Rathangan Connections With Tennis Champion (1952)
The Leinster Leader of 26 July 1952 highlighted connections between the Rathangan/Ellistown area and the tennis superstar Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, who had recently won the Wimbledon Women’s Championship. The article, available to read below, noted the belief in Ellistown that Ms Connolly was related to two-time All-Ireland Football winner Paddy Martin amongst other local connections.
Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly would go on to become the first female tennis player to complete the Grand Slam in tennis the following year when still 18 years old. She also completed a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles in July 1954, immediately before travelling to Ireland to compete in and win the Irish Open that same month. Unfortunately Maureen was seriously injured in a horse-riding accident in the United States of America in late July 1954 which necessitated her retirement from competitive tennis at the age of 19.
