1-2 IN CORK’S All-Ireland senior championship opener win against Cavan on Saturday, two goals in City’s Women’s National League victory over Kilkenny on Sunday; all in a weekend’s work for Saoirse Noonan.
It’s hard to believe that it was just last summer when the prodigiously talented dual star burst onto the senior inter-county ladies football scene. Noonan almost immediately earned herself the title of “super sub,” firing a 5-11 total in six championship matches from the bench.
Still only 20 — and recently-turned it at that — the Nemo Rangers sharpshooter has graduated to the starting line-up this summer, with her impact being felt more and more with each and every outing.
“She’s serious,” as Rebels manager Ephie Fitzgerald told The42 at the recent championship launch. “There’s no point in talking, she’s a serious operator.
“What I love about her is she’s so cool, under pressure particularly. Nothing seems to faze her. She’s a very quiet girl, she’s very unassuming. There’s no cockiness in her. Great craic and that, she’s great with the one-liners.
“We have serious competition for places in the team, it gives us a bit of a headache. But that’s grand. We know that whatever forward line we play, we have another four or five that are every bit as good that can come on and finish the job for us.”
While she’s been there from the start of many encounters this year, finishing the job was her very forté last year.
Those involved in ladies football in Cork knew they had someone pretty special coming through the ranks considering her incredible underage career, but a message was sent elsewhere as Noonan made her senior debut for the 11-time All-Ireland champions in the 2018 Munster final.
She sent shockwaves around the country from CIT with an impressive 2-2 after coming on at half time. The former Ireland underage soccer international then went on to chip in with 4-9 in four more championship cameos.
Two goals against Monaghan, 0-1 as they beat Armagh, 1-5 (two of those frees) in her 22-minute All-Ireland quarter-final appearance against Westmeath and she fired 1-3 (three frees) past Donegal as Cork booked their place in the decider.
Not only were her scoring stats through the roof, but her movement off the ball and confidence on it were a revelation for Fitzgerald and his management team. Not only could she clinically finish, she could create; and that was another breath of fresh air in an already lethal forward line.
Cork fell to Mick Bohan’s Dublin in the Croke Park final, with the Sky Blues expertly handling Noonan’s half-time arrival at HQ. It just wasn’t to be at the end, but all in all, what an incredible debut championship season for the teenage star.
It was a year that ended in personal devastation, however, as she sustained a partial tear to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the dying minutes of Cork City’s last game of the season. Luckily, no surgery was required, but the diagnosis meant four or five months out of action with a hell of a lot of rehab on the cards.
“She worked very, very hard in the gym,” Fitzgerald revealed ahead of Cork’s Division 1 final showdown with Galway in May. That was just after her return to action when she got her first taste of 2019 county football from the bench in the semi-final replay win over Dublin.
“She’s really only fully back with us three or four weeks at this stage, but she’s getting sharper every week. It will just take her a bit of time to get up to that match fitness and the physical fitness needed at this level.
“But sure she’s such a good player with such a range of skills that she can go in and perform for cameos at the moment. Looking towards the summer hopefully she’ll play more of a part going forward.”
Evidently, she has. And that started in the league decider.
Like last year, Noonan was summoned from the bench in the early minutes of the second half — the 39th to be precise — and lived up to her “super sub” title yet again.
She got stuck into the action straight away, combining brilliantly with Eimear Scally up top to really get Cork moving when it mattered most. She knew exactly how to turn on the style and was outstanding in some brilliant team moves, this one in particular catching the eye:
What a piece of soccer skill from Scally!! Premiership stuff
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 5, 2019
Scileanna den scoth léirithe ag Scally do @CorkLGFA #serioussupport #ProperFan #20X20@20x20_ie @LadiesFootball @lidl_ireland @SportsJOEdotie @The42GAA pic.twitter.com/GsHTq2OAsl
Then came her chance to get on the scoresheet herself, and of course, Noonan duly obliged.
She finished deftly when she was presented with her chance in the 48th minute and that three-pointer really sent Cork on their way and killed off the Galway challenge.
What a finish to the corner of the net!
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) May 5, 2019
Ard-chríoch agus cúl ag Noonan do @CorkLGFA #serioussupport #ProperFan #20X20@20x20_ie @LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/qrvZ5dFxDp
Onward to Munster championship, there was more of the same.
After chipping in with a point and impressing in another successful substitute feature against Waterford, Noonan was rewarded with her first-ever senior start in the Rebel red against Kerry a week later.
Cool as a breeze, she delivered as expected and accounted for 1-2 from full-forward.
What’s probably more pleasing for Cork this year is that she’s not just playing as their poacher or target woman, she’s out the field further, winning possession and is much more involved in attacks from earlier on.
She again shone brightest on Munster final day, starting and hitting an exceptional 2-3 against the Déise, surely cementing her seamless transition from super sub to super starter.
https://www.facebook.com/LadiesGaelicFootball/videos/2336656763241579/
She just loves her football, and her enjoyment translates into unerring accuracy on the pitch.
“In my opinion, she’s gifted,” Fitzgerald echoed his words in that pre-league final interview with The42.
“She’s a fantastic footballer, and a great girl as well. She’s very humble. She’s won more awards than you can imagine, but nothing phases her really. It’s just she loves playing — and that’s the beauty of it for us.”
On Saturday, she again proved her worth against Cavan as her side got their All-Ireland championship campaign up and running. Noonan played 40 minutes from the start, finished with 1-2 and brought her championship returns to 4-8 to 2019 thus far.
