Here at VIP Magazine we’re seriously buzzing about the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and how could we not be?! The Irish women’s team have made it into the tournament for the first time ever, sending us all into a spiral of excitement.
As the games kick off this morning, we’ve put together a list of all of the incredible women who’ll be playing, so you can get to know the Girls In Green a little better.
Let’s get stuck in!
Captain
Katie McCabe
Katie is 27 and has ten (yes, ten!) siblings. She was born and raised in Kilnamanagh, Dublin. Before Katie left to play for Arsenal, she was working in none other than Nando’s restaurant. Now that’s a career change!
Katie won Arsenal Women Player of the Season this year, and also Goal of the Season after scoring against Man City. She’ll be leading her team through these next few matches, and playing midfield. Go Katie!
Forwards
Kyra Carusa
Kyra grew up in sunny California, but qualifies through her Irish grandparents who come from Laois and Cork. She’s 27, and plays for the London City Lionesses. Kyra is a true outdoorsy gal, telling Buzz.ie that she “grew up my whole life playing and running around outside”. She was born for this!
Amber Barrett
Amber plays for Standard Liège. The Donegal native is 27 and played in Germany before switching to play with Belgium. Her family are all passionate about GAA, with her dad and brother both managing teams for Donegal.
Amber trained to be a teacher in Maynooth University – now look at her!
Marissa Sheva
Marissa is American Irish (with grandparents from Tyrone and Donegal) and hails from Pennsylvania. The 26 year old plays for Washington Spirit, and back in college played track and field (similar to athletics). In 2021 she had to have hip surgery, but she’s bounced right back and is ready to go for tomorrow’s game. Good luck Marissa!
Abbie Larkin
Abbie is from Ringsend and is the youngest player on the team, at just 18 years old! This rising star played for Shelbourne before signing with the Shamrock Rovers.
Abbie’s uncle described her to Independent.ie as his “Ringsend rose”. Our hearts! She may be young, but she’s certainly more than capable.
Midfielders
Denise O’Sullivan
Denise plays for North Carolina Courage. Katie McCabe isn’t the only one with a huge family – Denise is the youngest of nine! The 29 year old is from Cork, and looked up to Roy Keane when she was little.
Denise never let gender stop her from playing football in school, even if the boys didn’t think she was good enough. She told North Carolina FC “I used to always surprise them. They were stronger and faster, but I was technically better than them.” Hell yes!
Lily Agg
Lily is from Brighton and plays for the London City Lionesses. The 29 year old is also a sports lecturer, so her life is sports saturated!
Lily secured the first (ever) World Cup play-off for Ireland by scoring the singular goal in their 1-0 win against Finland.
Thanks, Lily!
Ruesha Littlejohn
Ruesha is 33, plays for Aston Villa, and was born in Glasgow. Her mother is Irish Scottish and Ruesha spent her Summers on Coney Island in County Antrim.
If you want some more BTS from the girls in green, check out Ruesha’s YouTube where she vlogs all about her life as a sports star. We’re loving her series The Ruetube Diaries – gas!
Ciara Grant
Ciara plays for Hearts, and is a physician – handy! The 30 year old comes from Letterkenny, Donegal, and in school she was on the team that won the FAIS Senior Girls Cup. That’s the top cup competition for girls’ school teams in Ireland.
It was written in the stars!
Sinead Farrelly
Sinead is 33 and plays for NJ/NY Gotham. Her dad is Irish, but she was born in Pennsylvania.
This American Irish gal is seriously brave – she was a whistleblower in an abuse scandal in the US about a former women’s sports coach. Sinead also participated in the George Floyd protests. We love to see the passion and strength – go Sinead!
Lucy Quinn
Lucy plays for Birmingham City and is 29 years old. She’s from Southampton, but qualifies through her Irish grandparents.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Lucy said “We’re little old Ireland and people underestimate us”. You tell them!
