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A 5-time world champion and an Olympic gold medalist, Katie Taylor is one of Ireland’s best boxers. She also has 6 gold medals at the European Championship. Born amid poverty in the coastal town of Bray, to a boxer father, Katie was initially trained by him.
Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore scripted history as the first female winner of Britain’s Grand National horse race. Born to a dairy farmer, she was raised on a farm and spent her childhood riding ponies. She turned a professional jockey in 2015. She was also the first female leading jockey at Cheltenham.
Irish-born gymnasts of Azerbaijani origin, Jennifer Gadirova and her twin, Jessica, have both excelled at artistic gymnastics at the international level. Jennifer has not only won an Olympic bronze for Britain but also became the first British gymnast to earn a Junior World Championship medal, with her silver win in 2019.
Known as a powerful winger, Irish footballer Katie McCabe has established herself as a star player for Arsenal. She also captains the Irish women’s national football team. She has not only won the Women’s National League twice but has also won the FA Women's Cup and Super League titles with Arsenal.
Anna Nolan created ripples as a lesbian former nun in the first season of Big Brother, where she ended up as the runner-up. The popular TV personality later hosted shows such as The Great Irish Bake Off and The Afternoon Show. She also led the production company Coco Television as its development head.
Born to a rugby club chairman, Sarah Rowe was always interested in sports. Apart from Irish association football, she has also played Gaelic football and Australian rules football. She was part of the Irish UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship-winning squad and has represented teams such as Castlebar Celtic and Shelbourne Ladies.
Known for her FIFA Puskás Award-winning goal in the 2013 WNL, Irish footballer Stephanie Roche has now established herself as a dependable striker for Peamount United and the Irish national women’s team. In her initial days, she trained with boys in Valeview Shankill, before mixed-gender football was outruled.
Aston Villa striker Ruesha Littlejohn started her career with the youth teams of Clydebank and Baillieston. The Irish footballer has played for several clubs, including Liverpool, Celtic, and Birmingham City, and once spoke openly about the shoddy treatment the women’s team received at Birmingham.
A well-known Irish professional footballer, Denise O'Sullivan plays for the North Carolina CouragefFootball club and has been instrumental in her club winning three NWSL Shield titles and two NWSL Championships. The midfielder, who also plays for the national team of the Republic of Ireland, has won the MVP title twice as well as the 2019 Sportswoman of Month title.
Irish footballer Rianna Jarrett, who plays for the Irish national team and London City Lionesses, is a dependable forward. The Wexford-born sportsperson has previously played for the Irish U17 and U19 teams and has also reached the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup quarter finals with the former.
