Hilary Brady starting her glittering career as Assistant Manager of the Shankill Leisure Centre. Then in 1981 she became a Senior Leisure Services Officer for Lisburn Borough Council and in 1993 she moved to Newtownabbey Borough Council where she has been here since 1993 and has been Assistant Director of Corporate Services, Head of Development Services, Acting Chief Executive and Director of Development Services and finally has recently been appointed Deputy Chief Executive and is an integral part of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

Hilary has also been a member of the Ministers Soccer Strategy Advisory Group and a former Chair of the Northern Ireland Athletics Coaching Committee.

Her sporting career has been just as dynamic. Her main sport was hockey where she represented Ulster and Ireland and was capped 32 times between 1974 and 1982. She was a member of the Irish Triple Crown winning team in 1977, played against England at Wembley Stadium in 1979 in front of 65,000 spectators and competed for Ireland in the first Women’s World Cup in Vancouver in 1979.

She played for Ireland’s most successful Women’s Hockey Club, Pegasus, and captained the team to its first Senior Irish Cup in 1974. She also played for the club in three European Club Championships and has held a number of committee posts including Club Captain and President and because of her outstanding service and contribution was made an Honorary Life Member of Pegasus Hockey Club.

Football also featured in Hilary’s sporting life. She played in goals for the first Northern Ireland Women’s Football Team in 1972, against the Republic of Ireland. She played for the team until 1980 and represented them at the European Cup in Naples in 1979.

If all that wasn’t enough cricket and Athletics were also parts of her sporting history. She played cricket for the Ulster Women’s Team and competed for the Northern Ireland School Athletics Team as a sprinter and long jumper.

In all she more than qualifies for and is a valuable addition to the Newtownabbey sporting hall of fame.