The Irish Senior Women’s international football squad will be awarded The Irish Sports Award this Thursday, November 9
FIFTY years ago in 1973 the Women's Football Association of Ireland was established, and in the same year the Republic of Ireland made their official international debut — an away friendly game against Wales
The team made their competitive debut in September 1982 in a European Competition for Women's Football qualifier against Scotland.
The Republic played their first ever Women's World Cup game in July 2023, losing 1-0 to Australia, one of the co-host nations of the competition, following a penalty.
But despite mixed results, the Irish Senior Women’s international has shown enormous promise, and is now emerging as a force in European soccer.
Grace Moloney and Ruesha Littlejohn will be collecting The Irish Post Sports Award on behalf of the Irish Senior Women’s international squad.
Ruesha Littlejohn at the 2023 World Cup (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Ruesha Littlejohn
Ruesha Littlejohn plays as a midfielder for FA Women's Championship club London City Lionesses and the Republic of Ireland national team. She has had four spells with Glasgow City, and stints with Norwegian First Division club IL Sandviken and English sides Arsenal, Liverpool, London Bees, Leicester City, Birmingham City and Aston Villa.
Born and raised in Scotland to an Irish mother, Littlejohn was called into the Ireland squad in February 2012
She has so far been capped over 60 times by Ireland.
Grace Moloney on duty for the London City Lionesses (Photo by George Wood - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)Grace Moloney
Grace Maria Moloney plays as a goalkeeper for FA WSL club Reading. In 2010 aged 15, she was called up to the Republic of Ireland women's national football team under 15s.
Moloney was born in March 1993 in Slough, Berkshire to Bill Moloney. Her paternal grandfather is from Co. Tipperary and paternal grandmother from Co. Cavan.
Moloney was included in the senior Republic of Ireland women's national football team for the first time in August 2010, for a friendly against the Netherlands.
Moloney won her first senior cap at the 2016 Cyprus Cup, playing the full match in Ireland's opening 2–0 defeat by Austria.
Moloney was given her first competitive appearance in an important UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifier against Germany at Tallaght Stadium in December 2020. She won the confidence of then coach Vera Pauw due to her terrific form at club level with Reading.
The Irish Post Awards
Thursday, November 9
Grosvenor House Hotel
Park Lane, London
