Vera Pauw has announced her final 23-player Republic of Ireland squad for the Women’s World Cup.
The manager had initially selected 31 players for a training camp ahead of Ireland’s first-ever major tournament, with her final selection being announced on Thursday.
They will now travel to Australia and New Zealand in early July ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia in Sydney on July 20, with kick-off at 11am BST.
Here, Sky Sports profiles each of Ireland’s history-making 23 players…
- Katie McCabe included in Republic of Ireland squad | Aoife Mannion, Megan Campbell miss out
- Women’s World Cup kits: England, ROI and USA revealed
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Courtney Brosnan
The basics
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 27
- Club: Everton
- Fun fact: American-born Brosnan is an avid reader and brought 10 books for Ireland’s week-long camp in Marbella earlier this year
Courtney Brosnan is Pauw’s favoured No 1 and the Everton shot-stopper has been the catalyst for a phenomenal run of form for the Girls in Green in recent times. In Ireland’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Scotland, Brosnan saved a 13th-minute penalty from Caroline Weir, before Amber Barrett won the tie.
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Prior to facing the reigning World Cup champions USA in April, Brosnan had not conceded an international goal since April 2022 – an outstanding record for a keeper on form. This run, which spanned more than 650 minutes of football, came to an end against the Americans but it acted as only a reminder of the significant progress Ireland have made.
Grace Moloney
The basics
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 30
- Club: Reading
- Fun fact: At the age of 10, Moloney played alongside Fran Kirby at Reading and they remain good friends
As Reading’s first-choice keeper – having been at the club since she was nine-years-old – Grace Moloney is one of the ‘keepers fighting for the No 1 jersey.
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If you need a ‘keeper who keeps their cool in a penalty shootout, step up Moloney. This season, her heroics allowed Reading to progress in the Women’s FA Cup after penalty success against Leicester.
Born and raised in Slough, near Reading, she grew up dreaming of representing Ireland with her dad always kitting her out in the latest country kits.
Megan Walsh
The basics
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Age: 28
- Club: Free agent (leaving Brighton at the end of June)
- Fun fact: Walsh is one of the quieter members in camp, but is known for providing witty comments that are deemed hilarious by her teammates
Megan Walsh oozes experience. She holds the impressive accolade of making the most saves in the WSL. As the busiest goalkeeper in WSL history, she is a safe back-up option for Pauw.
In 2021, not only did Brighton cause an upset for reigning champions Chelsea (their first defeat in two years) but Walsh wrote a new piece of history in that game, reaching 500 saves in the WSL. While the 28-year-old is relatively untested in Ireland’s senior side, her potential on the international stage can only be assumed to be huge.
Walsh is on the move this summer, having left Brighton and Hove Albion as their first-choice keeper at the end of her contract.
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Coach Vera Pauw talks about the “unbelievable” night when Ireland Women qualified for the World Cup for the first time
Diane Caldwell
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 34
- Club: Reading
- Fun fact: Caldwell is an avid snowboarder
Calm and collected, Diane Caldwell has worldwide football experience, with periods in the United States, Iceland, Germany, Ireland and England.
She also became the first Irishwoman to play for Manchester United and is a lifelong fan of the club.
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Now at Reading, Caldwell brings a commanding presence in both defence and midfield and could earn her 100th cap at this World Cup.
Louise Quinn
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 33
- Club: Birmingham City
- Fun fact: Quinn is obsessed with yoghurts
Once described as a “tiger” by her Ireland manager, Louise Quinn brings experience and reliability, having started each and every one of Birmingham’s 29 fixtures this season.
With set-pieces a pivotal component in Ireland’s attack, keep an eye out for Quinn’s aerial performance in the box this summer.
Along with her strong leadership qualities, Quinn is a key piece in Pauw’s team dynamic and cohesion.
Heather Payne
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 23
- Club: Florida State University
- Fun fact: Payne has been voted as having the best nickname in the Ireland squad, which is ‘window’
Florida State University star Heather Payne has led the line for Ireland, but often plays in her more natural position of right wing-back.
