Ciara Grant (footballer, born 1993)

Ciara Grant (born 11 June 1993) is a Republic of Ireland women's international footballer who has played for Raheny United and UCD Waves. In 2010, she was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad that were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Grant has also played Gaelic football for Donegal GAA.[1]

Ciara Grant
Grant representing Ireland at the 2013 Summer Universiade
Personal information
Full name Ciara Grant
Date of birth (1993-06-11) 11 June 1993
Place of birth Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Shelbourne
Youth career
Lagan Harps
2005–2011 Loreto School
Kilmacrennan Celtic
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011– UCD
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Raheny United
2014–? UCD Waves
2019 Sion Swifts
2020- Shelbourne 0 (3)
National team‡
2012– Republic of Ireland 12 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:55, 8 May 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:46, 12 May 2014 (UTC)

Early years

Grant attended Woodlands National School in Letterkenny were her classmates included Mark English. Between 2005 and 2011 Grant attended the Loreto Convent Secondary School, Letterkenny, where she studied for her Leaving Cert. As a schoolgirl, Grant played association football for Lagan Harps and Kilmacrennan Celtic as well as representing her school. In 2009, she helped Kilmacrennan Celtic win the WFAI Intermediate Cup and in 2011 she was a member of the Loreto team that won the FAIS Senior Girls Cup, the top cup competition for girls school teams in Ireland.[2][3][4][5][6] Grant also played Gaelic football and basketball. Grant played for Donegal GAA in the 2010 All-Ireland Under-18 Ladies' Football Championship final. In basketball she played as a point guard for both her school and Letterkenny Blaze.[1][7]

Playing career

Raheny United

Between 2011 and 2014, Grant played for Raheny United in the Women's National League. During this time, Grant helped United win two successive league titles in 2012–13 and 2013–14.[4] She also helped them win two successive FAI Women's Cups in 2012 and 2013. In the 2013 final against Castlebar Celtic at the Aviva Stadium, Grant scored United's opening goal in spectacular fashion. Without breaking stride, Grant controlled a dropping ball and let it bounce before lifting it over the Castlebar Celtic goalkeeper.[8][9][10]

UCD Waves

Since 2011 Grant has attended University College Dublin. In her first year she studied physiotherapy before transferring to medicine. She is due to graduate in 2017.[2][11][12] In 2014–15 when UCD Waves entered a team in the Women's National League, Grant switched over from Raheny United. In November 2014, she appeared in her third consecutive FAI Women's Cup final, losing out 2–1 after extra-time to her former club.[13] In addition to playing in the WNL, Grant also plays for UCD at intervarsity level, playing in teams alongside Dora Gorman, Siobhán Killeen and Julie-Ann Russell.[14] In 2014 Grant was captain of the UCD team that won the WSCAI Futsal Cup, defeating the holders, I.T. Sligo, 3–2 in the final at the Mardyke Arena.[15][16] Grant also scored for UCD in a 3–2 win over I.T. Sligo in the 2013–14 WSCAI Premier Division final.[17][18] In 2015 Grant was captain of the UCD team that won the WSCAI Intervarsity Cup.[19][20]

International career

Grant has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-15, under-17,[3] under-19, university and senior level. In 2010, together with Megan Campbell, Dora Gorman, Denise O'Sullivan, Siobhán Killeen and Clare Shine,[21] she was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad that were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. In December 2011, together with Dora Gorman, Megan Campbell, Julie-Ann Russell, Louise Quinn, Grace Murray and Karen Duggan, Grant was included in an FAI scholarship programme for potential senior women's internationals.[22] Grant made her senior international debut in November 2012, in a 5–0 friendly defeat to the United States, replacing Niamh Fahey in the 57th minute.[23] She has subsequently represented the Republic of Ireland in the 2013 and 2014 Cyprus Cups and in their 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying campaigns.[4][5][24] Grant also represented Ireland at the 2013 and 2015 Summer Universiades.[25][26][27][28]

Honours

Association football
Individual
Raheny United
UCD Waves/UCD
Republic of Ireland U-17
Loreto School
  • FAIS Senior Girls Cup
    • Winners: 2011
Kilmacrennan Celtic

Gaelic football
Donegal GAA

References
  1. "Donegal v Galway - Ladies Gaelic Football Minor A All-Ireland Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 24 July 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  2. "Ciara Grant @ LinkedIn". ie.linkedin.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  3. "Ciara Grant". www.faischools.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  4. "Ciara Grant". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  5. "Ciara's taking nothing for 'Grant'-ed". Donegal News. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  6. "Loreto crowned FAIS Umbro Senior Girls champions". www.fai.ie. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  7. "Senior Basketball". www.loretoletterkenny.ie. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. "Ciara Grant's two-touch lob helps Raheny win FAI Cup". www.the42.ie. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  9. "Raheny United 2-1 Peamount United". www.rte.ie. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  10. Fallon, John (November 4, 2013). "Raheny triumph in Women's FAI Cup final report". www.irishtimes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  11. "UCD Ad Astra Academy awards 65 scholarships - Academic Scholars Gallery". www.ucd.ie. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  12. "Women's Soccer Scholarship Programme". www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  13. Maher, Gareth (2 November 2014). "Raheny retain FAI Continental Tyres Women's Cup". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  14. "UCD Womens Soccer Club - Squad". www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  15. "WSCAI National Futsal Finals Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  16. "UCD beat holders, IT Sligo, 3–2 in a thrilling WSCAI Futsal Cup at the Mardyke Arena". www.ucd.ie. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  17. "Ciara Grant on the mark as UCD win WSCAI Premier Division final against IT Sligo". www.donegaldemocrat.ie. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  18. "UCD Report of the President 2013–14" (PDF). www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  19. "UCD Take Intervarsity Cup After Long Wait". www.thirdlevelfootball.ie. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  20. "UCD v UCC - WSCAI Intervarsities Cup Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  21. "List of Players - Republic of Ireland" (PDF). FIFA. 6 September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  22. "FAI womens scholarships announced". www.thirdlevelfootball.ie. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  23. "USA 5–0 Republic of Ireland". www.rte.ie. 12 May 2014.
  24. "Ciara Grant Called Upon For Cyprus Cup". Donegal News. 13 May 2014.
  25. "World University Games Kazan 2013 - Soccer - Ireland vs Great Britain". inpho.ie. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  26. "Help Letterkenny girl get to World Student Games in South Korea!". Donegal News. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  27. "World University Games 2015 Team Announcement". www.studentsport.ie. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  28. "Match Report - Ireland vs Czech Republic" (PDF). www.gwangju2015.com. 4 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  29. "Doyle named eircom Player of the Year". RTÉ.ie. RTÉ. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  30. "Bus Éireann National Women's award nominations". www.rte.ie. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
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