Cork City captain Ciara McNamara: Club is heading in right direction

When Ciara McNamara was handed the Cork City captaincy, the club stalwart did not think twice about the trust put in her by Frank Kelleher and his coaching team.

The defender 'took it in her stride' and looked to those around her for added support, a close-knit group that is well acquainted with the demands of the Women’s Premier Division. There is a job to be done, raising and nurturing a whole new generation of players at Turner’s Cross.

“It’s more of a privilege – that Frank and his staff trust me to take on that role.

“But I know there is a lot of leaders in that team as well. Cotts [Niamh Cotter] is vice-captain. There’s the likes of Shaunagh McCarthy and Christina Dring as well. They are unsung heroes and leaders so there is a great support network within the squad. 

It is more privilege than pressure, really.” 

“It is something that I thrive off of,” she added. “I’ve been in the club a long time so it is nice to have that extra role and I take it in my stride.” 

This isn’t the first time that the defender has been in this position, she famously led the club to a victory over DLR Waves in the 2017 Women’s FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium. That result remains the benchmark.

That day Lauren Healy was the mascot who walked out with McNamara. Eight years later, the two players were on the same pitch during a game with Peamount United in the Avenir Sports All-Ireland Cup.

“It’s a bit surreal when you look back on it.

“How Lauren has grown… the Peamount game was a real full circle for her. I coached her as well in Hollyhill and my dad would have coached her. We know her family very well. It was cool! 

But, I have been here a long time and I hope to be here a lot longer.

“But there has been huge changes within the club and within the league. There’s been girls that came to watch us in the 2017 final, like Niamh Cotter and Heidi Mackin were in the stands that day. Now I’m playing alongside them. This season is mad but it is brilliant.” 

CONSISTENT

As nice as it is to talk about the past, McNamara knows there’s work to do as the club tries to become a force in Irish women’s football.

City were there for a brief moment, and then the spine of the team started to splinter. That era ended in 2020 with a defeat to Peamount United in the cup final at Tallaght, and ever since there has been a slow walk back to the top.

“It is great but it is very important that we keep those players,” she explained. “We had a good squad in 2020 and after that girls went to college in the US and stuff like that. 

"It is really important that we keep those younger players here, in the likes of MTU and UCC as much as possible because we want to build something for the future and keep that consistency.

“We kind of lacked that a little bit over the over the last five or six years. It is something and we really want to keep those girls here."

There are some veterans on board as well.

"There’s players like Doro [Dorothea Greulich] and Colleen (Kennedy O’Connell) who have international experience.

“Shaunagh and Christina are here nearly as long as me, but not quite. It is great to have those players starting on the team or coming off the bench. It’s about helping those younger players coming through and giving them that little arm around the shoulder and kick up the backside if they need it.”