Helen Noonan leaves the CWSSL with a heavy heart and some great memories

For three decades, if a young girl in Cork wanted to play football, chances are, Helen Noonan had a hand in making it happen.

From trial lists to welfare forms, from representative squads to late-night phone calls about pitches and fixtures, Helen has been the quiet constant in the Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls Soccer League.

Now, after 30 years of service, she’s stepping away from her role as Child Welfare Officer, leaving behind a legacy built on care, laughter, and generations of girls who found their start through the CWSSL.

“Women’s and girls’ football, it's just gone through the roof,” she says. “There's been a huge increase. You know, with young girls starting earlier, players playing later into their teens, so many players wanting to get involved.

“But the most important thing is that girls are playing sport, which is phenomenal,” Helen explains. “The growth that has come about now in the last number of years again, across the board, it is the fastest-growing sport and I’m delighted to be a part of helping them along in their journey.” 

Her favourite part was never the admin or the logistics – it was seeing the joy.

“Just going to games and seeing players enjoying themselves. Just going out to games and seeing players week after week, or you might come across the same players in a short space of time and just see them improve. It's brilliant.” After three decades, and with new opportunities at international level, she felt the time was right to hand over the reins.

“It's been a long number of years. In the last year or two, I've also been involved with the international squads. I’m with the U17 Irish women and I was with the senior women’s team for a few camps as well. It was just the volume of work, be it phone calls and texting, trying to manage a lot.

GROWING

“I just felt it was kind of full-on and I thought I could keep going for another bit, but there always comes a time where you look for new people to come in and other people to take up roles, and I love seeing new people coming in and it's just growing and it's great that we have people that are willing to step up and come on board.

“Anybody who can give up their time in any capacity for volunteering, it may not always get the appreciation, but what I see from players, it is very much appreciated. Without any volunteers, it doesn't move very far, so they are very, very important.” 

And that love for the game runs in the family.

Her daughter Chelsea, once a CWSSL player herself, is now assistant head coach with Birmingham City Women, having previously worked in Australia.

“She's enjoying her time at Birmingham City now. She's assistant head coach there, so she was in Australia for just over a year and the opportunity came up to go to Birmingham, so she's absolutely loving it over there now at the moment,” Helen says. “They're doing very well and of course, it's a lot closer to home.

“She’s on the Pro Licence now at the moment, all going good for her.

I would have got involved first when Chelsea started playing. So it just kind of carried on through the years. It’s just as well it’s in England now and not Australia!

For CWSSL chairperson Brian Murphy, Helen’s absence will be felt deeply.

“Helen came into us about 15 years ago. I think she took over as secretary first before becoming the child welfare officer, which was her main job after.

“I suppose Helen, over the years, has been an integral part of the committee,” he says. She had a huge leadership role in coordinating all the teams, all of the CWSSL representative teams, all the squads from the U12 up to senior.

“At the moment her job is kind of divided between three people. So that will tell you the amount of work that she used to do!

“I think every child in Cork that trialled for Cork in the last 15 years will remember Helen, whether they got on the Cork team or didn't. She just had that thing that everyone liked her, everyone knew her.

REMINDER

“She’s kind of a true reminder of sport at amateur level, how we rely on people that are willing to do jobs without compensation or fanfare. It's kind of people like Helen really that keep everything going and drive them on.

We'd like to wish her all the happiness, and there's a spot here for whenever she wants to come back. 

"We're thinking that it's a sabbatical at the moment, and we’re hopeful that she'll be back to us again!” he laughs.

For Helen, “stepping away” doesn’t mean saying goodbye.

“When you say you try to step away… I think it'll always be there for me.

“I look forward to just going to see games, at any age, be it U10, U12, U14, seniors, just for the enjoyment and seeing girls just enjoying themselves and making the most of any opportunities that come their way.

“It'll always have a place in my heart.”