Let’s hear it for the girls.
Women in sport have come a long way over the last few years and with some major events coming in the next few months, we have a few you need to keep an eye on.
With everything from the Women’s Six Nations next month to the Women’s World Cup in the summer, there is an abundance of Irish sportspeople doing incredible for the sector.
We’ve got an incredibly talented mix of women in sport coming from the Emerald Isle and while we could be here for hours listing each of their achievements – here are five you should really be watching.
Katie McCabe
The Ireland captain has certainly made herself a household name as the World Cup approaches, and things certainly seem to be going her way this year.
It was reported yesterday that Chelsea was interested in bidding £200,000 for Katie to transfer to their side from Arsenal. While she seems to be staying put, it would have been the highest-ever transfer fee for an Ireland women’s player. Not too shabby.
To put that in broader terms, the highest-ever transfer fee in women’s football was £450,000 when Keira Walsh moved from Manchester United to Barcelona last year.
Amy Broadhurst
Amy is a rising star in the boxing ring and after being named Irish Times/Sport Ireland Sportswoman of the Year for 2022, things are certainly only looking up for her.
The Dundalk native took home gold at the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games last year.
And if the careers of former winners of Sportswoman of the Year Katie Taylor and Kellie Harington are anything to go by – this won’t be the last we hear of Amy.
Neve Jones
Neve may only have 13 caps for Ireland so far, but within those caps she has gathered a whopping 25 points in her career for the national rugby team.
Starting in seven matches last year, Neve topped the try-scoring charts as she scored five over the course of the season including a hat-trick against Japan in the first Test win.
And with the Six Nations starting in March, we can only expect to see her excel even more on the pitch.
Ellen Keane
Ellen is the youngest ever person to swim in the 2008 Paralympic Games and was named RTÉ Sport Awards 2019 Sportsperson of the Year.
The Dubliner won the Gold Medal for Team Ireland in the Women’s 100m Breastroke during the 2020 Paralympics, and when it comes to the 2024 Paris games, she’s on her way there.
“My plan is, it’ll be my fifth games, 2024 in Paris and then I’ll retire. I’ve got 18 months left of being a swimmer,” she told Her last year.
Amber Barrett
Another footballer on her way to stardom is Amber Barrett. The Donegal native scored the winning goal in Ireland’s qualifier for the World Cup and it has been deemed one of the most memorable in Irish sporting history.
If her goal-scoring tactic is anything to go off of, we’re truly in for a treat when it comes to the real thing in July.
Related links:
- FIFA to organise the biggest and best Women’s World Cup in history
- Katie Taylor’s rematch with Amanda Serrano ‘highly unlikely’ to take place at Croke Park
- Yes, the World Cup is this year – but it’s not the only thing happening in women’s sport
