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14 April 2026; Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland in action against Patrycja Sarapata and Gabriela Grzybowska, right, of Poland during the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifier match between Poland and Republic of Ireland at Polsat Plus Arena in Gdansk, Poland. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
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Katie McCabe and Joanne Byrne stand up to be counted when it matters
Irish football should be grateful for these role models
Cathal Dervan - Editor
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Two Irish women who care passionately about their game. Two Irish women who stood up to be counted this week. Two football heroes. Take a bow Katie McCabe and Joanne Byrne.
On Tuesday evening, as the kids were coming for their tea in time to watch the national senior women’s team play Poland in Gdansk, Katie again proved her worth as one of the Irish game’s best players ever.
On Wednesday evening, slightly later than tea-time, Byrne proved that her love for the beautiful game is as evident when she’s playing political football as it is when she’s supporting Drogheda United now that the club owners have decided to dismiss her services as a volunteer.
Let’s start with Katie. Out of contract at Arsenal in the summer, the Tallaght native couldn’t have picked a better time to again lead by example as Carla Ward’s team held on against a late flurry from the hosts to beat Poland 3-2 in their World Cup qualifier.
Scorer of a quite brilliant second goal - and guilty of a late miss from the penalty spot - McCabe was described after the game as the best left-back in the world by Ward. High praise but not unreasonable.
Despite a suspicion that Katie herself would prefer to play higher up the field, she delivered again in this reluctant role on Tuesday. And not for the first time, we were left to wonder how well Katie McCabe would cope against her peers in the male game.
I’d suggest her spirit, her technique and her ability to snap at heels when it matters would have been right at home in the World Cup play-off in Prague last month. Alas current rules - that girls cannot play mixed football after 14 - dictate that speculation about the likes of Katie playing against male opposition will be forever that, pure speculation.
What can’t be denied is her influence on the next generations. Any young girl who watched Katie against Poland this week can only have been inspired to follow in her footsteps. And that will be Katie’s legacy, that she continually inspired those generations coming up behind her.
The same can be said of Joanne Byrne off the pitch. Last month, she was brave in her call-out to have the Euro 2028 games against Israel scrapped in protest at the crisis in Palestine. That bravery cost her the role of chairperson with her beloved Drogheda United no matter how the club try to paint it.
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Yet she was brave again in the Dail on Wednesday when she called-out Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan for his patronising remarks and knee-jerk reaction to the recent and disgraceful flare issues at the opening of the new astro at Oriel Park when Dundalk played Drogheda in the Louth derby.
Byrne didn’t have to point out that a social media post on the Minister’s own account celebrated the use of pyros pre-match that night - and is still online - but she did highlight it as she vowed to continue to stand up and be counted for League of Ireland football despite her recent travails at United.
Thankfully, like Katie McCabe, Joanne Byrne is not afraid to tackle with a bit of bite. Irish football should be grateful to count these two women in our ranks.
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Sinn Fein TD for Louth Joanne Byrne has again called for Ireland’s European Championship qualifiers with Israel in September to be scrapped as details emerged of a new cross-party Oireachtas Group to help improve League of Ireland facilities.
Byrne was removed from her role as Chair of Drogheda United by the club’s US owners last month after calling on the FAI to withdraw from the home and away games against Israel in protest at the ongoing crisis in Palestine.
Part of the new cross-party Oireachtas group led by Labour TD and fellow Louth representative Ged Nash, the Irish Independent reports that Byrne has again outlined her opposition to the Israeli fixtures.
She told the Dail on Wednesday evening: “This, as everybody is aware by now, came at a huge personal cost to me and led to me being removed and my role as chairperson of the club I’ve grown up in and spent my life loving.
“Although this broke my heart and is something I’m still trying to process and rebuild, I will proudly, staunchly reiterate again Sinn Féin’s opposition and my own, to Ireland playing Israel in this fixture. Israel is an apartheid state who have engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. Any representative of this Government who endorses this game proceeding needs to give yourselves a good shake and be aware that you’re going down on the wrong side of history.”
Fresh from inspiring Ireland to a 3-2 World Cup win in Gdansk on Tuesday evening, Arsenal star Katie McCabe wants to repeat the heroics against the Poles when they arrive at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Scorer of Ireland’s second goal in Poland with a brilliant volley, captain McCabe is set to lead by example when her team look to record the second win of their World Cup group campaign this weekend.
“I just want to win on Saturday, I don’t mind who scores,” McCabe told RTÉ soccer correspondent Tony O’Donoghue. “Everyone’s been unbelievable in the impact they’re making in this team. So we just need to build off this performance again and work towards Saturday and we hope the fans can come out in numbers to support us in the Aviva.”
French team boss Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike won’t play for club or country again this season and will miss the World Cup finals in America this summer.
Ekiteke ruptured his Achilles as Liverpool exited the Champions League on Tuesday night, ironically against French side Paris St-Germain.
Confirming in a statement that his 23-year-old star will miss the World Cup finals in America, Deschamps said: “Hugo suffered a serious injury on Tuesday evening against PSG. The severity of his injury will unfortunately prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and participating in the World Cup.”
The BBC reports that Ekiteke may even miss the start of next season with Liverpool as he awaits full details of his recovery programme.
The Irish Examiner’s John Fallon has reported that Finn Delap, younger brother of Liam, is set to declare for the Republic of Ireland Under 21s as speculation continues around the international future of the Chelsea striker.
In an in-depth column on Heimir Halgrimmson’s ongoing pursuit of Liam Delap for his senior Ireland squad, Fallon reveals that Burton Albion defender Finn is set to join Jim Crawford’s Irish Under 21 squad imminently.
Delap’’s father Rory is a former Irish international while his paternal grandparents John and Maura hail from Donegal and Meath respectively.
For the full John Fallon column a subscription required.
Junior Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue has confirmed to the Dail that the new FAI panel of academy coaches will feature just one female coach - after only six females applied for the roles.
As reported by the Irish Sun, the Minister told the Dail on Wednesday that the FAI received 300 applications for the Academy Director and Head of Academy Coaching roles but only two per cent of the applicants were female, an issue which will now be reviewed by Sport Ireland.
Cathal Dervan talks to Merseyside man on the ground, Kevin Bannon. All things Red (and blue) up for discussion ahead of this weekend’s more intriguing by the day, derby…
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