D.O.B. :14/10/1979
Place of Birth :Sligo
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A Sligo person with two FAI Cup medals is a bit of a rarity. But Eileen McCormack, the twenty-three years Ballintogher-born soccer player, isn't inclined to make too much of a fuss about her achievement.
Eileen won her second Cup medal last month when she played a prominent role in UCD's 2-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers in the Ladies FAI Cup final.
It was her second time to taste Cup success as she had won a medal with Shamrock Rovers two years previously. She also won a ladies league championship medal with the Hoops.
A former international at Colleges and senior level with the Irish ladies team, Eileen is taking it all in her stride.
Bonus
"I just love sport in general and I enjoy my involvement in ladies soccer. Winning Cup and league medals is a nice bonus", she says.
A former pupil of Mercy College, Sligo, Eileen played Gaelic football and basketball while she was at school in Sligo but only took up soccer seriously when she went to University College Dublin where she studied Arts, Economics and History.
"The soccer club was very well organised at UCD so it was very easy to get involved. We won the league in my first year with the team and I also got a call-up for the Colleges international team which was a great honour", she points out.
A free-scoring forward, Eileen joined the all-conquering Shamrock Rovers ladies team and her form with the Hoops earned her a place in the Irish ladies team for European Championship qualifying matches in Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic.
Challenge
During her time with Shamrock Rovers, she won League and Cup medals before teaming up with UCD again last season.
"Shamrock Rovers had been the dominant force in ladies soccer for a long number of years and UCD were really the first team to come along and present them with a real challenge", Eileen explains.
"We've got a great set-up at the club. The facilities are first class and we are building a team which should be able to challenge for honours over the next few seasons.
"Apart from Dundalk and Waterford, all the teams int the ladies Premier division are Dublin-based. The standard is improving all the time and I think UCD's challenge to Shamrock Rovers this year will encourage other teams in the future.
Competitive league
"A more competitive league would certainly be a great help as far as promoting ladies soccer is concerned and UCD have taken a step in the right direction this year", Eileen adds.
Although they had lost twice to Shams in the league, UCD were confident of turning the tables when they met their great rivals in the Cup final.
"I had great success at Shamrock Rovers and coming up against them in a Cup final added extra significance to the game for me", says Eileen.
"They were 1-0 up at half-time but we took command in the second half and ended up with a thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory. "Although I had won a Cup medal with Shamrock Rovers, this one meant more to me. Now, I'm looking forward to playing with UCD in the UEFA Cup next season", she says.
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