New girl in green has Kilmaine links

GIRL IN GREEN Aoife Mannion posted this photograph on her social media account after being called up to the Republic of Ireland women’s squad.

Michael Gallagher

SHE played in Croke Park. She won a Warwickshire county title and she roared on her uncle in the green and red of Mayo.
And last Sunday Aoife Mannion jetted out with Vera Pauw and the Republic of Ireland team for a training camp in Portugal as the girls in green prepare for the upcoming World Cup.
The 27-year-old Manchester United centre-half made headlines this week when her name was included in an Irish squad for the first time. Having previously played underage for England and been an unused sub for the senior team, Mannion had to get international clearance to play for Ireland, but there was never any doubt about her true allegiance.
“She was here every summer as soon as the school holidays arrived,” her uncle Pat Kelly told The Mayo News, yesterday morning.
The former Mayo defender was beaming with pride about his niece who has overcome two cruciate ligament injuries to get her chance in the Irish shirt.
“Aoife was immersed in everything Irish from the day she was born, and she didn’t jump on the bandwagon now just because of the World Cup,” he explained. “She has been in contact with the FAI for the past few years but did her cruciate at a crucial time and then did it again when she came back. Vera Pauw said as much on Friday. She said they had been in contact for a good while and when the FIFA clearance came through we were all delighted.”
Aoife’s Irish credentials are strong. Her mother Cathleen (Kelly) hails from the Kilmaine village of Knocknageehe while her father Bernard is from Attymon just outside Athenry.
On Friday last there were tears of joy when Mary Anne Kelly and Nuala Mannion saw their granddaughter’s name in the Irish squad.
“It was very special surely,” Pat explained. “We’ve always been extremely proud of Aoife and everything she has achieved in the game. She played all through the underage ranks with England and we were delighted with that, but now that her clearance has come through for Ireland we’re over the moon.”
Aoife was an accomplished Gaelic footballer with SeΡn McDermott’s in Birmingham, like her schoolmate Jack Grealish who played with John Mitchells. She strutted her stuff during Cumann na mBunscol exhibition games at half-time during the 2006 and 2007 Leinster senior finals in Croke Park and went on to win a Warwickshire senior championship medal with SeΡn McDermotts.
During summers in Knocknageehe and Attymon she became immersed in the madness of supporting Mayo and Galway in the Connacht championship and always liked to be on the winning side.
“She’d go to matches between Mayo and Galway wearing the green and red over the maroon and white, but if Galway won she’d whip off the Mayo jersey,” her uncle explained with a smile.
On the soccer pitch, Mannion went from strength to strength, starting off with Aston Villa before moving on to Birmingham City where she played in the FA Cup final at Wembley and was named on the PFA Team of the Year in both 2018 and ‘19.
She then moved to Manchester City and made her debut in front of 31,213 fans against Manchester United in September 2019.
A few weeks later, Aoife damaged her cruciate ligament during a Champions League game against Atlético Madrid and was on the sidelines for 16 months.
She returned to action and subsequently joined Manchester United in July 2021 before suffering another cruciate injury last February. Once again, she battled through the pain barrier and returned to field a few weeks ago.
The good start to 2023 continued its upward trajectory on Friday last when Vera Pauw named Aoife in the Republic of Ireland squad and another adventure began.
The first chapter of that new story will be written this week when Aoife and the Irish squad take part in a training camp in Marbella before taking on China in a friendly in Cadiz on Wednesday week. How the story will end is in the lap of the Gods.