“I was just like, ‘Who is this kid? I like her, she’s a bit of me.’ Sometimes you meet some kids along the way, and you go, ‘She has something about her.’
“What a person, such a good personality. She’s this little townie. Mad as a hatter, but I love her. She’s obviously a top, top player. She’s going to go all the way. We’re delighted to have her for now, very proud that she’s a Shelbourne player.”
That sentiment echoes around the winner’s enclosure after their 3-1 win which stopped Athlone’s double-double dream.
Harcourt gets away from Kayleigh Shine. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
FAI Cup final debutant Harcourt broke the deadlock after just nine minutes at Tallaght Stadium, pouncing after Athlone goalkeeper Maria Matthaiou spilled Alex Kavanagh’s long-range free kick. She hit the back of the net again shortly after, but was denied by the offside flag.
Pacy, direct and fearless, Harcourt caused serious problems for the Midlanders’ defence, pulled down by Kayleigh Shine for the Kavanagh free-kick that made it 2-0 shortly before half-time. And they went in three goals to the better with another teenage star, 18-year-old Maeve Wollmer, on target thereafter.
Harcourt was dangerous again on the restart, and hardly put a foot wrong in her 60-minute performance as Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward watched on.
The U17 international will undoubtedly have provided food for thought.
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While Slattery suggests she’s far from shy, Harcourt is – as expected – somewhat reserved as she speaks to the media amidst the celebrations on the Tallaght pitch.
But she was otherwise unfazed by the bright lights of cup final day.
“I had a bit of confidence going in. I was excited and then got on the pitch and I just expressed myself,” says Harcourt.
“I didn’t think of it as a final. I just thought of it as another game going into it, so I wouldn’t get nervous.
“I don’t remember any of (the goal). I think I remember just running off celebrating, that’s all. I don’t even remember hitting it.”
What an opener from the 16 year old Halle Harcourt she is on fire 👏
From the city centre – “right in town” – Harcourt joined the Shelbourne academy in 2024 having played with Belvedere’s boys’ teams beforehand. She was also a dancer, but football took over.
Having scored regularly for the Shels’ U17s, a senior debut arrived last August on which she became the then-youngest scorer in the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division at 15 years and 78 days. (Wexford’s Mia Whelan has since taken the title.)
But Harcourt didn’t feature again for the first-team until this season, as she fought her way into Sean Russell’s starting XI.
She scored a stunning hat-trick against Waterford and was named Women’s Premier Division Player of the Month for July, before well and truly putting her name in lights on the biggest day of the domestic calendar.
“She has all the ability in the world,” says Russell. “She is still so young so she still has to keep working hard and doing all the right stuff. But we trusted her, and she showed what she can do, and she has amazing ability.
“She has to keep enjoying her football and keep working hard, but the sky is the limit for her. Halle has shown today what she has shown on every occasion in training. All the faith in the world in her because she’s got such a fantastic ability.”
The faith shown has been returned in spades through a memorable breakthrough season, but FAI Cup final day is a different animal. A young player could be forgiven for not playing to their potential.
“Go out and show them who you are,” Slattery urged Harcourt during the week. The veteran skipper knew she would be fine when she set the tone in Tallaght.
“I think early on when she rolled Kayleigh Shine twice, we talk about senior players helping youngsters, that gives me everything. I’m like, ‘Here we go’. If she’s rolling an experienced centre-half like that and giving them a torrid time in the first five minutes, that lifts everyone. She’s a 16-year-old driving the team forward and then obviously gets a such important goal, the first goal.”
Kavanagh chimes in. The midfield maestro was named Player of the Match in her eighth cup final but hailed her young teammate as another worthy contender.
“Halle, she’s a great kid, honestly. For me, she’d be up there as well with Man of the Match today. A lot of people get it with goals and stuff like that, but her work rate and her attitude today was top-notch, and I think that’s a big thing in football.
“Genuinely, if she has that attitude, she’ll go all the way, 100%.”
Shelbourne celebrate on the pitch. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO
Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO
It goes without saying that patience has been urged, and Harcourt is keeping her feet on the ground.
Asked about Ward watching on and her Ireland ambitions, she smiles. “Yeah, hopefully one day. But right now I’m just taking it step by step and will keep going and hopefully she can keep an eye on me.”
Harcourt is high in demand as she heads on her way; approached for several other interviews, and photographs and autographs by fans.
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The 16-year-old Shelbourne star that lit up the Women's FAI Cup final
HALLE HARCOURT HAD a clear message for Pearl Slattery the first time she met her.
“I’m gonna nuts you.”
The 16-year-old lit up the Women’s FAI Cup final on Sunday, and Shelbourne captain Slattery laughs when she thinks back to that training session.
“I was just like, ‘Who is this kid? I like her, she’s a bit of me.’ Sometimes you meet some kids along the way, and you go, ‘She has something about her.’
“What a person, such a good personality. She’s this little townie. Mad as a hatter, but I love her. She’s obviously a top, top player. She’s going to go all the way. We’re delighted to have her for now, very proud that she’s a Shelbourne player.”
That sentiment echoes around the winner’s enclosure after their 3-1 win which stopped Athlone’s double-double dream.
FAI Cup final debutant Harcourt broke the deadlock after just nine minutes at Tallaght Stadium, pouncing after Athlone goalkeeper Maria Matthaiou spilled Alex Kavanagh’s long-range free kick. She hit the back of the net again shortly after, but was denied by the offside flag.
Pacy, direct and fearless, Harcourt caused serious problems for the Midlanders’ defence, pulled down by Kayleigh Shine for the Kavanagh free-kick that made it 2-0 shortly before half-time. And they went in three goals to the better with another teenage star, 18-year-old Maeve Wollmer, on target thereafter.
Harcourt was dangerous again on the restart, and hardly put a foot wrong in her 60-minute performance as Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward watched on.
The U17 international will undoubtedly have provided food for thought.
While Slattery suggests she’s far from shy, Harcourt is – as expected – somewhat reserved as she speaks to the media amidst the celebrations on the Tallaght pitch.
But she was otherwise unfazed by the bright lights of cup final day.
“I had a bit of confidence going in. I was excited and then got on the pitch and I just expressed myself,” says Harcourt.
“I didn’t think of it as a final. I just thought of it as another game going into it, so I wouldn’t get nervous.
“I don’t remember any of (the goal). I think I remember just running off celebrating, that’s all. I don’t even remember hitting it.”
From the city centre – “right in town” – Harcourt joined the Shelbourne academy in 2024 having played with Belvedere’s boys’ teams beforehand. She was also a dancer, but football took over.
Having scored regularly for the Shels’ U17s, a senior debut arrived last August on which she became the then-youngest scorer in the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division at 15 years and 78 days. (Wexford’s Mia Whelan has since taken the title.)
But Harcourt didn’t feature again for the first-team until this season, as she fought her way into Sean Russell’s starting XI.
She scored a stunning hat-trick against Waterford and was named Women’s Premier Division Player of the Month for July, before well and truly putting her name in lights on the biggest day of the domestic calendar.
“She has all the ability in the world,” says Russell. “She is still so young so she still has to keep working hard and doing all the right stuff. But we trusted her, and she showed what she can do, and she has amazing ability.
“She has to keep enjoying her football and keep working hard, but the sky is the limit for her. Halle has shown today what she has shown on every occasion in training. All the faith in the world in her because she’s got such a fantastic ability.”
The faith shown has been returned in spades through a memorable breakthrough season, but FAI Cup final day is a different animal. A young player could be forgiven for not playing to their potential.
“Go out and show them who you are,” Slattery urged Harcourt during the week. The veteran skipper knew she would be fine when she set the tone in Tallaght.
“I think early on when she rolled Kayleigh Shine twice, we talk about senior players helping youngsters, that gives me everything. I’m like, ‘Here we go’. If she’s rolling an experienced centre-half like that and giving them a torrid time in the first five minutes, that lifts everyone. She’s a 16-year-old driving the team forward and then obviously gets a such important goal, the first goal.”
Kavanagh chimes in. The midfield maestro was named Player of the Match in her eighth cup final but hailed her young teammate as another worthy contender.
“Halle, she’s a great kid, honestly. For me, she’d be up there as well with Man of the Match today. A lot of people get it with goals and stuff like that, but her work rate and her attitude today was top-notch, and I think that’s a big thing in football.
“Genuinely, if she has that attitude, she’ll go all the way, 100%.”
It goes without saying that patience has been urged, and Harcourt is keeping her feet on the ground.
Asked about Ward watching on and her Ireland ambitions, she smiles. “Yeah, hopefully one day. But right now I’m just taking it step by step and will keep going and hopefully she can keep an eye on me.”
Harcourt is high in demand as she heads on her way; approached for several other interviews, and photographs and autographs by fans.
It seems she will have to get used to this.
*****
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