Saoirse Noonan

Saoirse Noonan was born in the Grange area of Cork in July 1999, where she first kicked a soccer ball for her brother Eoin's boys' teams before joining Douglas Hall's female side. That small local beginning launched a rare dual career in which she became Cork City's record goal scorer and a prolific full-forward for Cork ladies' football. Her story still smells of green grass, hard practice and the pride of a city that recognised an unusual talent before the wider world did.