‘It was a bit surreal' – Saoirse Noonan on dream goal in history-making appearance for Ireland at Páirc Ui Chaoimh
Saoirse Noonan said it was a 'surreal' feeling after the Corkonian became the first person to play inter-county football and international soccer at Páirc Uí Chaoimh before scoring Ireland's only goal in her first competitive start.
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The 42
2 days ago
- The 42
'It's another chance for us. We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil'
FOR DENISE O'SULLIVAN, the disappointment of not completing the Nations League mission in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, soon gave way to the optimism that the impending play-offs bring. Preparation for that begins with an international friendly double-header against the United States in June. O'Sullivan has confirmed that she will be available for selection. She had over 40 family members in the crowd on Tuesday night, all watching on as Ireland tried relentlessly to get the four-goal victory they needed against Slovenia. Saoirse Noonan provided the only goal of the night as Ireland came up short at full-time. 'They're waiting for me up in the lounge and all having a beer,' O'Sullivan said after another one of her trademark performances that was built on workrate. She shared the pitch with two other Cork natives Saoirse Noonan and Megan Connolly and was thrilled to be playing in front of a home crowd again. 'A different buzz. I know there were fewer fans compared to France last year but the crowd was still really good. They were really noisy and I'm proud to come back here.' That 1-0 result means Ireland finish second in Group B2 and must go to promotion/relegation play-offs in October. Their opponents will be third-placed League A outfit, and a draw on Friday afternoon at 12pm will determine who Ireland will face in a two-legged tie. Austria, Iceland, Belgium and Denmark are all in the mix to face Carla Ward's side. League A status would significantly boost their 2027 World Cup qualification hopes. Advertisement 'All high level,' O'Sullivan said about the quality of those teams. 'We'll have to be ready for that but it's another chance for us. We want to be at that World Cup in Brazil. That defeat against Wales from last year can stand to us going into the playoff. We've learnt a lot, it still hurts a lot because the pain hasn't gone from that game.' That Wales defeat last December denied Ireland a place at the European Championship which gets underway next month. O'Sullivan will be trying her best to avoid the coverage of the games but will monitor the results for her North Carolina Courage teammates who will be playing. 'I think I'll be switching the TV off, doing everything I can not to watch it but I have teammates from Courage playing in it. I know I'm saying I'll be switching the TV off but I'll watch to cheer them on. It's still devastating not to be there, for sure.' Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, O'Sullivan is content with Ireland's record of five wins from six games. She points to the change in management which took place in January when Carla Ward took over from Eileen Gleeson to guide Ireland through the rest of their 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup campaign. O'Sullivan says the team is still learning to adapt to the former Aston Villa manager's preferred style of play. 'It will definitely take time. The way Carla and staff are implementing her style of play, it doesn't happen overnight. You can see even in the first half how we created a number of chances. As a team we want to keep doing that and get better. 'There's definitely been a lot of change. It took a long time to find our feet and way. In We didn't start well in any game but came out with wins which shows the team's character. I still think we're still trying to get used to the way Carla and the staff want us to play but five wins out of six is positive.' Looking ahead to the friendlies against the United States, O'Sullivan says she is looking forward to sidestepping the usual jetlag that comes with reporting for international duty. Captain Katie McCabe will not be travelling due to a hectic season which ended in Champions League glory with Arsenal recently. Ireland boss Ward says that there are others in similar circumstances who are likely to miss the trip. But O'Sullivan is happy to be involved. 'I'll be in the US,' says O'Sullivan. 'It's my one week in the whole year I get off from Courage but that's okay. I'm happy to play because any chance I get playing for my country I want to be there. 'I'm excited. For once, I don't have to travel 20 hours. I won't have jet lag but the rest will. 'USA are a top, top team and we can go out to challenge ourselves. It will be a brilliant experience.'