Defenders
Heather Payne
Heather is another young player – she’s just 23! The Ballinasloe Native plays for Florida State University – and she’s got a brilliant nickname, given to her by fellow player Niamh Fahey –’Window’. Like window ‘pane’. Get it?
Brilliant!
Áine O’Gorman
Áine is a Wicklow woman and 33. She plays for the Shamrock Rovers. Áine is well known in the sporting world, and has won the Women’s National League top goalscorer award five times. Five!
Fair play Áine!
Niamh Fahey
Niamh is 35 years old and plays for none other than Liverpool. She’s from Galway, and her brother is Gary Fahey, Galway’s 2001 All-Ireland-winning Gaelic football captain. So it must be in the genes!
Louise Quinn
Louise plays for Birmingham City, just like Lucy, but the pair aren’t related (despite sharing a team and a name!).
Louise is from Blessington, Wicklow, and is 33. Her manager knows how brilliant she is, and she has started every single one of Birmingham’s 29 fixtures this season.
Diane Caldwell
Diane is 34 and from Balbriggan, Dublin. She plays for Reading, and studied P.E education in college.
Diane has had a seriously busy year, as she just got married in Greece to fiancé Mona, last month! We’re exhausted just thinking about it.
Congratulations Diane – for all of it!
Claire O’Riordan
Claire is 28, plays for Celtic, and is from Newcastle in Limerick. Alongside football, she’s played GAA and camogie, and been fantastic at them all.
One of her first coaches said to Limerick Live that she’s always been “extremely talented”.
“You could put her into any sport and she would do well”. Amazing.
Megan Connolly
Megan plays for Brighton & Hove Albion. She’s 26, and from Cork. Megan isn’t only a talented footballer – she’s an avid Irish dancer as well. We’d love to see her throw a few shapes if all goes to plan today!
Chloe Mustaki
Chloe is 27 and from Ohio. She plays for Bristol City. Her mother is Irish, and she has French citizenship too.
Chloe’s clearly a continental woman, having done ERASMUS in both Bordeaux and Lisbon while studying International Commerce and French at UCD. What can’t she do?!
Izzy Atkinson
Izzy is from Rush and 22 years old. She won her first Ireland cap at aged 16!
Izzy plays for West Ham United with one of her besties, fellow West Ham player Jess Ziu.
Goalkeepers
Courtney Brosnan
Courtney is 27, from New Jersey, and plays for Everton. Her grandparents were Irish emigrants who landed in the States from Roscommon and Kerry. Courtney told Breaking News that playing for Ireland has been really touching, as it’s connecting her to her Irish heritage.
“I think it’s amazing. I feel like it’s really special because I feel like I’m able to learn so much about my family.”
We know she’s doing them proud!
Grace Moloney
Grace is another Reading player. She’s 30, from Slough in England. Her grandparents are from Tipperary and Cavan.
Grace’s dad Bill is her “self-confessed number one fan”, and travels to watch every one of her international games. How sweet is that?
Megan Walsh
Megan is 28, and was playing for Brighton & Hove Albion, but will be finishing up with them soon and going solo.
Megan is 28 and was born in Bromsgrove, England. She qualifies through her Wexford native grandma and granddad. “I know they would be so proud of me” Megan told the Irish Examiner.
We’re proud of you too, Megan!
Training Players
Sophie Whitehouse
Sophie was born in Enfield, London. She plays for Lewes, and qualifies for Ireland through her mother.
The 27 year old has lived in England, America, and Africa. And now she’s in Australia!
Harriet Scott
Harriet is 30 and from Reading. She plays for Birmingham City, and qualifies through three out of four Irish grandparents.
When watching matches as a young person in England, Harriet joked to The Irish Times that she always instinctively rooted for Ireland over England. We love to hear it!
Jamie Finn
Jamie is 25, from Dublin, and plays for Shelbourne.
She’s been a serious talent for a long time – and was named Under-16 Women’s International Player of the Year at the 2014 FAI International Football Awards. Look at her now! Go Jamie!
