Two Irish female soccer stars announced their retirement last week. Aine O’Gorman and Karen Duggan both retired following the final round of games in this season’s Women’s Premier Division on Saturday. The pair played together for Peamount United, UCD Waves and the Republic of Ireland. O’Gorman, who has been at Shamrock Rovers for the last three years, won 119 caps with the Girls in Green over an 18-year period, retiring from international duty after the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The 36-year-old Wicklow native sits fourth in the all-time appearance list for the women’s national team. She was one of two League of Ireland players in Vera Pauw's squad at the World Cup, along with her then clubmate at Shamrock Rovers Abbie Larkin. Domestically O’Gorman enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Peamount, lifting two League of Ireland titles, in 2019 and 2020, and two FAI Women’s Cups, in 2010 and 2020. She scored over 200 league goals in the LOI across spells with Peamount, DLR Waves and three seasons with Shamrock Rovers.
Duggan, who is 34, was capped 35 times for Ireland. A natural leader, she started her career at Peamount but, along with O’Gorman and followed manager Eileen Gleeson to UCD Waves(now known as DLR Waves, in 2014. Duggan returned to Peamount in 2018 where she has been ever since. She won four league titles at Peamount and one FAI Cup.
ATHLONE TOWN
EYE DOUBLE
Shamrock Rovers can claim their first FAI League-Cup double since 1987 when they meet Cork City in the FAI Cup final next month. On Sunday next Athlone Town can claim their first League-Cup double when they play Bohemians in this year’s Women’s FAI Cup final at Tallaght Stadium on Sunday next. Athlone and Shelbourne have contested the last three Cup finals and Athlone won the Cup for the first time in 2023 when beating Shelbourne 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. The Midlanders will be favorites to beat Bohs, who will be contesting their first-ever Women’s final.
Athlone Town’s Hannah Waesch and Kate Slevin celebrated winning the league title. [Inpho/James Crombie]
MONEY FOR CLUBS
WITH ACADEMIES
The Irish budget last week Finance Ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers confirmed that League of Ireland clubs with an Academy will get €3m a year to invest in youth soccer. Significantly the money will be distributed by Sport Ireland, not the FAI.
Meanwhile, Derry City have confirmed that they, along with Irish League Crusaders, will start legal proceedings to challenge both clubs’ exclusion from Stage 2 of the Northern Ireland Football Fund process. The long-mooted fund, which aims to improve sporting stadia and infrastructure in the North, was greenlit last January when the Northern Ireland Executive announced that clubs could apply for a share of just over £36m.
CHAMPAGNE
STILL ON ICE
The champagne is still on ice for Shamrock Rovers after they were beaten 1-0 by Shelbourne in Tallaght Stadium on Friday night, the only League game played at the weekend. Rovers needed a point to clinch their 22nd League of Ireland title but a goal from Kerr McInroy gave all three points to Shelbourne, to improve their chances of European football next season. The Hoops now travel to Inchicore on Friday next where they will be hoping for at least a point against St Patrick’s Athletic to clinch the title. Meanwhile Dundalk have won the first division and will be back in the Premier Division for what will be their 100th anniversary in the League of Ireland. The County Louth club was founded in 1919 and they joined the League in 1926.
UEFA NOT KEEN ON
OVERSEAS GAMES
UEFA has reluctantly approved the staging of two domestic league games overseas, but says it will work to ensure it does not set a precedent. Barcelona and Villarreal are seeking to play their December LaLiga game in Miami, while AC Milan and Como want to stage their Serie A encounter in Perth, Australia, next February. UEFA's executive committee delayed a decision on the matter last month and says its consultation on the issue since has found a ‘‘widespread lack of support’’ for the concept. However, UEFA said it felt it had no option but to approve these two requests due to a lack of a ‘‘clear and detailed’’ framework, with FIFA still in the process of finalising new regulations. The final decision on staging these matches, which are strongly opposed by Football Supporters Europe, will now pass to FIFA.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: ‘‘League matches should be played on home soil; anything else would disenfranchise loyal match-going fans and potentially introduce distortive elements in competitions. Our consultation confirmed the breadth of these concerns.” The English Premier League’s stance is that it will not follow La Liga and Serie A in requesting to relocate domestic fixtures.
DINNY LOWRY, 90
Also last week Dinny Lowry, former goalkeeper with St Patrick’s Athletic, Bohemians and Sligo Rovers, passed at age 90. Born in Crumlin, Dinny played for local club Bulfin United before joining St Patrick’s Athletic in 1952 and spent 17 seasons playing with the Inchicore club, winning two League titles and two FAI Cup meals with the Saints. He later won an FAI Cup medal with Bohemians when they beat Sligo Rovers after a second replay in 1970. Dinny was a regular on League of Ireland selections and won Irish senior cap when he came on as sub for the injured Alan Kelly in a friendly against Austria at Dalymount Park in April 1962. After retiring Lowry worked as a goalkeeping coach with Shamrock Rovers.