Sunday World
3 days ago
- Sunday World
Ireland's first autism-friendly swim classes a dream come true for my son, says mum
Watching Jayden's confidence grow in the water has been a dream come true for Elizabeth and her husband, Ian Four-year-old Jayden was always a water lover but like so many children, the adorable Corkonian didn't understand the dangers it posed. 'If we were at the beach, he'd literally run straight into the water and have no concept that it's up above his mouth,' explains mum Elizabeth O'Connor. 'He literally had no concept of danger.' Since joining Ireland's first autism-friendly swim classes at Turtle Tots, Jayden has come out of his shell in more ways than one — finding joy, confidence, and a safe space to be himself. Speaking of the lifeline that the classes provide, the adoring mum explains: 'He's not quite very high needs, but he's not no needs either. So he's kind of an in-betweener... If he was in a mainstream class, he'd fall behind, he'd get lost.' Speaking of Jayden's additional needs, Elizabeth adds: 'He struggles with his emotional regulation. He could go into a full blown meltdown over something small and it would be the end of the world to him.' That's why the flexible, child-led approach at Turtle Tots stood out. 'What I really loved was that not every child is expected to do the same thing. They work with what your child needs, not against it,' she says. 'Jayden wasn't pushed. He could go at his own pace.' Watching Jayden's confidence grow in the water has been a dream come true for the young mum and her husband, Ian, who brings Jayden to his weekly sessions. Jayden with Elizabeth, Ian and his brother Harry 'He can actually swim now. He can swim with his head under the water... We have to remind him to come up for air,' she laughs. 'He can also float completely. So at least I know if he does end up in water, he can float. That is such a huge relief for us. 'Every time the renewal comes up, we just renew it — there's no question about it. The main thing is that he enjoys it, that it's not something that's being forced on him. He actually wants to do it.' Accessing support and therapies for children with autism in Ireland is notoriously difficult. Long waiting lists, limited resources and patchy access to specialised care leave many families feeling overwhelmed and isolated. Receiving Jayden's autism diagnosis when he was just three years old, the mum-of-two says inclusivity and access to resources has never been more important. 'He always tries to include everyone... even when he's doing the swimming, he's like, 'Why aren't they getting in the pool?'' 'He's only four, but he knows what it feels like to be not included. So he always tries his best to include kids. 'He's crazy, but he's very caring. He loves making friends. He'll always say, 'I love you, mom,' just out of nowhere. And obviously for a kid with autism, that's huge. Sometimes children with autism are not very aware of other people's emotions. So he's fantastic. He really is.' Jayden and his dad Ian love their weekly classes News in 90 June 4th Now looking forward to attending big school in September, Elizabeth says she has never been prouder of her beautiful boy who loves nothing more than doting on his younger brother, 10-month-old Harry. 'I just think these classes, obviously when he's so young as well, make a huge impact as opposed to if he was older and trying to get him into something. It's just become part of his routine now and he is thriving. 'After coming on from all these groups... if he wasn't in them, he'd still be back where he was.' Speaking to parents who also have children on the spectrum, Elizabeth says there's also a sense of camaraderie and community in the classes. 'It's actually even good for the parents because we're all in the same boat. 'If the session is a half an hour and your child is only in the water for five minutes, that's a huge win.' Alan Reinhardt, founder of Turtle Tots, explains the thoughtful structure behind their autism-friendly programme: 'Our classes are small and consistent. We start and finish each session the same way to create routine, and we give children the time they need, with no pressure. 'We do demos as visuals to explain the activities with more emphasis than in our mainstream classes and after recent studies we're starting to implement visual schedules, which includes photos and images of the activities, visual supports also supplement verbal instructions. 'We adapt everything based on the child, not the other way around,' Alan says. With specially trained teachers and an Autism Programme Mentor supporting them, Turtle Tots is expanding their ASD classes across Cork, Dublin, and beyond, into Wicklow, Wexford, Kerry, Mayo, and more. And for families who may be navigating an autism diagnosis, Elizabeth has the following advice: 'Even if somebody else has it a million times worse than you, what you are dealing with your child is so valid. 'It's also important to remember that your child is happy in their world. What our expectation of happy is different to their expectation of happy. It takes the time to get used to that. 'And it goes without saying that people should always approach a situation with kindness. If you see a child having a meltdown, don't stare — just smile. Something as simple as that can really help, 'I'm not just [talking about] a child on the spectrum. I mean any child.'