When she attacks, she has pace and endless energy and could also provide vital inside information. At club level, she shares a dressing room with players from all over the world, including Australia, China and Nigeria.
Payne has just one Ireland goal to her name, but she is a firm favourite due to her hard work and ability to work the channels incessantly.
Aine O’Gorman
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 34
- Club: Shamrock Rovers
- Fun fact: O’Gorman is a mother to James, who will turn one during the tournament on July 24
Aine O’Gorman is one of Ireland’s most celebrated footballers, having earned over 100 caps.
She was only 16 years old when she broke into the senior team in 2006 and she maintained a place all the way through to her international retirement in 2018.
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O’Gorman reversed that decision in 2020 to help Ireland reach their first major tournament and will now play for her country at a maiden Women’s World Cup.
The Shamrock Rovers captain is a versatile player – who played most of her career as a striker – and was the only home-based starter in the team that beat Scotland 1-0 to reach the finals in Australia and New Zealand.
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Sky Sports is granted access all areas on gameday at Shamrock Rovers Ladies where we follow Rovers captain and Ireland international Aine O’Gorman behind the scenes at Tallaght Stadium as they face Cork City
Claire O’Riordan
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 28
- Club: Celtic
- Fun fact: She has played camogie and Gaelic football for Limerick
Claire O’Riordan has been an Ireland international since 2016, but made her first competitive start in three years during a crucial win against Slovakia last September, having been sidelined due to a horrific ankle break the year before.
She scored in Celtic’s Women’s Scottish Cup final win over Rangers last season to retain the trophy at Hampden Park and will be hoping to continue her success this summer.
Niamh Fahey
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 35
- Club: Liverpool
- Fun fact: Fahey has also enjoyed great success as a Gaelic footballer, winning an All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship in 2004 with Galway
Niamh Fahey is a mainstay in Pauw’s defence and back in the fold after recovering from a persistent injury that kept her out for four months last season.
The Liverpool captain is a versatile player who can play across the back four and in midfield.
With spells at Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, Fahey is no stranger to playing on the big stage. From winning three WSL titles to earning promotion with Liverpool, she has 16 winners’ medals already.
Izzy Atkinson
The basics
- Position: Defender
- Age: 21
- Club: West Ham
- Fun fact: She lives with her best friend and fellow West Ham player Jess Ziu
21-year-old Izzy Atkinson won her first Ireland cap at the age of 16 and has added a few more games to her tally in the last few years. She is now on her way to her first major tournament.
The winger, who signed for West Ham in July 2022, can also play at left-back and has Champions League experience, playing in the competition during her year with Celtic.
Katie McCabe
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 27
- Club: Arsenal
- Fun fact: McCabe has 10 siblings. Her brother Gary is retired but younger sister, Lauryn, plays for Ireland U16s and is aiming to rise up through the international ranks like her older sister
The Ireland captain and poster girl of the tournament, Katie McCabe will be leading the Girls in Green out in their first World Cup this summer. She is the glue that keeps the team together, both on and off the pitch.
Known for her fiery temperament, McCabe stepped up as captain for Arsenal this season after Kim Little and vice-captain Leah Williamson were among the club’s many injuries.
She is also one of the members of Ireland’s ‘coffee club’, with a host of players visiting the local coffee shop to set up their day on camp. McCabe says her go-to order is a flat white.
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Katie McCabe remembers being named Ireland’s youngest-ever captain and says she hopes to one day play with her younger sister
She was awarded WSL Goal of the Season for a thunderous strike against Manchester City, which came just days after she picked up a bruised bone in the Champions League against Bayern Munich – a sight that left all Ireland fans worried back in April.
As the only WSL player to make the Champions League team of the season, McCabe will be pivotal in keeping the squad focused on their first foray into a major tournament.
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Katie McCabe’s curler for Arsenal against Manchester City was been awarded WSL goal of the season
Denise O’Sullivan
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 29
- Club: North Carolina Courage
- Fun fact: As a youngster, O’Sullivan looked up to fellow Cork footballer Roy Keane as a role model
Naturally gifted and an incredible playmaker, midfield maestro Denise O’Sullivan represents one of Ireland’s biggest threats on the opposition goal.
