Ciara Grant (footballer, born 1993)

Ciara Grant (born 11 June 1993) is an Irish physician and professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Heart of Midlothian of the Scottish Women's Premier League and for the Republic of Ireland national team. Grant has previously played for Raheny United, UCD Waves and Shelbourne of the Women's National League, and for Women's Premiership club Sion Swifts. Immediately prior to joining Hearts, Grant played for Rangers.

Ciara Grant
Grant representing Ireland at the 2013 Summer Universiade
Personal information
Full name Ciara Grant[1]
Date of birth (1993-06-11) 11 June 1993
Place of birth Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Heart of Midlothian
Number 6
Youth career
Lagan Harps
2005–2011 Loreto School
Kilmacrennan Celtic
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2016 UCD
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Raheny United
2014–2016 UCD Waves
2019 Sion Swifts
2020–2022 Shelbourne
2022 Rangers
2022– Heart of Midlothian 26 (5)
International career‡
2012– Republic of Ireland 18 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2023

In 2010, Grant was a member of the Republic of Ireland under-17 squad who 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. She won her first senior cap in November 2012. Outside of football Grant is a qualified medical doctor and worked as a lecturer for the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She has also played Gaelic football for the Donegal county team.[2]

Early years

Grant attended Woodlands National School in Letterkenny where 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.[3][4][5][6][7] 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.[2][8]

Club 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.[5] 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.[9][10][11]

UCD Waves

Grant attended University College Dublin from 2011 until 2016. In her first year she studied physiotherapy before transferring to medicine. She graduated in 2017.[3][12][13] 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.[14] In addition to playing in the WNL, Grant also played for UCD at intervarsity level.[15] In 2014 Grant was captain of the UCD team who won the WSCAI Futsal Cup, defeating the holders, I.T. Sligo, 3–2 in the final at the Mardyke Arena.[16][17] Grant also scored for UCD in a 3–2 win over I.T. Sligo in the 2013–14 WSCAI Premier Division final.[18][19] In 2015 Grant was captain of the UCD team that won the WSCAI Intervarsity Cup.[20][21]

Sion Swifts

After a period away from football while she completed her medical studies, Grant joined Sion Swifts in their 2019 Women's Premiership campaign.[22]

Shelbourne

Grant joined Shelbourne for the delayed and truncated 2020 Women's National League season.[23] In 2021 Grant helped Shelbourne win the Women's National League title. She also scored in the 2021 FAI Women's Cup Final, which Shelbourne lost 3–1 to Wexford Youths.[24]

Rangers

Grant joined Rangers on 28 January 2022.[25] The six-month contract was Grant's first full-time professional deal, and made her the first Republic of Ireland international to sign for Rangers since Alex Stevenson in 1932.[26] She helped Rangers finish the league season unbeaten and win their first ever Scottish Women's Premier League title.[27]

Hearts

In June 2022 Grant agreed a transfer to Heart of Midlothian. She signed a one-year contract with an option for a further year, becoming only Hearts' second ever full-time professional female player after Emma Brownlie who signed the previous day.[27]

International career

Youth

Grant has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-15, under-17,[4] under-19, university and senior level. In 2010 she was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad who 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.[28] In December 2011 Grant was included in a Football Association of Ireland (FAI) scholarship programme for potential senior women's international players.[29] Grant also represented Ireland at the 2013 and 2015 Summer Universiades.[30][31][32][33]

Senior

Grant made her senior international debut in November 2012, in a 5–0 friendly defeat by the United States in Portland, Oregon, replacing Niamh Fahey in the 57th minute.[34] National team coach Sue Ronan deployed Grant in an unfamiliar right-back role.[35] Grant subsequently represented Ireland at the 2013 and 2014 Cyprus Cups and in their unsuccessful 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying campaigns.[5][6][36]

After showing good form for Shelbourne, Grant was recalled to the national team by Vera Pauw in June 2021.[37] On 30 November 2021 she made another appearance in a record 11–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A win over Georgia.[38]

International Appearances
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps
Republic of Ireland 2012 2
2013 5
2014 5
2015 3
2021 1
Total16

Personal life

Grant is a qualified medical doctor. She returned to her native Letterkenny to volunteer at a local hospital soon after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.[39]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ciara Grant.

