Turner's Cross to be home base for Cork City Women for first time 

The Cork City women's team will play on Saturday afternoons at the famous venue

Cork City players, from left, Sophie Liston, Danielle Burke, Saoirse Noonan and Lauren Egbuloniu stand for the playing of the National Anthem prior to the FAI Women's Senior Cup Final match between Cork City and Peamount United at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Cork City Women are to join the club's men's team in playing their home games at Turner's Cross next season.

Until now, City's women's side, relaunched under the City name in 2014, had played their home games at Bishopstown, the club's training base. 

However, the forthcoming Women's National League season will see the Cork women play Saturday afternoon fixtures at the famous venue.

Cork City Women’s manager Rónán Collins welcomed the news today: “This is something that we had been discussing internally for a while, and we are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of playing at Turner’s Cross in the 2021 season. It’s a huge step for the club, women’s football in the area and even the WNL as a whole to be playing in a venue like Turner's Cross. 

"The one-club mentality at City is really pushing on women’s football and as a club we can be very proud of what we are building. I know it will be a real shot in the arm for the players, and we are very thankful to everyone at the club and the MFA who have made this happen.” 

Cork Women FC started life in 2011 playing at Cork Institute of Technology.  The club played briefly at Turner's Cross in 2012-13 before moving to Bishopstown Stadium when relaunched as Cork City.  The women's side reached last season's FAI Women's Cup final, losing to Peamount.

Éanna Buckley, Operations Manager at the club, applauded the Munster Football Association, owners of Turner's Cross, for facilitating the move.

“The news that our women’s team will play their fixtures at Turner’s Cross is a very positive and welcome development, both for ourselves and for the league as a whole. When we suggested moving the women’s fixtures to Turner’s Cross, the Munster Football Association were very receptive to the idea, and it was simply a case then of working out the logistics. I would like to thank Barry Cotter and his colleagues at the Munster FA for their assistance in making this happen. 

“Turner’s Cross has been synonymous with Cork City FC for many years, and we are delighted that both of our senior teams will now call it home. We all long for the day that fans can return to stadia in their numbers, and I am sure that our wonderful support will be right behind both of the teams as soon as they get the opportunity to do so.” 

Barry Cotter, MFA administrator, said: “We are very pleased with this news, which will see the Cork City’s men’s and women’s teams play in Turner’s Cross for the first time. We are very proud that Turner’s Cross is seen as the home of football in Cork, and this reaffirms that once again. We are all now looking forward to the 2021 season, as we welcome Cork City back to Turner’s Cross, and we hope it will not be too long before we can welcome supporters back, and games involving our local leagues here as well.”