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
'We need a Carla Ward team on the ball and an Irish mentality off it' says Ireland WNT boss
Uefa Women's Nations League B2 IRELAND 1 (Saoirse Noonan 19) SLOVENIA 0 Play-offs hold fond memories for Irish women's football. Attention between the generation led by Emma Byrne losing their Euro one in 2008 until Hampden Park in 2022 offered a generational breakthrough. Amber Barrett and her big toe will be forever renowned for slaying the Scots to end a qualification famine and begin the journey to Australia. Ireland's route to the next World Cup, the 2027 version in Brazil, will be shaped by the outcome of another play-off in October. Whereas the Celtic clash was considered a meeting of similar standard, Ireland are up against it for this one. Uefa's preference for established nations dictates nations finishing third in League A can preserve their status by beating a runner-up from League B. That's where Ireland find themselves following relegation from League A and failure to bounce straight back. Denmark, Iceland, Belgium or Austria await in Friday's draw. Only the latter have not qualified for next month's Euros. Best case scenario is being paired with Austrians, contrasted with a duel against Denmark. Granted, they trundle into the playoffs off a 6-1 hammering by a slick Sweden side but this will be their seventh straight Euros, the peak being a runners-up finish in 2017. Ireland must navigate the playoffs to be among the top 16 European teams competing for World Cup qualification – with it a playoff assured – because they were always playing catch-up since their second game of the campaign resulted in a shock 4-0 defeat to the Slovenians. 'All four teams are tough but I believe that we can go and beat anyone,' stressed Ward about the next competitive step, after a double-header summer friendly against USA. 'Players that have played for me at club and country often laugh at me because I'm somebody that believes that we can do anything if we really want to.' Despite being 12 places behind Ireland in Fifa's rankings, the team from the Balkans are a structured unit and prepared for what Ireland produced in both games. They were entitled to prioritise elevation over defeat when the three minutes of stoppage time elapsed, thrilled to upset the script Uefa favour abiding by. Saoirse Noonan's winner on her Cork homecoming registered a fifth victory in six for Ireland but not by sufficient margin to dislodge the table-toppers. Just under 10,000 were at Pairc Uí Chaoimh to see Noonan add a second international goal to the first she scored in 2021 but Ireland required another three to salvage top spot in a group they were favourites for. Performances for Ireland have been erratic since Carla Ward's first window in charge went awry. Emily Murphy was the gleeful recipient of a present to salvage victory in Turkey on Friday and her goalscoring impact earned a start in Ward's reshuffled side. This was Ireland's turn to bat and clocking up goals rather than runs was their objective. Defenders were in the thick of the aerial barrage, with Anna Patten first to threaten with a fifth minute poked volley straight into the goalkeeper's hands. Abbie Larkin was next to test Zala Mersnik by cutting in from the left and drilling a shot which the stopper stooped low to repel. Pressure was building and the breakthrough soon arrived after 19 minutes. When Denise O'Sullivan and Murphy collided in attempting to connect with Katie McCabe's left-wing cross, it seemed the chance was lost but the latter dashed to retrieve the ball. Once she prevented it rolling out of play, the ball was teed up for defender Jessie Stapleton to loft a high cross into the box. Her delivery hung long enough in the air for Noonan to elude her marker and plant a thumping header from 10 yards that flew beyond the reach of Mersnik. Hordes of green shirts flooded into the final third in the hope of using that opener as a stimulus and while Patten jabbed a volley wide Ireland still had to be wary of the counter. Lara Prašnikar, who'd scored a brace in Koper, almost exposed Ireland's high line by nipping in behind but Courtney Brosnan did well to bat her shot away. It was a similar pattern for the second half with Ireland overloading the wings without peppering the goal. With a bit more conviction, Ireland might have neared their target. Stapleton's header from McCabe's cross five minutes after the interval was more of a glance, as was another from Caitlin Hayes with 17 minutes left. Murphy's shot was parried and the introduction of Megan Campbell added the throw-in dimension Ireland have become increasingly dependent on. Just once did it threaten with a scud towards fellow substitute Marissa Sheva but the goalkeeper smothered well. Also on towards the end was Louise Quinn for her 122nd cap. The towering centre-back had rescued Ireland in the past, up from the back Shane Duffy-style, but the chase was too steep even for her legendary powers. Frustration boiled into Patten incurring a booking to rule her out of the play-off, one of five players walking a suspension tightrope, and they will require all their nous to emerge from the two-leg assignment. 'We've seen from game one to game six the improvement in our team,' added Ward. 'The way I'd put it is we need a Carla Ward team on the ball and an Irish mentality off the ball. 'If we want to play in an exciting way going forward, and that's the way I like my teams to play, we have to be better out of possession. 'We are still building. Throughout this campaign, we have had five training sessions with the entire squad so to build the way we are and to finish the way we did against Slovenia. 'I could not ask for more. A couple of more goals yes, but we got to be proud of that performance. That was an Irish performance." IRELAND: C Brosnan; J Stapleton (M Campbell 62), C Hayes, A Patten; E Murphy, M Connolly, D O'Sullivan, K McCabe, A Larkin (Louise Quinn 80); K Carusa (M Sheva 80), S Noonan (A Barrett 62). SLOVENIA: Z Mersnik; K Erzen, L Golob, D Conc, S Agrez; S Makovec, L Prasnikar, K Korosec, S Kolbi, Z Kramzar (M Zver 88); M Sternad (N Kajzba 68). Referee: Miriama Bockova (Slovakia). Attendance: 9,433.
