Howard, from Deerpark, Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary, is the daughter of Limerick man, Garrett Howard, and Josephine from Newtown, Nenagh. Garrett won five All Ireland medals and was awarded the Bank of Ireland All Time All Star Award. Under the guidance of her parents, she and her sisters started a Camogie club in Feakle, Co. Clare. Howard played Camogie with Clare, Tipperary and Dublin. She won a Munster Championship and National League with Tipperary and two Leinster Junior Championships with Dublin. She was a member of the famous Celtic club in Dublin; a club that provided seven Presidents of the Camogie Association. Howard also played on the Tipperary team that won the first ever National Camogie League, beating Wexford in the inaugural replayed final of 1977.
Career
During the Presidency of Miriam O'Callaghan, Howard, Sile Wallace, Jo Golden and Sinead O'Connor developed the Strategic Plan 2004–2008; this was the template to grow and develop Camogie. O'Callaghan asked Howard to get back involved with Camogie. Following her election as President, Howard initiated an in-depth review to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Camogie Association. This was carried out by Atlantic Sports Management and funded by the Irish Sports Council. The review led to a six-year National Development Plan, which was launched at Annual Congress in Newbridge in March 2010. This led to a new Constitution for the Camogie Association, and was ratified at a special Congress in 2010. She focused on raising the profile of the Association, promoting the stars of the game, developing the game and growing the sport by working with Sinead O'Connor, Chief Executive of the Association. Using her HR experience, a vibrant and professional full-time Development and Administrative team were recruited. RTÉ came on board to include Camogie on The Sunday Game. TG4 televised the Junior All Ireland Finalfor the first time and general media coverage grew. She was involved in replacing the O'Duffy Cup with a new one. At the end of her Presidency, she said that the sport can grow even more. She worked closely with the GAA. Her previous role as Tipperary GAA PRO benefited Camogie, as she was able to network with her contacts, with the particular support of Liam O'Neill and Nickey Brennan agreeing to twin the All Ireland Senior and Junior Camogie finals with the U 21 All Ireland Hurling final in Croke Park - an arrangement that lasted from 2006 to 2009. This helped raise attendances to record levels, peaking at 33,154 for the 2007 final between Wexford and Cork. New sponsorship deals were signed with Gala, O'Neills and Coillte. Bursaries for Third level players were launched. With the Chief Executive, she forged links with the Irish Sports Council and initiated links with Sports Partnerships and Local Authorities. In 2007, she suggested that Camogie be renamed 'Women's Hurling', which did not materialise.
Broadcast
When RTÉ introduced the GAA programme The Sunday Game in 1979, Howard was the first female analyst on the programme. While her appointment initially led to comment, some considered her to be a well-informed and respected analyst. She was, and continues to be, a regular contributor to both TV and radio programmes, including The Championship. She was a panel member on the special Late Late Show that marked the centennial of the GAA in 1984. She had a weekly column in the local Tipperary provincial papers during her time as Tipperary GAA PRO.
GAA PRO
She served as Tipperary GAA PRO for 22 years. She was the first woman to be elected as an officer of the Tipperary County Board. She brought a professional approach to the role and became a well-known female within GAA circles. In 1997, Clare defeated Tipperary in the Munster Senior Hurling Final. Clare Captain Anthony Daly, in his victory speech after the game, stated that Clare were 'No longer the whipping boys of Munster'. This apparent slight at Tipperary was not well received. Howard caused a storm of controversy later that week. In her PRO notes, she labelled Daly's comments as 'Conduct unbecoming'. This led to a backlash of criticism in Clare, which only added to the bitter rivalry between the counties at that time. She incurred the wrath of Ger Loughnane in 1998, but Howard viewed it with amusement as a typical Loughnane smoke screen to divert pressure from his team. Joe Mc Donagh, President of the GAA, appointed her as Chair of the Increased Participation Committee. She served as a member of the GAA Communications Committee during the Presidency of Dr. Mick Loftus. She also served a Member of the Munster Council PR Committee.
Awards
In January 2010, she received the award for National Administrator of the Year at the inaugural Awards to Volunteers in Irish Sport. She was chosen as Tipperary Person of the Year in 2007 and was honoured by Burgess GAA Club on her election as President of the Camogie Association.