4-8 in four championship games. Again, not bad.
Scór luath don lán-tosaí Saoirse Noonan!@CorkLGFA @MunsterLGFA @LadiesFootball #ProperFan pic.twitter.com/upe99NTXlZ
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 20, 2019
Saoirse Noonan rattles the net!
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 20, 2019
Cúl do @CorkLGFA !@MunsterLGFA @LadiesFootball @20x20_ie @NemoRangersGAA @GAA__JOE @ballsdotie #ProperFan pic.twitter.com/lFEQWF6Bpl
As she has been over the past 12 months; going forward, Noonan will be of huge importance to Cork. With Dublin chasing three in-a-row this year and the Leesiders desperately gunning for Brendan Martin Cup glory once again, she’ll play a huge part.
Not just Noonan, though. Several of her younger counterparts have really caught the eye this year and Fitzgerald knows just how vital the new blood will be.
That mixture of youth and experience is welcome on any team, and the younger girls who are “used to winning” work well with the likes of Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan, Orla Finn and goalkeeper Martina O’Brien.
One thing’s fore sure though: Saoirse Noonan will be front and centre of a lot of clashes, as she has been over the past 12 months.
Their next comes against Armagh this Saturday [throw-in 3.15, Tullamore, live on TG4] with an All-Ireland quarter-final on the horizon thereafter.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Good on you, Joe Brolly. The best pundit, bar none, on GAA.
@Kevin Hayes: Are you wise? This is the same man who brought us the Black Card and what an omnishambles that has been.
@Tír Eoghain Gael: The black card rule was to be instated before that Monaghan v Tyrone match anyway. I can remember the proposed rule being described in the match programme that day!
@Tír Eoghain Gael: He didn’t get it brought in. He famously mentioned it after that toe rag Sean Cavanagh dragged Conor McManus to the ground, but it was passed by congress previous to that.
@Kevin Hayes: and by the sounds of it Joe is now also taking Tyrone training sessions!
Spoke with one of their players privately….. So that player wasn’t expecting it to be headline news a few weeks later Then!!!!! Joe brolly a man you can trust
@Anthony: what player was it? Brolly has protected his identity so the player(s) in question can have no issue with what he has said. I’m sure Joe didn’t torture him to get him to say it.
@Eireann go brach: you’ll have to ask Micky harte what player it is as I’m sure he’s currently in the process of finding out. So you think this player said this to Joe in order to publicise this to the wider public or he said it privately most likely in passing thinking it will go no further.
@Anthony: ah come out of the fog, the dogs on the street know if Brolly was told this about any squad in the country he would announce it in a similar manner when he felt it warranted it! Mickey Harte has been Tyrones most successful manager and he should be forever lauded for what he has achieved for Tyrone, both on and off the field, but maybe it was the member of the panel that felt if he was protected by anonymity, as an individual, then this should be made public knowledge. There is a reason he wasn’t given the full extension he was asking for, will he get another extension? I have my doubts.
@Eireann go brach: he spoke with one of tyrones really good players so it’s safe to assume it’s not a disgruntled player on the panel. Agree with your assessment on Micky harte but irrelevant to our discussion. Heres how I see this ‘private’ conversation go down. Brolly and a Tp meet at a funeral, function whatever in passing. Tp :hi Joe. BROLLY : How’s Tp, how’s training? Tp: going sh!te, lost the last couple of games it’s depressing stuff, cya later.
My point is Joe has a history of over exaggeration and read any of his paper articles he’s full of tales of people he met in passing who seemed desperate to unburden themselves with information that could harm them.
Anyways we’ll see in the summer where Tyrone are, my bet is they won’t be very far away at all…
Joe Brolly also said kerry football was finished as underage were poor. How many all ireland minors and schools have kerry won since? All joe wants with his comments is a reaction
@Tomf: kerry minors are unbeaten since he wrote that! Hard to take Brolly and Pat too seriously but they donget people talking which is their job I suppose.
@niall daly: ^ do get!
@nialk daly donget sounded better in a southern deep texan drawl
What a total runt.
@Tom Collins: Harte has to go
@Tom Collins: Be worst if he told him to say chase me chase me to the ones on the other team???
Joe is a master at self-publicity. Paper never refuses ink and Joe will commit anything to writing to keep his name in the spotlight whether that is slagging off Dublin’s ‘arrogance’, Donegal’s ‘puke football’, Kerry’s ‘demise’ or Tyrone’s defensive strategy, Joe doesn’t care because it get’s people talking about….Joe. You simply can’t take him seriously as a pundit because he’ll say anything to court controversy.
Brolly is the GAA version of George Hook, Hook is the rugby version of Dunphy, Dunphy is like a farmers foreskin……
@Bryan Holmes: Don’t even know what that means Bryan but gave me a laugh anyway!!
@Bryan Holmes: holyshit can’t get that image out of my head ,
Man Joe.Way to stir the pot .
I’ve a lot of time for brolly but this obsession for Tyrone is getting annoying now
Love Joe. Cares about the game.
Has lots of conversations with players without naming anyone.. can see obvious reasons for that, just find it hard to believe half them have actually happened!
Not likely to be spoken to ‘privately’ again Joe.
Has he money on Tyrone for the All Ireland!
Joe shut up please
@Joe Kennedy: Smelly, wrinkled and full of bullshit.
It really has become hard to watch. Enjoyment sucked right outa it.