LAST UPDATE | 23 Nov 2021
THERE ARE TWO typical paths for highly promising young female Irish footballers who excel in the Women’s National League.
They can either move to Britain and join an English or Scottish club or go to study in America and continue to play in the top footballing colleges.
There are occasional exceptions, such as Claire O’Riordan, who joined the German side MSV Duisburg from Wexford Youths in 2018, but for the most part, the US and UK seem to be the favoured destinations.
This general preference is reflected in the makeup of the current Irish squad — it comprises Women’s National League (6), England (11), Scotland (2), the US (5), Denmark (1), Germany (1).
The US was almost the go-to destination for a period, but the growth of the sport in England and the greater opportunities presented by the professionalisation of the Women’s Super League have made it an increasingly popular destination.
For Éabha O’Mahony, however, America was always the preferred choice. The chance to combine educational opportunities with footballing ones, she says, was too good to turn down.
“Firstly, I was always going to go to America — the education my parents wanted for me, just to have a backup plan, touch wood in case of injuries and things like that. But to get the football and the education, it’s great, you get the two in one.”
And is education as important to O’Mahony as football? She laughs while trying to be as diplomatic as possible in her response: “Personally, I prefer football. But I’ll say education is just as important.”
It was still a big decision, of course, and O’Mahony did consult some Irish teammates with experience of life in the US.
“Yeah, one of the girls, Kyra Carusa, when she was in college, I actually rang her for advice. I didn’t even know her and hadn’t even seen her in person, but she kind of gave me advice on colleges to choose from and things like that. And obviously Heather Payne [who currently plays for US college football team Florida State Seminoles] as well, kind of following in her footsteps, so it was great to have examples for me.”
Having impressed with Cork City in the Women’s National League, O’Mahony moved over to Boston in the summer and is undertaking a four-year degree. She is currently studying in business school but is considering changing to applied science with some business aspects.
On combining education with football, she says: “It was tough to get the balance but once I found it, it was great. We have allocated time on away trips to do our work and stuff. I think if you keep on top of your schoolwork, you’ll keep on top of your training, so it just all falls into one.
“Basically, when we’re in college, our soccer commitments come first. We kind of work our classes around that, which is great. Especially on game days when we have a 7pm kick-off, we tend to have no classes. We try to put them on the other days and more on our recovery days and things like that. But it’s great, we also have tutors and everyone kind of works together for us.”
O’Mahony continues: “To be honest, I haven’t been homesick yet, which is quite a surprise. I love the professionalism about it. Waking up every morning, having somewhere to go, practising, playing against the likes of Jaelin Howell from the US Women’s national team, that calibre of player is great. It’s always a learning experience, especially after one season, I’ve learned a lot, I can develop my game a lot over there.”
It is very different and ultimately tougher than the level the 19-year-old was accustomed to in the WNL.
“Soccer is different over there. It’s more running and things like that. Even if you talk to Denise [O'Sullivan], she’ll tell you that it’s just the pace of the game is very fast. I’ll just develop so much. I personally want to improve my aggression on the pitch — I think that’s the place to do it.
“We all have international players in the squad and teams like North Carolina, they have girls from the Arsenal academy getting their education, graduating early, heading back to the Super League and things like that, so it’s a step up but I’m really enjoying it.”
On another note, there have been issues in the past with Irish players getting permission from their college to regularly fly back and forth for international duty, but there is no such problem for the Corkonian.
“They’re 100% okay with it,” she says. “Before I even signed with them, they were like: ‘International duty comes first.’ And I think that is a great thing to have them understand. We also just had a girl, Laura Georges, talk to us. She got inducted into the hall of fame and she was a French international star. She graduated in 2007 and they always put her international duty [first].”
For now, though, O’Mahony will push all thoughts of university aside and focus on Ireland’s two crucial upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Georgia.
The teenager did not feature in the opening game against Sweden and was one of four players to miss out as the squad was whittled down for the recent trip to Helsinki.
But as fellow defender Savannah McCarthy has shown, it is possible for a relatively inexperienced player to break into the starting XI, despite the vast array of caps earned by the likes of Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell.
“Yeah, there’s hope,” she adds. “Again, it only comes with hard work and I have a lot of work to do to try to establish my name, but I’ve got to trust the process. Hopefully, by putting in the work, good things will happen, but you never know.”
