The winners

Abbie Larkin

Along with Shamrock Rovers teammate Aine O’Gorman, one of just two home-based players to make the cut for Pauw’s selection. The 18-year-old Dubliner is the squad’s youngest player and the only Irish teenager involved. Her inclusion is not that surprising though when you consider that even before this latest window, she had 163 minutes of playing time under her belt at international level in the last year. That’s more than fellow forwards Amber Barrett (157), Kyra Carusa (137) and Leanne Kiernan (7), though less than Marissa Sheva (200).  That said, she was one of a few players who would likely have endured a couple of sleepless nights in recent weeks as she was by no means considered a certainty. However, her 64 minutes against Zambia evidently saw her do enough to convince Pauw whereas both attackers who started alongside her — Kiernan and Saoirse Noonan — each unfortunately missed out on a place on the plane.

Izzy Atkinson

A real surprises from Wednesday’s squad announcement and one of the beneficiaries from the likes of Megan Campbell and Jamie Finn missing out. The West Ham player has come a long way in a short space of time. The 21-year-old wasn’t even selected in the original 27-player preliminary squad for this training camp but has clearly grasped her chance after a late call-up in recent days, including a solid 45 minutes against Zambia. She had won just four caps before then, three of which came under previous manager Colin Bell. “With Izzy, we always said we all know she has everything to be a super football player,” Pauw told reporters on Wednesday. “But tactically the penny had to drop. And the pressure that a World Cup brings — [some] players step up, players are so focused and concentrated on teamwork because that is what makes the difference.”

Ciara Grant

With just 32 minutes of international action between June 2022 and May 2023, Grant was one of the players who would very much be considered borderline in terms of her chances of making the plane. Yet the Donegal native has clearly done enough to impress Pauw in these last few days, including a solid second-half display against Zambia in which she created the assist while keeping the play alive for Amber Barrett’s second goal. It’s also one of the more remarkable stories out of all those who made the squad. The 30-year-old Donegal native quit soccer in 2016 to pursue a career in medicine, but returned in 2019, opting to temporarily put her work as a doctor to one side. Since then, she has enjoyed stints at Sion Swifts, Shelbourne, Rangers and Hearts while gradually forcing her way back into the Ireland reckoning, having won 18 caps in total, 15 of which were between 2012 and 2015.

The losers

Megan Campbell

Both Campbell and Aoife Mannion would have been virtual certainties to make the cut were it not for recurring issues that Vera Pauw ultimately opted not to take a gamble on. They are two players who are opposites in the sense that Mannion’s international clearance to represent the Republic was only confirmed back in February and the Man United player has just two caps, whereas Campbell is one of Ireland’s longest-serving players, having made her international debut in 2011 and won 47 caps overall. However, both players have been dogged by injuries, which has consequently cost them their World Cup dream. That said, Campbell hasn’t exactly been an entirely peripheral figure in recent times — only eight players got more minutes for their country between June 2022 and May 2023. Yet another difficult season at club level where her game time was limited at Liverpool because of injury problems put paid to her hopes of making it to Australia, in addition to the recent confirmation that she is leaving the Reds. Pauw subsequently told reporters that both players had “no chance” of making the plane on the basis that they would not be fully recovered and ready to go by the time the tournament kicks off on 20 July.

Jamie Finn

Arguably the most shocking omission, Finn started six of Ireland’s nine qualifiers including both games versus Sweden and the playoff in Scotland. Leaving out the Birmingham player — who has 15 caps in total — was “the hardest decision,” according to Pauw. She could still be involved, of course, as along with Sophie Whitehouse and Harriet Scott, she has been selected as one of three training players who could potentially come in for injured individuals right up until the eve of the tournament. “She’s been part of that squad all of the time but we’ve changed our playing system,” Pauw told reporters on Wednesday. “We have Kyra Carusa as a target player and we brought Heather Payne to the right side, with pace on the wing. There are also players who have jumped up levels. These options mean you have to take tough decisions.” 

Leanne Kiernan

With 28 caps, only one of the four travelling forwards are more experienced at international level than Kiernan. However, her absence is not a huge shock when you consider a season that encompassed eight months out with an ankle injury and accordingly, a lack of involvement at club level. “I’ve done everything possible,” she told The 42 of her World Cup prospects earlier this month, but it ultimately wasn’t enough. Others have moved ahead of the 24-year-old striker in the pecking order and even if fully fit, she was by no means guaranteed to feature. She struggled to impress in last week’s match with Zambia, which was her first start since February 2022, while her last goals for Ireland came in 2018 against the North during the Colin Bell era.  

Ireland WNT Squad for the World Cup

Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Reading), Megan Walsh (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Defenders: Heather Payne (Florida State University), Áine O’Gorman (Shamrock Rovers), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Claire O’Riordan (Celtic), Megan Connolly (Brighton & Hove Albion), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Izzy Atkinson (West Ham United)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Lily Agg (London City Lionesses), Ruesha Littlejohn (Aston Villa), Ciara Grant (Hearts), Sinead Farrelly (NJ/NY Gotham), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit), Abbie Larkin (Shamrock Rovers)

Training Players: Sophie Whitehouse, Harriet Scott, Jamie Finn