Kirsty McGuinness

Kirsty McGuinness (born 4 November 1994)[1] is a Northern Irish women's association football player and GAA player. She plays football for Sion Swifts and the Northern Ireland women's national football team.[2] She plays Gaelic games for Antrim GAA.[2]

Kirsty McGuinness
Personal information
Date of birth (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994
Place of birth Northern Ireland
Club information
Current team
 Sion Swifts
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 Linfield
2012–2013 Glentoran Belfast United
2013–2020 Linfield
2020– Sion Swifts
National team
2010– Northern Ireland
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

McGuinness, who is left-footed, started playing women's football when she was 14 and was chosen by the Linfield secretary to join them.[3] In 2012, she crossed the Belfast's Big Two divide by joining Linfield's Belfast rivals Glentoran Belfast United.[4] McGuinness helped Glentoran to a Women's Premiership and IFA Women's Challenge Cup double in her first season.[2] However she rejoined Linfield after a season despite alleged interest from English club Arsenal Ladies.[4]

In August 2020 Sion Swifts announced the double signing of Kirsty McGuinness and her sister Caitlin McGuinness, both from Linfield.[5]

International career

In July 2010, she made her debut for the senior Northern Ireland women's national football team in a 3–0 win over Estonia. She was 15 years and 262 days old.[6] In November 2011 she scored in a shock 3–1 win over Norway at Mourneview Park.[7][4][8] She had previously played for the Northern Ireland women's national under-19 football team and at under-17s level.[8]

Gaelic games

McGuinness also plays Ladies' Gaelic football for Antrim GAA. In 2012, she was a part of the Antrim team that won the All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship.[2][9] She also represented them in the Ulster Women's Intermediate Championship.[10] She is among a small number of sportswomen who have played association football for Northern Ireland and GAA for Antrim.[2] This differed from men's sport where there are traditionally sectarian divides between the historically majority Protestant association football and historically majority Roman Catholic GAA, which is no longer commonplace in women's sport in Northern Ireland.[3] McGuinness would attend Linfield training wearing an Antrim shirt and vice versa.[3] She is a Celtic F.C. supporter and admits she prefers soccer over Gaelic games.[11]

References
  1. "Kirsty McGuinness". Eurosport. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  2. "NI footballer Kirsty McGuinness targets Antrim GAA success – BBC Sport". BBC Sport. 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  3. "Women's football is at fever pitch, with crowds soaring and Northern Ireland participation at an all-time high". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  4. "Kirsty McGuinness". Linfieldfc.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  5. "Sion Swifts: Women's Premiership side sign Kirsty and Caitlin McGuinness from Linfield". BBC Sport. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  6. Morrison, Neil; Gandini, Luca; 'Kaizeler', João Simões; Villante, Eric (27 August 2020). "Oldest and Youngest Players and Goal-scorers in International Football". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. "N Ireland 3–1 Norway". BBC Sport. 2011-11-20. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  8. "Kirsty McGuinness". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-22 – via HighBeam Research.
  9. "Junior Championship". Ladiesgaelic.ie. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  10. "Fermanagh ladies take down Antrim". The Fermanagh Herald. 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  11. Crossan, Brendan (21 September 2019). "Kirsty McGuinness has eyes set on soccer and Gaelic football honours". The Irish News. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
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