Having a great session so far but with the depth of backrowers it will be very hard for him to make the Ireland match day squad
Lets see can we get to 10 post before Paul the “bandwagon” Sheehan post some crap about Munster supporters
I’d have him over Heaslip – he’s not exactly impressing.
Heaslip was top class last Sunday. With SOB out he has returned to heaslip been the main go forward player and I think this suits him better
But Heaslip is an 8 and TO’D is a 7. Don’t think he’s ever played 8 so wanting him over Heaslip is absolutely crazy.
I would have him as second choice 7 behind Henry atm. I think Ryan has had his best ever run in a leinster jersey, it’s so refreshing to see him stay fit, but TO’D is a more rounded player. Not as destructive in the tackle but a better poacher. His link play is better than Ryan’s as well who plays like 6 in attack.
The bitterness is strong in this one.
Tod has played 8
Maybe a backrow of Tod, pom and Heaslip for the Australia game could work well might need more power for south Africa do
Sean i really seem to have hit a nerve with you on this.That suggests to me that my comments are very close to the truth because if they were way off they would not elicit the same levels of vitriol that has been directed my way.
Look on it as me doing you lot a favour as it may make you think twice before ye embarrass yourselves spouting your red army pashun gibberish the next time you manage to fill the toyota arena.
That is all.
Toyota have nothing to do with Munster Mr Waaaaaterford !
I’ve never spouted any such red army crap .
I’m a long standing sessions tickets holder with Munster and massive Ireland supporter.
Belive me I know there is bandwagon fans I’ve meet them in every rugby ground in Ireland .This not an issue Exclusive to Munster rugby .
Your constant post about the Munster bandwagon is just getting very old.
I’m posting here to talk to other rugby fans about the game we love not to bicker with a sad troll who is hung up on 1 subject and drags the tread in to the mud every chance he gets.
Well said Sean. It’s getting very old. A lot of so called rugby supporters on here spouting the same old s**t in every article posted. I’m not even sure what they are trying to prove any more.
Stupid troll is stupid.
The trolls here are pathetic at least develop your argument lads or find another area topic to troll. I’m all for abit of witty banter between the provinces but ye lads don’t seem to have the intellect to think of something new to troll with
What ar u doin on d twitter and ya meant to b learnin in school? Expect a skelping off ur da wen ya get home
Whayaay.flash just got owned.
Stop creating twitter profiles to back up your own trolling. As I said before. You’re fooling no one.
We’re dishin up d turnips luv
O’Donnell is definitely one of the better if not the best openside in Ireland right now. His movement around the paddock (as the Kiwis like to call the pitch) reminds me a bit of the great All Black openside flanker, Josh Kronfeld
The Kiwis run from the shed out onto the paddock at the start of a match. Just like the cows at home on a Tuesday morning!
Great to see Tommy return to form after a serious case of ‘second season syndrome’. Had to improve at the breakdown to see off Dougall never mind challenge Henry for the Irish jersey. That said given the absence of Sean O’Brien, Cian Healy and any serious ball carrying centre he should really come into consideration for a start over the autumn internationals. Looking at the squad it’s hard to see where the go forward ball will come from, Cronin is an obvious option but that mean sacrificing your line outs, which would be suicidal against the Boks.
Don’t want to post too soon but I think there gone!
Back to the rugby how do you think Munsters backrow will do Friday? Saracens have some power in that department
The backrow will be a lottery. We weren’t allowed compete at all last week which I guess will starve them of info. Garces is the opposite. He allows anything goes at the breakdown. Saffacens are very good, but so are we. Intriguing.
I must say I I’m proper nervous about the game Friday players like TOD Casey Archer Folye need to step up another notch this Saracens pack made easy work of Clermont last session.
Munster need blitz them from the start and let the bench finish them off .
I think will see Hurley at 12 again. Would like to see him get more 1st up ball hopefully he will soften them up for JJ
Seán, I wouldn’t worry too much. Munster have a knack of upping their tempo big time when it comes to the European cup. Ye always seem to peak at the right time. Financially, the further the Irish provinces go in this competition the better, for the development of Irish rugby and keeping our players in Ireland.
Actually no. Believe it or not, a rabo semi and final is worth more bucks. Irfu take most HC prize money
To be fair, a lot of Munster (and other provincial) rugby fans were in their early to late teenage years when rugby really took hold in this country. If you’ve been supporting a team since 2000, that’s 14 years ago which is a hell of a long time. Every team has their bandwagon supporters but you can hardly discuss anything rugby-related on the Score without these two guys yapping on with their bandwagon obsession. We get it. You don’t like it. Anything else to add?
