[1] McIlrath was, with Fran Lovis, one of two of the dominant players in Australian snooker in the 1970s and 1980s.

[4] Her opponent in the final, Agnes Davies, was aged 60 at the time, and went on to have a playing career spanning a total of 64 years.

[3][4] The victory, in only the second Women's World Open Championship (following the first held in 1976), made McIlrath the first non-UK player to win.

Coincidentally, Cliff Thorburn became the first non-UK winner of the men's World Snooker Championship the same year.

McIllrath remains one of only two non-UK World Women's Snooker Championship winners.