Ciara Grant

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. In addition to playing in the WNL, Grant also played for UCD at intervarsity level. 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. Grant also scored for UCD in a 3–2 win over I.T. Sligo in the 2013–14 WSCAI Premier Division final. In 2015 Grant was captain of the UCD team that won the WSCAI Intervarsity Cup.

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.

Shelbourne Grant joined Shelbourne for the delayed and truncated 2020 Women's National League season. 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.

Rangers Grant joined Rangers on 28 January 2022. 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. She helped Rangers finish the league season unbeaten and win their first ever Scottish Women's Premier League title.

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.

Hibernian Grant left Hearts to join Edinburgh rivals Hibernian in June 2024, signing a one-year contract. On the 19th of May 2026, Grant announced her retirement from football.

International career Youth Grant has represented the Republic of Ireland at under-15, under-17, In December 2011 Grant was included in a Football Association of Ireland (FAI) scholarship programme for potential senior women's international players. Grant also represented Ireland at the 2013 and 2015 Summer Universiades.

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. National team coach Sue Ronan deployed Grant in an unfamiliar right-back role. 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.

After showing good form for Shelbourne, Grant was recalled to the national team by Vera Pauw in June 2021. 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.

International Appearances

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.

Gallery

Honours Association football Individual FAI International Football Awards Under-17 Women's International Player of the Year 2008 Women's National League Team of the Season 2013–14 Raheny United Women's National League Winners: 2012–13, 2013–14 : 2 Runners-up: 2011–12: 1 FAI Women's Cup Winners: 2012, 2013: 2 UCD Waves/UCD Women's National League Runners-up: 2014–15 FAI Women's Cup Runners-up: 2014: 1 WNL Cup Runners-up: 2016: 1 WSCAI Intervarsity Cup Winners: 2015 WSCAI Premier Division Winners: 2013–14 WSCAI Futsal Cup Winners: 2014 Republic of Ireland U-17 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship Runner Up: 2010 Loreto School FAIS Senior Girls Cup Winners: 2011 Kilmacrennan Celtic WFAI Intermediate Cup Winners: 2009 Hibernian

Scottish Women's Premier League: 2024-25

Gaelic football Donegal Ulster Senior Ladies' Championship Winner: 2018 All-Ireland Under-18 Ladies' Football Championship Runner Up: 2010