Liam Sweeney: The Lone Moor Road native who became a Zambian sports pioneer

Liam, originally from the Lone Moor Road, is the eldest son of George and Rosaleen Sweeney and brother to George, Jim, Noel, Kevin and Cathy.

He was a PE and Geography teacher at St. Joseph’s Secondary school in the Creggan (Derry), and after winning a body-building competition was also known as Mr. North West.

After getting married in 1967 he set off with his wife Margaret, for a three year teaching contract in Zambia, where they found, not only a warm climate, but also a warm and welcoming people.

They became so happily involved in the local community that they spent the rest of their working lives there.

The couple spent their first 10 years teaching in St. Clement’s and Fatima Schools, where Liam, in addition to the normal curriculum, immersed himself in after-school sporting activities and found his students appreciative and a pleasure to work with.

Many shared his passion for sport and under his guidance they developed their natural talents, particularly in athletics and volleyball where the school teams were winning national championships.

Despite his modesty, word was spreading, and in 1978 Liam was offered a post as Sports Adviser to a mining company (Roan Copper Mine) which later became part of the nationalised copper mining industry (ZCCM).

Copper was the cornerstone of Zambia’s economy at that time. Liam, now copper-toned himself from spending most of his time coaching under the African sun, was on a journey to become a force in the development and success of Zambian sport.

In conjunction with the mining company, the Derry man worked hard to establish facilities, secure the supply of equipment and train coaches across a vast array of sporting disciplines.

He played a pivotal role in introducing sports to many who had previously no access and this led to a rapid growth in competitive athletic activities and many other sports.

In an article in the Times of Zambia in 2003 Shamoama Musonda, reflecting on Liam’s influence, spoke of how as RCM Sports Adviser ‘Sweeney maximised his contribution to sports as he shuttled from town to town bringing more indigenous Zambians to sports which were predominantly white-men’s games’.

Through his pioneering sporting activities the man from the Brandywell rubbed shoulders with the late, great independence leader and first President of Zambia Kenneth Kaunda.

Disciplines

Sports Festivals evolved and Liam had the honour of welcoming President Kenneth Kaunda who shared in the enthusiasm by playing golf.

One of Liam’s particular strengths was in coaching racquet sports – such as tennis and squash – and some of his prodigies attained world rankings in the disciplines, including his son Dermot who, after securing a college tennis scholarship to the US, went on to represent Zambia in the Davis Cup.

He is now the Technical Director for Training Centres and Player Development at the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Working from his base in Derry he travels the world, advancing technical expertise in the coaching development of world tennis.

Liam was respected throughout Zambia for the impact he had on sports advancement. His devotion to excellence was recognised when he served on the Technical Committee of the National Olympic Committee of Zambia.

In this capacity he had the honour of leading Zambian teams to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Youth Commonwealth Games in India and to the All Africa Games in Nigeria as Chef de Mission.

Under his tutelage and guidance the careers of several Zambian sporting legends flourished including those of squash star Robby Lingashi, tennis players Fred and Steve Kangwa and Teza and Niza Simunyola, and the one-time world hurdles 400 metre champion Samuel Matete; Matete was the first African athlete to take gold in the World Championships when he accomplished the feat in Tokyo in 1991.

One of the greatest hurdlers of his generation, Matete took silver at the Olympic games in Atlanta in 1996.

Liam eventually returned to teaching sports in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. In addition to immersing himself in the Zambian sporting world, Liam did not forget his Irish roots.

He was Chairman of the Wild Geese Society which promoted Irish culture and raised funds for underprivileged groups. He would often be called upon to entertain at functions with his praiseworthy rendition of Danny Boy.

In 2009, just before his return to Ireland, the Independent Schools Association of Zambia presented Liam with an award for his outstanding and dedicated service to sport in Zambia.

The couple settled back in Derry and Liam restrung his racquet and took to coaching tennis to juniors in Culdaff, Muff and Greencastle in Donegal.

Unfortunately the Covid pandemic in 2020 closed all facilities and that finally forced him into full retirement at the age of 80. Liam, however, can still be found pumping iron in the Everlast Gym on the Crescent Link in Derry.

He is always happy to talk and a fountain of knowledge in nearly every sporting field, so stop and say hello next time you spot him, but make sure that you have plenty of time on your hands if you chance to ask him about anything sport related or about his former home, Zambia.