Saoirse Noonan: Winning All-Ireland with Cork still an ambition but now it's hell for leather for soccer

Shelbourne Women FC new signing Saoirse Noonan poses for a portrait at her home in Grange, Cork. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Winning an All-Ireland with Cork remains high on Saoirse Noonan's bucket list.  It's just an ambition parked for now.

But Ireland manager Vera Pauw never placed any pressure on the dual star to give up ladies football in order to smooth her path to winning a full Ireland soccer cap.

Having switched from Cork City to Shelbourne this week, Noonan has signalled her intention to take at least a year out from Gaelic duty as she strives to represent her country at senior level.

She feels she has proved combining the sports can be done, having juggled Cork jerseys in both codes for several years.

A crunch almost came when she was named in Pauw’s extended squad for the European Championship qualifier with Germany in December, with an All-Ireland semi-final in the schedule for Cork the same week, but Cork football manager Ephie Fitzgerald has always kept a dialogue open about her divided loyalties.

“I’d already spoken to Ephie. He kept asking me ‘when are you going to know. Are you going in or not’.

“For some reason, I find there’s definitely someone up there looking out for me, because the Cork match got pushed back a week, meaning I wouldn’t have missed any match. I’d have missed two training sessions I think, which isn’t bad in the middle of a pandemic when people are missing two weeks because of being close contacts.

“With Ireland, I would have been going into an environment where I’d have been safe, I’d have been Covid-tested every two or three days. So it was never a case of, ‘Oh I’m going to be called into Vera’s squad, I’m not going to be able to play an All-Ireland semi-final'. It might have affected me starting the game if I was missing sessions, but it was never a question of do I have to stop.” 

In the end, Noonan wasn't selected for the final Ireland squad, but that had nothing to do with her dual commitments.

“I spoke to Vera after the Germany camp when the girls were in and she told me what I had to work on as a player. She never ever said to me ‘you’ve to go focus on soccer’. Not once did she mention anything like that.

“Again she popped me a text when there was an article in the paper that there were teams interested in me and said ‘keep up the good work’. But there was never anything about giving up GAA. She did say ‘look after your body’ and if you’re getting injured of course you take a look at what you’re doing.

“I think I’ve proved that you can play soccer and you can play GAA at the highest level if you want to do that. There are managers who will accept it and understand that you live once. You want to try all things, why put a talent to waste?

“But this was a decision I made myself, completely myself, for myself. And who knows, I could be back in a Cork jersey sooner rather than later.

“But for now, my aim is to absolutely go hell for leather for the soccer, have a bit of a social life when things get back to normal, and work hard for Shels and see where that goes.” 

Noonan is full of praise for how Pauw, who is set to stay on as Ireland manager, builds relationships with players outside her core group.  

“To be fair to her, she goes out of her way to make phonecalls. She even made a little joke that we haven’t seen each other in person yet but we’ve stayed in contact. She’s reached out to me and I’ve reached out to her at times and she’s given me tips. She is watching the games, she’s reading interviews, looking at what people are doing. You don’t have to be in her 24 to be in her eye. Which shows that the Women’s National League is getting more coverage as we go.

“England obviously is the place to be if you want to be a professional footballer, but in the WNL the talent there is phenomenal at the minute. 

“All the underage Irish teams have such strong players. And in the next couple of years, women’s football is really going to take a lift in Ireland. It will be recognised more and players will get the credit they deserve.” 

The year past ended on a low note for Noonan and her Cork teams, with defeats in the FAI Cup and All-Ireland finals, but disappointment played no part in her decision to focus on soccer.

“I did both up to the last game of the season, and I was unfortunate I could have had two winners All-Ireland medals. But if someone said to me at the start of the year, you’ll be playing in Croker and Tallaght Stadium, I’d have taken it any day.

“I kind of had my mind made up before the finals that it could be my last game with Cork City, not knowing where I was going. And it was the same in the All-Ireland final, that it could have been my last game for a season or two.

“But the disappointment was never a factor. It was difficult losing two finals in the space of seven or eight days, but at the same time it was a privilege and an honour to be there and be involved on those two big days. To be part of two historic days and big ones for people in Cork and I’ll never forget that. Running away from losing was never a factor.” 

Once the seasons closed, new opportunities opened up, with offers from England as well as the capital. 

"I knew I wanted to make it onto the Irish team, I knew that was heading in the right direction and I suppose at the start of the year, I got a few offers. And there was a bit of interest.

"Noel King contacted me, I talked to Mark Leavy at Shelbourne every day for about two weeks and then once I made my final decision, I spoke to Ronan (Collins, Cork City manager) and I spoke to Ephie immediately.  

“Growing up, I set high standards for myself. My parents bought into it and said, you’re well able, go do it.

“I’ve always said my main goals were to win an All-Ireland with Cork and to win an All-Ireland in soccer and play in the Aviva. And who doesn’t want to put on a senior jersey, win a senior cap for their country? That’s something I need to put my head down now and work towards and who knows if it will come?

“But winning an All Ireland with Cork GAA is still up there with wearing an Ireland jersey.”