The American-based box-to-box star is referred to as a ‘junkyard’ player by her coach due to her aggression.
Along with McCabe, arguably no other player did more to ensure Ireland finally reached the World Cup. The pair were by far the country’s most influential players going forward in the qualifying campaign, with McCabe (7) and O’Sullivan (6) responsible for exactly half of the team’s 26 goals.
Having recently been named captain of North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, she is an important cog in Ireland’s starting XI, dictating the pace and tempo of the game.
Pauw has previously described O’Sullivan as one of the best midfielders in the world. Technically excellent with an immense work rate, she covers every blade of grass.
Megan Connolly
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 26
- Club: Free agent (leaving Brighton at the end of June)
- Fun fact: Connolly is an avid Irish dancer
An attack-minded midfielder with superb technique, Megan Connolly’s free-kicks have proved pivotal in her international career. The Brighton captain was one of five players to leave the club at the end of the season after a five-year stint.
Connolly was pivotal in Ireland’s qualification campaign, scoring one of the goals in a 2-1 victory over Finland, and setting up the goal in the return game with her iconic free-kick – despite playing the game with broken ribs.
Ruesha Littlejohn
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- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 33
- Club: Free agent (leaving Aston Villa at the end of June)
- Fun fact: Littlejohn is a twin. Her sister is broadcaster Shebahne Aherne
The joker of the group, Ruesha Littlejohn is a pivotal component to Ireland’s success this summer. Both on and off the pitch, she is part of the team’s core and a huge personality in the squad.
After a broken foot left her on the sidelines for Ireland’s historic qualification against Scotland, Littlejohn will relish pulling on the green jersey this summer as a quick and deadly finisher.
Aside from football, she’s been kept busy by a budding vlogging career, her YouTube channel gaining 13,000 subscribers since launching.
Lucy Quinn
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 25
- Club: Birmingham City
- Fun fact: Quinn represented England at the 2017 Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup, where she earned the best goalkeeper award
With the opening game of the World Cup campaign against Australia, who better to know what it is like scoring against them than Lucy Quinn?
On her debut in 2021, her free-kick took a deflection to open the scoring in a famous win against the Matildas.
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We take Ireland internationals Lucy Quinn and Jamie Finn around Birmingham SEA LIFE, where they feed sharks, meet the otters, and show five defining images of their careers
She can be deployed in midfield or part of the forward line and is often keen to take a shot, resulting in her scoring some important goals.
She won Birmingham’s goal of the season award with her strike against Sheffield United last season and you could say it was deja-vu for Quinn – she was awarded the same accolade for her memorable strike that beat Chelsea 3-2 in 2019.
Lily Agg
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 29
- Club: London City Lionesses
- Fun fact: Alongside her football career, Agg also works as a sports lecturer
Lily Agg will go down in the history books as the player who secured a first-ever World Cup play-off for Ireland with their singular goal in their 1-0 win against Finland. She came off the bench to head in Connolly’s free-kick.
Agg was pivotal in London City Lionesses’ push for promotion last season. Despite just missing out, the midfielder has been with the club since the very beginning when they were set up as a breakaway club from Millwall Lionesses in 2019.
There was slight concern over her fitness after tearing ankle ligaments in late March, but Agg will bring not only experience but a proven track record of stepping up in the big moments.
Ciara Grant
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 30
- Club: Hearts
- Fun fact: Grant returned to her native Letterkenny to volunteer at a local hospital soon after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic
Ciara Grant has made the leap from doctor to footballer. She fell out of the game in 2015 to focus on her medical studies, but is back and one of the key members of the squad.
Having committed to another season at Hearts in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Grant is a leader both on and off the pitch. She scored four goals as Hearts finished fourth, adding three assists for the Tynecastle outfit.
Sinead Farrelly
The basics
- Position: Midfielder
- Age: 33
- Club: NJ/NY Gotham
- Fun fact: Farrelly can play for Ireland due to her Irish-born father
American-born Sinead Farrelly had not been involved in football for almost eight years after coming out as a whistleblower into the US abuse scandal.