I second that Michael
and I apologize to all the posters on here for feeding these monkey today
Sean . There used to be a rugby forum on the bbc called 606. It had some good moments but also had a lot of wum. Wind up merchants. Really its Best just not to answer thereby excluding them from the dialogue. In the end the babysitter will discover theyre out of bed and turn the computer off.
I miss 606. Mostly…. There were some brilliant wums on it. Intelligent ones. Subtle. Some not so much but lots of great posters from around the world. Redstag. OnASideNote. MBTOG were big munster ones. Mickado from Leinster. Umm from Connacht. Englishmaninwales. Silverghost from NZ. Waleswillwin. Good times.
Stick to your guns Paul Sheehan. The truth will always win out. Everything you say about Munster and their fans (who only discovered rugby football in 2000) is spot on. It drives the Munster fans mad that what you say is actually true, even if it is unpalatable for them to accept. Interesting that they never argue with the valid points you make but instead resort to abuse and name calling. Keep telling it the way it is mate.
RobsonKeane and Paul Sheehan I’m guessing your the same person.
As for backing up anything I say with facts and figures I’ve openly admitted that there is a bandwagon element in Thomond I’m not trying to defend that.
What yee? Seem to not understand is that “red army ” ” Passion ” and ” SUAF” catch phrases where coined by the media of the time of Munsters success in the H-Cup.
But for some reason your pea brains can’t separate the press hype from the real supporters.
The fact is a winning teams brings a crowd there will be gobshits in that crowd it happens in every team not just Munsters which yee happen to be fixated on .
I only really discovered rugby in 1999-2000, then again I was only 8! Not everyone in the world in 30 plus. I suppose you’d only be happy if there was 5000 ‘real fans’ attending Irish games and if we were scraping the arse of the barrel for 15 players. Bandwagon fans are good and bad for a sport but mostly good, and every, now listen to me, EVERY TEAM IN THE WORLD HAS THEM.
Apologies to everyone having to read this but the ba*tards finally got to me
Sorry sean but you mentioned my name on this thread before i had even read it.and then you castigate me for replying.i am entitled to my opinion just as you are entitled to yours but what you are not entitled to is your own version of the facts.Fact is munster fans are bandwagon jumpers like a lot of fans but what separates munster fans from the rest is the notions they have about their special support.and no its not media driven, i have seen these fans on match nights(in pubs) spouting their inane munster bullshit.fair play if you are a genuine fan and if you are my comments are not directed at you but you are getting so worked up about it i suspect you are exactly the kind og chest thumping johnny come lately that i speak of.
That is all.
Calm down sparky .I think you may be having a conniption.
I am calm Paul/Robson. But the fact that you are a giant tool doesn’t help
No I’m not getting worked up at all Paul I’m cool beans .
I see your still singing the same old tune your FACTS as you call them are not facts but your opinion which you are entitle too but opinions are like ass holes everyone has got one.
You pointless and repetitive opinion of Munster supporters is beyond boring change the record man I’m sure I’m not the only poster on here that is feed up of hearing your same old tune.
Where here to talk rugby with real fans new and old not bitche about lads down pub .
Don’t feed the troll….
I know Cian but there are a good few posters on here that are board of the constant ramblings of these trolls
Im one. Ignore them and they’ll go back to their GAA pages and abusing people on twitter.
They can feck off from the GAA Cian
I hear ya but if you look at Robsons twitter you’ll see what I mean.
Guessing wrong so sean.you think i am some lone voice who is sick to the back teeth of being forcefed this tripe from the munster fans,well i have news for you there is loads of us out there.also ill try one last time to explain it to you lot.
I do not care who you support i just dont want to hear how wonderful that support is.
That is all.
Paul your up early today get the 1st shot in good man.
You have been shown up for what you are a troll it’s a simple as that you won’t debate subject of any give storys or your own agenda just repeated the same old lines .
I won’t be drawn into to you deluded little bitter debate anymore .
In your own words Paul
THAT IS ALL
Get over yourself seanie,someone having an opinion which you may find unpalatable does not make them a troll.as for me not debating the stories i am commenting on , when have you ever tried to actually debate with me,its just personal abuse and stamping your feet like a spoilt toddler.You said yourself that you never went in for that munster pashun suaf best fans red army nonsense but i see you are spouting that exact same drivel on todays score.ie.s article on the munster rugby franchise.was that you or did the media make you do it.
That is all.