, broadcaster and USL President said: “Ulster’s sporting success needs little introduction and celebration of this legacy is long overdue. We have so much to be proud of. Sporting greats Lady Mary Peters, George Best, Peter Canavan, Rory McIlroy, Joey Dunlop, Carl Frampton and Sir Anthony McCoy are already household names to many, not to mention Ulster’s gold medallists from Paris ‘24, Rhys McClenaghan, Hannah Scott & Daniel Wiffen. Then there’s European Gold medallists Mark English and Kate O’Connor, and much success at the recent Commonwealth Games too. We hope sharing and celebrating stories from the past will be an inspiration to us all – both today and for generations to come.”

As part of the launch, the first USL online exhibition, Objects of Resilience, debuts today, featuring iconic photography of our sporting stars with objects of personal significance to them. Photography is by Collette O’Neill, with author Leanne O’Boyle working alongside many of the featured sportspeople to help shape their stories in their own words. Images include Lady Mary Peters with the stopwatch gifted to her by the late Buster McShane and Tommy Bowe with his A-Level results, which inadvertently led to his incredible rugby career. You can view the full exhibition at www.ulstersportslegacy.org

Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA is speaking at the launch, a showreel celebrating moments from Ulster’s sporting history will feature and young people from The Rainbow Factory will perform an excerpt from their production of Gold Medal Mary, celebrating the life story of Lady Mary Peters. School children from Fort Hill Integrated Primary School will also be attending.

Members of the public who would like to get involved can visit www.ulstersportslegacy.org to share their own images and stories. The public online exhibition, called ‘The Things We Keep’ will be available to view on the USL website, once launched.

To find out more about Ulster Sports Legacy and its plans, please visit The Ulster Sports Legacy website here.