But she made her debut for Ireland in April and Pauw has hailed her as the player the squad had been missing, single-handedly transforming the team’s tactical approach.
Sharp and skilful, Farrelly is a breath of fresh air in Ireland’s midfield unit. Having played with the USA up to U23 level before switching allegiance, she could provide vital intel if Ireland were to come up against them this summer.
Amber Barrett
The basics
- Position: Forward
- Age: 27
- Club: Standard Liege
- Fun fact: A passionate Gaelic football fan, she played GAA for Donegal’s senior side and continued with the sport until she was 21
The Hero of Hampden and a buzzing personality in the squad, Barrett brings an endless supply of positivity to the Ireland squad.
Her name is in the history books after her goal confirmed Ireland’s place at the 2023 World Cup and their first-ever major tournament. Rather than celebrate her glory, Barrett used the life-changing moment to pay tribute to Creeslough and the 10 victims that had died in the horrific explosion in the days before the match in October.
The only Irish international in the Women’s Bundesliga, Barrett has been picked despite a testing season at club level. Her club Turbine Potsdam were relegated, being one of only two sides in the German top flight not attached to a men’s club.
Despite this, she has a proven track record of delivering a goal when it counts. Barrett will bring bundles of positivity with hopefully more moments of magic that will be written into Ireland’s history books.
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Kyra Carusa
The basics
- Position: Forward
- Age: 27
- Club: London City Lionesses
- Fun fact: She credits her San Francisco-based grandmother Beryl as her biggest fan and was gifted her first Ireland shirt as a birthday present
Speaking to US-born Kyra Carusa, you cannot help but have a smile on your face. A bright and bubbly player, she also says she’s the loudest on the pitch, but she has certainly earned her voice. As one of only a few Irish players with Champions League experience, her football CV is impressive.
She is a natural leader with experience as captain of two-time Danish champions and Champions League regulars HB Koge. Carusa recorded 43 goal contributions (30 goals, 13 assists) in 57 top-flight appearances for HB Koge and was the 2022 Elitedivisionen Most-Valuable Player.
She now plays for the London City Lionesses, having joined the Championship side in February.
Abbie Larkin
The basics
- Position: Forward
- Age: 18
- Club: Shamrock Rovers
- Fun fact: Larkin is an avid horse rider when her hectic schedule allows
As the youngest member of the squad, teenager sensation Abbie Larkin made her international debut at just 16 – but not after getting her parents’ permission to miss school for the game.
Larkin shines as one of Shamrock Rovers’ playmakers, which has plenty of experience with the likes of O’Gorman and Savannah McCarthy to name a few.
Making valuable runs on the wing, Larkin’s vision and positioning are key to her play. The teenager is tipped as one of the stars of the future, but already is a regular starter and holding her own in an experienced squad.
A wise head on young shoulders, Larkin has also started her coaching badges resulting in incredible football intelligence and hold-up play.
Marissa Sheva
The basics
- Position: Forward
- Age: 26
- Club: Washington Spirit
- Fun fact: She is dubbed as one of the most successful cross-country runners in her high school’s history
A rocket on the wing, Marissa Sheva is a new addition to Pauw’s squad, and she has come in firing. The US-born forward was a track and field star, who excelled in the 3,000m steeplechase.
The Penn State graduate forward impressed in the double header against the USA, playing 160 minutes. She completed 100 per cent of her dribbles, won nine duels, six interceptions and 11 recoveries, racking up some impressive numbers.
What is the World Cup schedule?
The group stage will begin on July 20 and run over a two-week period finishing on August 3 and see group winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16, which takes place from August 5 to August 8.
The quarter-finals, which will be held in Wellington, Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney, are scheduled for August 11 and 12.
The first semi-final will then be played on August 15 in Auckland, with the other semi-final taking place on August 16 at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, which will then host the final on August 20.
A third-place play-off will be played the day before the final on August 19 in Brisbane.
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