Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Sara Lawlor | ||
Date of birth | 11 November 1987 | ||
Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2007 | Quinnipiac Bobcats [1] | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2000–2013 | Peamount United | ||
International career‡ | |||
2012–2013 | Republic of Ireland | 7 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:15, 9 January 2016 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:15, 9 January 2016 (UTC) |
Sara Lawlor (born 11 November 1987) is an Irish international footballer who played for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). She made her debut for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team in February 2012. A forward, Lawlor was the WNL Player of the Season in both 2011–12 and 2012–13.
Lawlor played her first match for Peamount United in January 2000 [2] and featured in the club's FAI Women's Cup final defeat by Dundalk in 2005. [3] She remained with the club for the inaugural 2011–12 Women's National League season, helping Peamount United win the title. She contributed 15 goals to Peamount's success, formed a "devastating" striking partnership with Stephanie Roche and was named Player of the Year at the inaugural end of season awards ceremony. [4]
In 2012–13 Peamount lost their league title to Raheny United but the campaign was a personal triumph for Lawlor. The top goalscorer with 28 goals, she won a second consecutive Player of the Year award. [5]
At the girls' football tournament at the 2003 European Youth Olympic Festival, Lawlor scored in the third place play-off shootout as Ireland beat France on penalties after a 1–1 draw at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris. [6] Lawlor was one of three nominees for the 2005 Under-19 Women's International Player of the Year, [7] won by Niamh Fahey.
After noting her impressive form in the nascent Women's National League, national team coach Susan Ronan called Lawlor up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad for the first time ahead of the 2012 Algarve Cup. [8] Lawlor made her debut in Ireland's opening match at the tournament, a 1–0 defeat by Hungary. [9] She also represented Ireland at the 2013 Summer Universiade in July. [10] In October 2013, Lawlor withdrew from the national squad with a knee injury. [11]
Áine Marie O'Gorman is an Irish professional footballer who plays for Women's National League club Shamrock Rovers. At club level, O'Gorman began her senior career with Stella Maris, played for Peamount United and UCD Waves, and also spent two seasons with the English FA WSL club Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2011 and 2012.
Peamount United Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Newcastle, South Dublin. The club is best known for its senior women's team, founder members and inaugural champions of the Women's National League in 2011–12. They have also represented the Republic of Ireland in Europe and in 2011–12 they became the first Republic of Ireland team, including men's teams, to qualify from their group for the knockout stages of a European competition. The club's senior men's team compete in the Leinster Senior League. Peamount United have also fielded teams in the Dublin Women's Soccer League, the Dublin and District Schoolboys League and the Metropolitan Girls league.
Julie-Ann Russell is an Irish footballer who plays for Women's National League club Galway United W.F.C.
Stephanie Zambra is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Shamrock Rovers of Dublin and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. Her October 2013 goal in the Women's National League (WNL) for Peamount United was the runner-up for the 2014 FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year.
Louise Catherine Quinn is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre back for the Women's Championship club Birmingham City and the Republic of Ireland women's national team.
The League of Ireland Women's Premier Division is a professional women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland, organised by the League of Ireland, which began play in the 2023 season. The league consists of eleven teams, eight of which owned by clubs with men's teams in the League of Ireland's Premier Division or First Division. The winners of the league qualify for the first round of the UEFA Women's Champions League in the following season.
Castlebar Celtic W.F.C. is an Irish association football club based in Castlebar, County Mayo. The club is the women's section of Castlebar Celtic and has entered teams in the Women's National League, the Mayo Women's Football League and the FAI Women's Cup.
Dora Gorman is an Irish radiologist and footballer who plays as a midfielder for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). In 2010, she was captain of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad who were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. As well as being a medical doctor, Gorman is an all-round sportswoman. She has also represented the Ireland women's national field hockey team at various levels and has played senior inter-county ladies' Gaelic football for the Galway county team.
Cork City Women's Football Club is an Irish women's association football team, based in Cork city. Originally playing at Bishopstown Stadium, from the 2021 Women's National League season, the club were playing home games at Turners Cross Stadium. The club kit is the same as that of Cork City FC, as is the emblem, which is itself a variant of the Cork coat of arms. The club was founded in 2011 as Cork Women's F.C., to take its place as one of seven teams in Ireland's inaugural Women's National League. In 2014 they affiliated with FORAS, the supporters' trust behind Cork City FC, and relaunched as Cork City Women's FC. The club claimed their first national silverware by winning the FAI Women's Cup in 2017, and merged "fully" with Cork City FC ahead of the 2018 season.
The 2011–12 Women's National League season was the inaugural season of the Women's National League. The season was sponsored by Bus Éireann. Originally seven clubs were invited to join the league. However shortly before the start of the season Bray Wanderers/St. Joseph's pulled out due to a lack of competitive players. This left six teams – Peamount United, Castlebar Celtic, Cork Women's F.C., Raheny United, Shamrock Rovers and Wexford Youths – to play the inaugural season.
The 2012–13 Women's National League was the second season of the Women's National League. This season was again sponsored by Bus Éireann. The six founding members of the league – Peamount United, Castlebar Celtic, Cork Women's F.C., Raheny United, Shamrock Rovers and Wexford Youths – were joined for the second season by DLR Waves. Raheny United won their first of two WNL titles. They also complete a league and cup double after already winning the 2012 FAI Women's Cup. Peamount United won the 2013 WNL Cup with a 6–3 win over Castlebar Celtic. Sara Lawlor of Peamount United was the top league goalscorer with 28 goals. She also won a second consecutive Player of the Season award.
Karen Duggan is an Irish footballer who plays for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). She has previously played for UCD Waves and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. Between 2013 and 2016 Duggan was selected for the WNL Team of the Season for four successive seasons. She was the only player selected all four seasons. In 2015–16 she was also WNL Senior Player of the Season. Duggan has also played camogie at club, university and county level.
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Niamh Farrelly is an Irish professional footballer who plays for Barclays Women’s Championship Womens Championship side London City Lionesses. She previously played for Glasgow City of the Scottish Women's Premier League, who she joined from Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). In 2019 she made her debut for the Republic of Ireland women's national team. She can play in either the centre of defence or in midfield.
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Dearbháile Beirne is an Irish dual code footballer from Mohill in County Leitrim. In soccer she plays for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL) and has represented the Republic of Ireland women's national football team at youth and senior level. She has also played Ladies' Gaelic football for Leitrim GAA, competing in the Ladies' National Football League and All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies' Football Championship.
The 2021 Women's National League, known as the SSE Airtricity WNL for sponsorship reasons, is the 11th season of the Women's National League, the highest women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland since its establishment in 2011. Peamount United were the defending champions, having won their third league title the previous season.
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