This project is about interesting people, from interesting places, doing interesting things today in Northern Ireland. It is funded by the Shared History Fund.
Did you know there’s an African-American woman working for Glentoran F.C. today? Neither did we – until now!
Meet Karla McDermott, Glentoran’s Social Outreach Coordinator. Karla is unique in two distinct ways:
- She’s a Californian living in Northern Ireland (I can relate)
- She’s an American who loves football (yes, your kind of football)
But what I find more spectacular is Karla’s giving spirit and infectious personality. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area – one of the most diverse places on the planet – and travelling the world with her husband and current Glentoran Manager, Michael McDermott, she knows a little something about the significance of having a community and how to bring people together.
And that is exactly what she has done since coming into her role as Coordinator of the Glens’ Social Partnership programme in early 2020. In many ways, it was perfect timing, as none of us could have expected the tremendous needs of Northern Irish communities with a global pandemic just around the corner.
When Covid hit, she got straight to work prioritising those in the community in the greatest risk. She organised some of the men’s and women’s players to ring up their passionate pensioners’ community weekly to check in on them and assess how they may be able to help. The feedback was phenomenal and truly helped older fans feel less isolated during an extremely trying time.
The Glens are about community – and so is Northern Ireland.
Karla McDermott
Karla didn’t stop there. From organising care packages, fundraising for the NHS, runs, walks, cycles and hikes for charity, hosting ‘Stay Onside’ and other youth clubs, and organising events like the Glentoran Easter Festival, she has brought a smile to many faces in what has been two very difficult years through the ups and down of several lockdowns. Sure, even our tubby arses helped the men’s team load up some vans to take care packages off to local charities and people in need after our interview. You can check out more of what the Glentoran F.C. Social Partnership are up to today here.
Karla first came to Northern Ireland in 1996 during a drastically different time. She was the first person of colour her in-laws had ever met, and she swears she didn’t see another person of colour her first five years living here. Fast forward to 2022 and it is Belfast, however imperfectly, that is a bastion of reconciliation – resolving divisions, reducing armed conflict and building bridges – important and vital things her (and our) homeland could use at the moment. Her multicultural, multinational family and she are tremendously proud to (re)call Northern Ireland home and the mighty Glens their team.
As a family who have travelled around the world coaching, playing and being involved in football, it was always difficult to answer the question, ‘Where are you from?’ It was always easiest for us to say, ‘We are American and Irish’. People abroad rarely know the Northern Irish story. If only we had known of the word ‘Here-ish’ in those days – that would have come in handy!
But now that we are HERE, I don’t think there’s any doubt in any of our minds – we’re Northern Irish and we’re HERE to stay. Uppa Glens!!!
Karla McDermott
