A golden time for women's football in Ireland

This is a golden time for women’s football in Ireland. They’re playing for the top super league clubs, inspiring a new generation of football players and making history, having qualified for their first ever Women’s World Cup. The attendance and viewership of women’s games has been growing substantially in recent years and records were smashed at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

According to Euromonitor, the viewership of the FIFA Women’s World Cup surpassed 2 billion viewers. This is up from 1.12 billion in 2019 and more than double the 839 million viewers in 2015. Australia’s opening match against Ireland achieved a standout 75,784 attendees, making it one of the highest attendances at a Women’s World Cup game.

I had the privilege to speak with Lorna Payne who lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her sister, Heather Payne, plays for Ireland and plays club football with Florida State University in the US. Heather has earned 37 caps for her national team. 

Lorna attended numerous Irish matches and very kindly shared her experience with me, “I was lucky enough to attend the World Cup as my sister Heather was selected for the squad. I was living in Vancouver at the time, so I’ve been following all the celebrations and the support from Ireland. Since my sister has been playing for the Irish team, I have gotten to a lot of games including the Euros and the qualifying matches in Tallaght Stadium. This was my first time attending a world cup.

“There was always great excitement, but it’s evident that in the past two years, the support and excitement, particularly among young girls, has been steadily growing in anticipation of this World Cup. You could really get a sense of that when you arrived in Sydney given the huge presence of Irish that are over here. The streets and fan zones were bustling with Irish supporters. All of that really added to the atmosphere around there and I think the girls really appreciated the support that they were given. It undeniably boosted the team’s confidence and morale.”

Back home in Lorna and Heather’s local town of Ballinasloe, a massive amount of support was shown by the local community. Lorna told me of banners and posters in shop window fronts. This undoubtedly had a very positive impact on Heather’s World Cup journey.

“The highlight for me was watching the squad walk out in their opening game against Australia. The resounding chants of ‘Olé’ echoing in the background and the cheers of the crowd created an amazing atmosphere that I hadn’t experienced before. There were 75,000 in attendance, so the noise and the energy was just amazing. In that moment, I was so proud of my sister and what the team had accomplished. The fact that not only had Irish people travelled over, but even the Irish girls and boys living in Australia all came together to be a part of it which made the occasion even more special.”

Unfortunately, Ireland were eliminated in the group stage; a draw against Nigeria putting an end to their dreams of advancing in the World Cup. 

• Witnessing young children getting their jerseys signed was particularly heartening. It showed the huge significance of this time for the youth of Ireland

“The Nigeria vs England game really goes to show Ireland’s progress and the significant development of the team. Nigeria brought England really to the test with penalties in the end, but Nigeria unfortunately were knocked out. This reiterates the potential path Ireland could have taken and the possibilities that might have unfolded for them, had things worked out in that opening or second game.”

Undoubtedly, this will be an unforgettable experience for Lorna. “To me, what stood out the most was the interaction with the players. Even before the last game, there was a fan zone organised event and all the Irish were proudly sporting their Irish jerseys. Many of the Irish players actually decided to come down to the fan zone and meet with the fans and I think that gesture made it quite special. The girls are so humble and modest and they just want to be around the Irish people and they’ve been just so delighted with the support. They truly are normal Irish girls who have managed to capture their dream through the World Cup.

“Witnessing young children getting their jerseys signed was particularly heartening. It showed the huge significance this time is for the youth of Ireland, serving as a powerful source of inspiration to revive their interest in sports as well.”

On what steps we now need to take as a nation to support them, Lorna says, “Right now is a critical time for everyone to capitalise as a nation on this World Cup. We need to use it as an opportunity to stress the importance of equal opportunities for both girls and boys. Ensuring we have the necessary structures and the funding in place to develop is vital. It’s evident that a considerable number of young girls are now venturing into England’s super league division, while some are also making their mark in American soccer and therefore expanding horizons for aspiring female players.”

The continued growth of soccer is promising for our country, so we need to make sure that we continue to provide unwavering support to young girls in sports especially within educational settings, encouraging them from an early age to try a wide array of sports paving the way for their dreams to come true. For these Irish girls, that’s exactly what happened. 

As a nation, their achievements have filled us all with immense pride and it’s something that we should be grateful for. This summer has undoubtedly provided countless girls with an unforgettable experience, and it holds the potential for a promising future. It’s high time the girls were given the recognition they deserve for their accomplishments and ongoing achievements. Long may it last.  

• Anna Carroll is a Digital Media Officer for Sinn Féin