Mayo man’s American-born daughter to compete for Ireland in U-18 Softball World Cup

A woman born in New Jersey but with Mayo blood running through her veins is set to compete for Ireland at the WBCS U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup in Dallas. 

RyannRose Burke, the daughter Séamus Burke, a native of Cloondace, Knock, has played softball in her native New Jersey since she was eight. 

In the early hours of Friday morning (Irish time) she will line out in the Irish green against the land of her birth when Ireland take on the top-ranked team in the world.  

Through her father, RyannRose qualifies to play for an Ireland team featuring some Irish-born players but mostly made up of American-born players.

Ireland will also play Canada, Mexico, The Philippines and Australia in the group stage in the coming days. The top two teams will qualify alongside the top two teams from the two other groups at the World Cup finals next summer. 

The Irish softball team is aiming to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. 

Softball had been shelved as an Olympic sport after years of overwhelming American dominance but has been reinstated for the 2028 games. 

The sport is relatively new in Ireland, with the national representative organisation – then known as the Irish Softball Association – only being formed in 1989.

According to Softball Ireland, there are approximately 800 softball players in Ireland playing for approximately 40 teams.