Golfer Leona Maguire praises fellow women in sport as she reflects on her favourite sporting moments

RSVP chatted to some of Ireland's top sports stars in our September issue - Leona Maguire talks being a woman in sport as well as her favourite sporting events and moments

Leona Maguire has praised fellow women in sport as she spoke about the need for widespread coverage.

The golfing champion spoke to RSVP Magazine this month about her favourite sports moments, being a woman in sport and her favourite golfing venues in Ireland and beyond.

The Cavan native also shared what Irish sports stars she thinks deserve a spot in the sporting hall of fame.

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"It would be Padraig Harrington, Katie Taylor, Sonia O Sullivan, Ciara Mageean, Rachel Blackmore, Kellie Harrington and Paul McGinley," said Leona, as she added that Ciara Mageean is one of the most underrated sports stars in Ireland, in her opinion.

"I think what Ciara Mageean has achieved over the past two years has been so exciting to watch and I am so glad to see how all her hard work and dedication to her sport is paying off."

Leona reflected on one of her personal favourite moments from Irish sporting history.

"For me personally, being in the crowd watching Darren Clarke win his Sunday singles match at the 2006 Ryder Cup will be forever etched in my mind as one of the most iconic sporting moments," she said. "The atmosphere was incredible and the excitement and emotion of the crowd and players was unforgettable!"

As for her personal favourite event she was par of, she said: "Personally, the sporting event with the best atmosphere that I have been a part of would be the Solheim Cup. It is a special week for us given that we don’t play many team events as golfers and it really elevates the sport to a different place."

Leona is well-known as one of Ireland's best female golfers, and she said that the coverage of women's sporting events is key to giving female sportswomen the attention they deserve.

"I think it is important that women’s sport gets the coverage it deserves in the media, across all platforms," she said. "We have so many incredible Irish female athletes that have achieved world class feats this year, like Ciara Mageean and Rachael Blackmore who are amazing role models for future generations. It is so important that young kids can see throughout media outlets how well these women are doing and that if they work just as hard, that they too can achieve great things."

Read more from Ireland's top sports stars in the latest issue of RSVP Magazine on shelves now.

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