Sinéad Farrelly quits Ireland but no reason given for 'difficult decision'

Sinead Farrelly of Republic of Ireland during the UEFA Women's Nations League B match against Albania. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Sinéad Farrelly’s brief stint as an Ireland player is over after the American-born midfielder announced her international retirement.

The 34-year-old won eight caps, including starts in all three World Cup final matches, after the Irish Examiner last April revealed she was about to switch her allegiance from USA.

Farrelly will remain playing with her club, NY/NJ Gotham in the National Women’s Soccer League.

No reason for her decision was offered in the FAI statement released today, which included her quotes thanking head coaches Vera Pauw and Eileen Gleeson.

Injuries restricted her to appearances in just half of Ireland’s six Uefa Nations League games over last Autumn and she was again absent for the opening pair of Euro 2025 qualifiers against France and England earlier this month, both of which ended in defeat. Ireland have a double-header against Sweden next on May 31 and June 4.

It was previously highlighted last September that the long transatlantic flights were causing back spasms.

The 34-year-old said: "It is with a tremendous amount of sadness that I've made the difficult decision to retire from international football.

"Even though I was a latecomer to international football, it meant so much to me and my family. To pull on the Ireland jersey, sing the national anthem and represent the Farrelly family from Cavan and beyond was truly special.

"I'd like to thank Vera Pauw and Eileen Gleeson, all of the backroom and support staff, every player who I was proud to call a team-mate and, of course, the amazing Irish supporters who welcomed me with open arms.

"To play for Ireland was a dream that came true and it is an experience that I will cherish forever. I got to play in a World Cup but more than that I got to play for this country and I'm just so grateful for having that opportunity because it is one of the greatest honours of my career.

"I will continue to support the team and will always hold close the fantastic memories that I made playing for Ireland."

Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson said: "I'd like to thank Sinead for her time representing Ireland and we wish her the very best in her career going forward."

Her World Cup experience ended by being dragged into a spat between Pauw and Katie McCabe. The manager revealed after the final game against Nigeria that she had refused a demand by her captain to substitute Farrelly in order to “freshen things up” in the scoreless dead rubber in Brisbane.

This is Farrelly’s second time to step away from football, the last time being a full withdrawal at the age of 25.

Her official reasons for quitting then was her inability to recover from a car accident.

“After much thought, it saddens me to announce my retirement from professional women’s soccer,” she wrote in December 2016.

“As some of you know, I was forced to take this past season off after suffering neck/back injuries and a concussion sustained from a car accident in September 2015.

“No matter how hard I’ve pushed, or how hard I’ve convinced myself and everybody else that I am okay, my body is just not ready to do the things that it used to do. Losing soccer for me was losing my identity.” 

But the loss Farrelly referred to was far deeper than the game.

It was only in 2021 that she, along with former Portland Thorns teammate Mana Shim, blew the whistle on accusations of sexual coercion and harassment against former coach Paul Riley, who was promptly sacked despite his continual denials.

Addressing the mental scars healed the bodily ones. The liberating experience of releasing a secret which Riley reportedly implored Farrelly “to bring to her grave” offered a fresh perspective, a sense she was regaining her former self.