# Republic of Ireland women's national football team

The Republic of Ireland women's national football team (Irish: Foireann sacair ban Phoblacht na hÉireann) represents the Republic of Ireland in competitions such as the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA Women's Championship. The team played in their first World Cup at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. It has taken part in invitational tournaments such as the Algarve Cup, the Istria Cup, the Cyprus Cup and Pinatar Cup. It is organised by the Women's Football Association of Ireland.

## History

In 1973, the Women's Football Association of Ireland was established and in the same year on 13 May the Republic of Ireland made their official international debut, Paula Gorham's hat-trick securing a 3–2 win in an away friendly game against Wales. They made their competitive debut on 19 September 1982 in a 1984 European Competition for Women's Football qualifier against Scotland. This time the Republic of Ireland lost 3–0. On 2 October 1982 the Republic of Ireland gained their first competitive win when they defeated Northern Ireland 2–1 in an away game in the same competition. After losing 10–0 to Sweden in a Euro 1993 qualifier, the FAI did not enter a team in the 1995 competition. This defeat against Sweden remains the team's biggest defeat.
During the 2000s the Republic of Ireland enjoyed some minor successes. In 2000 they won the Celt Cup – a four team tournament that also featured Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In their 2005 UEFA Women's Euro campaign they also won their second level group, finishing above Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Malta. This would have secured promotion to the elite group of nations which competed directly for qualification to major tournaments, had the two level system not been scrapped for the next qualifying campaign. The Republic of Ireland also won their group at the 2013 Cyprus Cup, finishing above South Korea, South Africa and Northern Ireland.
The Republic of Ireland has also enjoyed some success at both under-17 and under-19 levels. In 2010, with a team that included Megan Campbell, Ciara Grant, Dora Gorman, Denise O'Sullivan, Siobhán Killeen and Clare Shine, the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. In the UEFA championship semi-final the Republic of Ireland defeated Germany 1–0. With a team that included Megan Connolly, Savannah McCarthy and Katie McCabe the Republic of Ireland team won their group at the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and qualified for the semi-finals.
In April 2017, the squad demanded better treatment from the FAI and threatened to boycott a home match against Slovakia. They wanted a higher match fee, and broken time payment for amateurs missing work. They claimed that they had to share with underage teams the tracksuits they wore travelling to and from away matches, and change out of them in airport toilets. The boycott threat was lifted when agreement on improvements was reached.
In November 2021 the team recorded their biggest ever win: 11–0 against Georgia in the qualifiers for 2023 World Cup. The team secured a crucial victory in their World Cup qualifying campaign, defeating Finland 1-0 in a Group A match. The decisive goal was scored in the second half by substitute Lily Agg, allowing the Irish team to claim second place in the group with one game remaining. This achievement was soon surpassed when Ireland won the play-off final 1–0 over Scotland in Glasgow on 11 October 2022 to qualify for the final tournament. A crucial first-half penalty save from Courtney Brosnan kept Ireland alive before Donegal native Amber Barrett scored the decisive goal, days after news of an explosion that killed several people in her county. She dedicated the goal to the victims and the community. While celebrating in the Hampden changing rooms, several players sang Celtic Symphony praising the Irish Republican Army, for which manager Vera Pauw and players Áine O'Gorman and Chloe Mustaki apologised; the chanting was condemned by politicians from Northern Ireland. The FAI was fined €20,000 for the chanting.
They played their first ever Women's World Cup game on 20 July 2023, losing 1-0 to Australia, one of the co-host nations of the competition, following a penalty. Ireland was then beaten by Canada, the reigning Olympic champion.

## Home stadium

Throughout their history, the Republic of Ireland have played their home games at various grounds, including Dalymount Park, Tolka Park, Richmond Park and Turners Cross. They have also played the occasional game at Glenmalure Park, Belfield Park, Carlisle Grounds, Ferrycarrig Park, Flancare Park and at Lamberton, Arklow.
While they have played the majority of their home games at Tallaght Stadium since 2013, the national team played their first home game at the Aviva Stadium in September 2023.
In 2024, the Republic of Ireland played against France at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in a Euro 2025 qualifier.

## Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

### Legend

Win  Draw  Loss  Future fixture

### 2025
## Coaching staff
### Current coaching staff

The senior women's management team includes:
| Role | Name |
| Head coach | Carla Ward |
| Assistant coach | Alan Mahon |
| Assistant coach | Amber Whiteley |
| Goalkeeping coach | Emma Byrne |
| Performance coach | Ivi Casagrande |

### Manager history

    As of 25 February 2025 after the match against Slovenia.
| # | Name | Period | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 1 | Tony Kelly | 1981–1983 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 20% |
| 2 | Eamonn Darcy | 1984–1986 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 40% |
| 3 | Fran Rooney | 1986–1991 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 28.57% |
| 4 | Linda Gorman | 1991–1992 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
| 5 | Mick Cooke | 1992–2000 | 33 | 16 | 4 | 13 | 48.48% |
| 6 | Noel King | 2000–2010 | 70 | 25 | 13 | 32 | 35.71% |
| 7 | Susan Ronan | 2010–2016 | 56 | 19 | 9 | 28 | 33.93% |
| 8 | Colin Bell | 2017–2019 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 40.91% |
| 9 | Tom O'Connor | 2019 (interim) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| 10 | Vera Pauw | 2019–2023 | 34 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 44.18% |
| 11 | Eileen Gleeson | 2023–2024 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 50% |
| 12 | Carla Ward | 2025–present | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |

## Players
### Current squad

The following players were named to the squad for the UEFA Women's Nations League matches against Turkey and Slovenia on 21 and 25 February 2025, respectively. On 24 February, Leanne Kiernan withdrew from the squad due to injury.
Caps and goals updated as of 25 February 2025 after the match against Slovenia.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Courtney Brosnan | (1995-11-10) 10 November 1995 (age 29) | 45 | 0 | Everton |
| 16 | 1GK | Grace Moloney | (1993-04-01) 1 April 1993 (age 31) | 7 | 0 | Unattached |
| 23 | 1GK | Sophie Whitehouse | (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Charlton Athletic |
| 2 | 2DF | Jessie Stapleton | (2005-02-07) 7 February 2005 (age 20) | 11 | 1 | Sunderland |
| 3 | 2DF | Megan Campbell | (1993-06-28) 28 June 1993 (age 31) | 53 | 4 | London City Lionesses |
| 4 | 2DF | Caitlin Hayes | (1995-09-22) 22 September 1995 (age 29) | 19 | 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 5 | 2DF | Aoife Mannion | (1995-09-24) 24 September 1995 (age 29) | 13 | 1 | Manchester United |
| 7 | 2DF | Heather Payne | (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 25) | 51 | 2 | Everton |
| 11 | 2DF | Katie McCabe (captain) | (1995-09-21) 21 September 1995 (age 29) | 95 | 29 | Arsenal |
| 12 | 2DF | Anna Patten | (1999-04-20) 20 April 1999 (age 25) | 12 | 2 | Aston Villa |
| 6 | 3MF | Megan Connolly | (1997-03-07) 7 March 1997 (age 28) | 60 | 4 | Lazio |
| 8 | 3MF | Ruesha Littlejohn | (1990-07-03) 3 July 1990 (age 34) | 87 | 6 | Shamrock Rovers |
| 10 | 3MF | Denise O'Sullivan | (1994-02-04) 4 February 1994 (age 31) | 121 | 21 | North Carolina Courage |
| 14 | 3MF | Tyler Toland | (2001-08-08) 8 August 2001 (age 23) | 21 | 1 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 17 | 3MF | Melisa Filis | (2002-07-30) 30 July 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Charlton Athletic |
| 20 | 3MF | Marissa Sheva | (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 27) | 12 | 1 | Unattached |
| 9 | 4FW | Amber Barrett | (1996-01-10) 10 January 1996 (age 29) | 49 | 7 | Standard Liège |
| 15 | 4FW | Lucy Quinn | (1993-09-29) 29 September 1993 (age 31) | 26 | 5 | Birmingham City |
| 18 | 4FW | Kyra Carusa | (1995-11-14) 14 November 1995 (age 29) | 33 | 10 | San Diego Wave |
| 19 | 4FW | Abbie Larkin | (2005-04-27) 27 April 2005 (age 19) | 23 | 1 | Crystal Palace |
| 21 | 4FW | Emily Murphy | (2003-03-02) 2 March 2003 (age 22) | 5 | 0 | Newcastle United |
| 22 | 4FW | Izzy Atkinson | (2001-07-17) 17 July 2001 (age 23) | 18 | 0 | Crystal Palace |

### Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Republic of Ireland squad within the 12 months previous to March 2025.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
| GK | Katie Keane | (2006-07-27) 27 July 2006 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Shamrock Rovers | v. Georgia, 25 October 2024 |
| DF | Niamh Fahey | (1987-10-13) 13 October 1987 (age 37) | 115 | 1 | Liverpool | v. Wales, 3 December 2024 $^{RET}$ |
| DF | Diane Caldwell | (1988-09-11) 11 September 1988 (age 36) | 102 | 4 | Zürich Frauen | v. Wales, 3 December 2024 $^{RET}$ |
| DF | Louise Quinn | (1990-06-17) 17 June 1990 (age 34) | 121 | 16 | Birmingham City | v. Georgia, 25 October 2024 $^{INJ}$ |
| MF | Lily Agg | (1993-12-17) 17 December 1993 (age 31) | 22 | 3 | Birmingham City | v. Wales, 3 December 2024 $^{INJ}$ |
| MF | Eva Magnan | (2004-09-15) 15 September 2004 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Cork City | v. Georgia, 29 October 2024 |
| MF | Ellen Molloy | (2004-06-05) 5 June 2004 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Sheffield United | v. Georgia, 29 October 2024 |
| MF | Jessica Ziu | (2002-06-06) 6 June 2002 (age 22) | 18 | 0 | West Ham United | v. France, 16 July 2024 $^{INJ}$ |
| MF | Erin McLaughlin | (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 (age 22) | 3 | 0 | Portsmouth | v. Sweden, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Leanne Kiernan | (1999-04-27) 27 April 1999 (age 25) | 40 | 4 | Liverpool | v. Turkey, 21 February 2025 $^{INJ}$ |
| FW | Julie-Ann Russell | (1991-03-28) 28 March 1991 (age 33) | 66 | 7 | Retired | v. Wales, 3 December 2024 $^{RET}$ |
| FW | Emily Whelan | (2002-08-22) 22 August 2002 (age 22) | 9 | 0 | Glasgow City | v. England, 9 April 2024 |
Notes:
* INJ – Withdrew due to injury.
* RET – Retired.

## Records

* Statistics correct as of 25 February 2025.
* Active players in bold.

## Competitive record
### FIFA Women's World Cup

| FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 1991 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 1995 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 1999 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 |
| 2003 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +11 |
| 2007 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 15 | −12 |
| 2011 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 |
| 2015 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 9 | +4 |
| 2019 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | +4 |
| 2023 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | –2 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 4 | +23 |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | –2 | 55 | 27 | 8 | 20 | 91 | 55 | +36 |
    *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

### UEFA Women's Championship

| UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record | Qualifying record |
| Year | Result | Pld | W | D* | L | GS | GA | | Pld | W | D* | L | GS | GA | P/R | Rnk |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 14 | – | – |
| 1987 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 17 | – | – |
| 1989 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | – | – |
| 1991 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | – | – |
| 1993 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | – | – |
| 1995 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1997 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 10 | – | – |
| 2001 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | – | – |
| 2005 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 5 | – | – |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 18 | – | – |
| 2013 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 11 | – | – |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 14 | – | – |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 10 | – | – |
| 2025 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 13 | | 15th |
| Total | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | 90 | 37 | 10 | 43 | 141 | 147 | 15th | 15th |
    *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

### UEFA Women's Nations League

UEFA Women's Nations League record :
| Season | League | Group | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk |
| 2023–24 | B | 1 | 1st | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | | 17th |
| 2025 | B | 2 | 2nd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 17th | 17th |
| | Promoted at end of season |
| | No movement at end of season |
| | Relegated at end of season |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |