LOUISE QUINN IS back in the Ireland squad as her retirement from football looms. A 35-minute, Monday morning Zoom call from Istanbul is a colourful start to the week.
Katie McCabe’s sensational Champions League win with Arsenal must be addressed. Quinn is well versed: she called North London home from 2017 to 2020, winning a league title with McCabe and several others from the current squad.
“Absolutely incredible,” she tells The 42, her face lighting up.
“It’s an amazing club, even when I was there however many years ago, they always did their best to support the players and that’s just got better and better. And that history, they’ve obviously been chasing that league title for a number of years and they’ve just had that magical run in Europe.”
A full analysis typically follows: doubts whether Arsenal would win beforehand, the might of back-to-back champions Barcelona, her thoughts through the game as she watched from home with her partner, Eilish, and their baby son, Daragh.
“I’m there holding Daragh and I said to Eilish, ‘If Katie scores, I am going to freak out’ and she was like, ‘Give me our son, do not frighten the crap out of him!’
McCabe celebrates. Jose Breton / INPHO
Jose Breton / INPHO / INPHO
“I was just absolutely delighted for them and obviously Katie is so deserving, I’m just so proud of her. Where she’s come from, playing in the National League all those years ago, getting to play with her, and seeing her now, and she just stepped up to the biggest club stage you can get. She just did us all proud.
“I can’t believe it, it’s going to feel weird when she comes into camp here. She deserves it, she’s been in that squad consistently for how many years. She’s always one of the first names on the team sheet and she deserves that. A club like Arsenal deserves that. They proved it throughout the tournament, but especially on the day to keep out what is the best team in the world. I’m delighted for them.”
McCabe emulated the feat of Emma Byrne, Ciara Grant and Yvonne Tracy, winners with Arsenal last time out in 2007. The Ireland captain spoke about being inspired by that legendary trio afterwards — she sees a picture of them with the trophy and tricolour at the training ground every day — and her hopes to do the same for young girls in Ireland.
“They see Katie doing that, it’s huge. And she made everyone aware that she was Irish. She did not let go of that flag. It is in every picture. She is just so proud.
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“Speaking to Emma [Byrne, now Ireland goalkeeping coach] here, I feel she was part of that and she triggered it all. That was such an iconic photo and now 18 years on, Katie has made sure that there is another iconic photo. And for her, showing what a little girl from Tallaght can do. And moments when it has been difficult for her, trying to take the next step up. But she has constantly fought through it, with her grit, her talent, her personality. It’s just totally deserving.
Ciara Grant, Emma Byrne and Yvonne Tracy celebrate with the Uefa Women's Cup in 2007. Ireland Football / Sportsfile.Ireland Football / Sportsfile. / Sportsfile.
“A picture tells a thousand words. Starting with the three girls. And Katie has shown again what a young girl from Ireland can do.”
McCabe is due in Ireland camp over the next 24 hours after celebrations in London, as are NWSL duo Denise O’Sullivan and Kyra Carusa. Ireland face Türkiye in their penultimate Nations League group game on Friday, before welcoming Slovenia to Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Tuesday.
Quinn, 34, announced her retirement from club football in April, but always intended to make herself available until the end of Ireland’s campaign. The defensive centurion is still coming to terms with the ‘R’ word, as the curtain begins to drop on a noteworthy career.
“It’s a weird word. You’d like to think that I’m also just gonna stop totally and relax, but I’m literally on the job hunt as we speak. It’s non-stop!
“It’s so hard to say when the (retirement) decision was made. You potentially think of certain times that come up, potentially the Euros. If we got promoted (with Birmingham City) as well, potentially playing WSL… even though the retirement thing came out, I’d probably just be like, ‘Do you know what, let’s put it on hold. Let’s just wait!’”
Family and the arrival of Daragh in March has been a major factor, a flexible schedule welcomed after years of sacrifice and “sobbing at the airport” yesterday.
Quinn after her most recent game with Ireland last summer. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Quinn is “open to everything” going forward. She mentions business as one potential route, while perhaps surprisingly, is uncertain over a future in coaching.
“I’m not sure if it is for me. Maybe I will find the love for it.
“I’ve so many things in my head that I want to do but at the moment it’s about making sport, or more specifically, women’s football more available,” she says, with foundation work in Birmingham City or the PFA among the options.
“And then we have the Irish team and if there is any way I can be involved and I can help the players and the coaches… it is very broad. I kind of know what I want to do but I’m finding it hard to word it.
“There’s just going to be bits and bobs and maybe some media stuff as well that I enjoy. I think there’s four jobs there that I’m applying for and will probably take!”
For the next week or so, Quinn’s full focus is on Ireland. An unfamiliar feeling of nervousness took over as she awaited a first call-up since last summer’s Euro qualifier win over France in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, a hip injury ruling her out of an eventful few months.
It’s been “really odd” to watch from afar — the devastating Euros play-off defeat to Wales, the arrival of a new manager in Carla Ward, ins, outs and retirements — but Quinn feels the squad have grown through the transition and leadership shake-up.
“I think it can take some time to really just pin things together again.
Quinn and McCabe after the Euro 2025 play-off defeat to Wales. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“Listen, if I could keep the Irish team as my club team forever, that would be me now, I would be set. This is the team I could play with forever and leaving this team is the most difficult thing about retirement. Easily, for me.
“It has been my whole life. That was the hardest thing. You want to stop and take that time but you don’t want to stop that feeling of how magic it is, coming into camp and playing for your country. But it has to stop at some stage.”
Ward says Quinn needs to “earn the right” to a final Ireland game, and the centurion echoes those sentiments as her send-off edges nearer.
“It’s about the team. I’m here to play, I’m here to fight for my position,” she concludes.
“It’s not going to be given to me, I absolutely know that. Carla doesn’t owe me anything in terms of being like, ‘Oh we’ll just play her just because of this.’ No, it’s not how it works and I wouldn’t want it to work that way.
“I’m going to be training hard all week to try and get myself in the team. We’ll just see how it goes.”
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Ireland send-off, future plans, and Katie McCabe's Champions League win
LOUISE QUINN IS back in the Ireland squad as her retirement from football looms. A 35-minute, Monday morning Zoom call from Istanbul is a colourful start to the week.
Katie McCabe’s sensational Champions League win with Arsenal must be addressed. Quinn is well versed: she called North London home from 2017 to 2020, winning a league title with McCabe and several others from the current squad.
“Absolutely incredible,” she tells The 42, her face lighting up.
“It’s an amazing club, even when I was there however many years ago, they always did their best to support the players and that’s just got better and better. And that history, they’ve obviously been chasing that league title for a number of years and they’ve just had that magical run in Europe.”
A full analysis typically follows: doubts whether Arsenal would win beforehand, the might of back-to-back champions Barcelona, her thoughts through the game as she watched from home with her partner, Eilish, and their baby son, Daragh.
“I’m there holding Daragh and I said to Eilish, ‘If Katie scores, I am going to freak out’ and she was like, ‘Give me our son, do not frighten the crap out of him!’
“I was just absolutely delighted for them and obviously Katie is so deserving, I’m just so proud of her. Where she’s come from, playing in the National League all those years ago, getting to play with her, and seeing her now, and she just stepped up to the biggest club stage you can get. She just did us all proud.
“I can’t believe it, it’s going to feel weird when she comes into camp here. She deserves it, she’s been in that squad consistently for how many years. She’s always one of the first names on the team sheet and she deserves that. A club like Arsenal deserves that. They proved it throughout the tournament, but especially on the day to keep out what is the best team in the world. I’m delighted for them.”
McCabe emulated the feat of Emma Byrne, Ciara Grant and Yvonne Tracy, winners with Arsenal last time out in 2007. The Ireland captain spoke about being inspired by that legendary trio afterwards — she sees a picture of them with the trophy and tricolour at the training ground every day — and her hopes to do the same for young girls in Ireland.
“They see Katie doing that, it’s huge. And she made everyone aware that she was Irish. She did not let go of that flag. It is in every picture. She is just so proud.
“Speaking to Emma [Byrne, now Ireland goalkeeping coach] here, I feel she was part of that and she triggered it all. That was such an iconic photo and now 18 years on, Katie has made sure that there is another iconic photo. And for her, showing what a little girl from Tallaght can do. And moments when it has been difficult for her, trying to take the next step up. But she has constantly fought through it, with her grit, her talent, her personality. It’s just totally deserving.
“A picture tells a thousand words. Starting with the three girls. And Katie has shown again what a young girl from Ireland can do.”
McCabe is due in Ireland camp over the next 24 hours after celebrations in London, as are NWSL duo Denise O’Sullivan and Kyra Carusa. Ireland face Türkiye in their penultimate Nations League group game on Friday, before welcoming Slovenia to Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Tuesday.
Quinn, 34, announced her retirement from club football in April, but always intended to make herself available until the end of Ireland’s campaign. The defensive centurion is still coming to terms with the ‘R’ word, as the curtain begins to drop on a noteworthy career.
“It’s a weird word. You’d like to think that I’m also just gonna stop totally and relax, but I’m literally on the job hunt as we speak. It’s non-stop!
“It’s so hard to say when the (retirement) decision was made. You potentially think of certain times that come up, potentially the Euros. If we got promoted (with Birmingham City) as well, potentially playing WSL… even though the retirement thing came out, I’d probably just be like, ‘Do you know what, let’s put it on hold. Let’s just wait!’”
Family and the arrival of Daragh in March has been a major factor, a flexible schedule welcomed after years of sacrifice and “sobbing at the airport” yesterday.
Quinn is “open to everything” going forward. She mentions business as one potential route, while perhaps surprisingly, is uncertain over a future in coaching.
“I’m not sure if it is for me. Maybe I will find the love for it.
“I’ve so many things in my head that I want to do but at the moment it’s about making sport, or more specifically, women’s football more available,” she says, with foundation work in Birmingham City or the PFA among the options.
“And then we have the Irish team and if there is any way I can be involved and I can help the players and the coaches… it is very broad. I kind of know what I want to do but I’m finding it hard to word it.
“There’s just going to be bits and bobs and maybe some media stuff as well that I enjoy. I think there’s four jobs there that I’m applying for and will probably take!”
For the next week or so, Quinn’s full focus is on Ireland. An unfamiliar feeling of nervousness took over as she awaited a first call-up since last summer’s Euro qualifier win over France in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, a hip injury ruling her out of an eventful few months.
It’s been “really odd” to watch from afar — the devastating Euros play-off defeat to Wales, the arrival of a new manager in Carla Ward, ins, outs and retirements — but Quinn feels the squad have grown through the transition and leadership shake-up.
“I think it can take some time to really just pin things together again.
“Listen, if I could keep the Irish team as my club team forever, that would be me now, I would be set. This is the team I could play with forever and leaving this team is the most difficult thing about retirement. Easily, for me.
“It has been my whole life. That was the hardest thing. You want to stop and take that time but you don’t want to stop that feeling of how magic it is, coming into camp and playing for your country. But it has to stop at some stage.”
Ward says Quinn needs to “earn the right” to a final Ireland game, and the centurion echoes those sentiments as her send-off edges nearer.
“It’s about the team. I’m here to play, I’m here to fight for my position,” she concludes.
“It’s not going to be given to me, I absolutely know that. Carla doesn’t owe me anything in terms of being like, ‘Oh we’ll just play her just because of this.’ No, it’s not how it works and I wouldn’t want it to work that way.
“I’m going to be training hard all week to try and get myself in the team. We’ll just see how it goes.”
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