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

References
  1. "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: Republic Of Ireland (IRL)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 25. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. "Donegal v Galway - Ladies Gaelic Football Minor A All-Ireland Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 24 July 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  3. "Ciara Grant @ LinkedIn". ie.linkedin.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  4. "Ciara Grant". www.faischools.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  5. "Ciara Grant". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  6. "Ciara's taking nothing for 'Grant'-ed". Donegal News. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. "Loreto crowned FAIS Umbro Senior Girls champions". www.fai.ie. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  8. "Senior Basketball". www.loretoletterkenny.ie. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  9. "Ciara Grant's two-touch lob helps Raheny win FAI Cup". www.the42.ie. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  10. "Raheny United 2-1 Peamount United". www.rte.ie. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  11. Fallon, John (4 November 2013). "Raheny triumph in Women's FAI Cup final report". www.irishtimes.com. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  12. "UCD Ad Astra Academy awards 65 scholarships - Academic Scholars Gallery". www.ucd.ie. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  13. "Women's Soccer Scholarship Programme". www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  14. Maher, Gareth (2 November 2014). "Raheny retain FAI Continental Tyres Women's Cup". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  15. "UCD Squad". www.ucd.ie. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  16. "WSCAI National Futsal Finals Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  17. "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.
  18. "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.
  19. "UCD Report of the President 2013–14" (PDF). www.ucd.ie. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  20. "UCD Take Intervarsity Cup After Long Wait". www.thirdlevelfootball.ie. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  21. "UCD v UCC - WSCAI Intervarsities Cup Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  22. Hannigan, Mary (6 August 2020). "For Ciara Grant, getting back to playing ball is just what the doctor ordered". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  23. Malone, Emmet (25 March 2021). "Shelbourne's Ciara Grant eager to break back into Ireland squad". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  24. Donlon, Mark (28 January 2022). "Shelbourne and Republic of Ireland star Ciara Grant joins Rangers". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  25. Fitzmaurice, Aidan (28 January 2022). "Ireland international Ciara Grant leaves Shels to join Rangers". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  26. Donnelly, David (28 January 2022). "Ciara Grant becomes first Republic of Ireland international to join Rangers in 90 years". Dublin Live. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  27. Duffy, Emma (1 June 2022). "Republic of Ireland international swaps Scottish champions Rangers for Hearts". The42.ie. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  28. "List of Players - Republic of Ireland" (PDF). FIFA. 6 September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  29. "FAI womens [sic] scholarships announced". www.thirdlevelfootball.ie. 6 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  30. "World University Games Kazan 2013 - Soccer - Ireland vs Great Britain". inpho.ie. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  31. "Help Letterkenny girl get to World Student Games in South Korea!". Donegal News. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  32. "World University Games 2015 Team Announcement". www.studentsport.ie. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  33. "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.
  34. "USA 5–0 Republic of Ireland". www.rte.ie. 12 May 2014.
  35. "Grant ready for another US test". Football Association of Ireland. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  36. "Ciara Grant Called Upon For Cyprus Cup". Donegal News. 13 May 2014.
  37. Kennedy, Ciarán (4 June 2021). "Ireland manager Pauw recalls Grant and McLaughlin in 23-player squad for Iceland double-header". The 42.ie. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  38. O'Riordan, Joanne (9 December 2021). "Ciara Grant hoping to make the leap from hospital ward to professional ranks". Irish Times. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  39. "for-ciara-grant-getting-back-to-playing-ball-is-just-what-the-doctor-ordered". www.irishtimes.ie. 20 August 2020.
  40. "Doyle named eircom Player of the Year". RTÉ.ie. RTÉ. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  41. "Bus Éireann National Women's award nominations". www.rte.ie. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
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