Westmeath’s Jessica aims to emulate World Cup heroes

As one of the most promising young defenders in the country, Jessica Hennessy has a vested interest in hoping that Ireland’s first appearance at the World Cup is the start of a new era in the women’s game.

The performances of the Loughnavalley native and her defensive colleagues at Shamrock Rovers is one of the reasons why the renowned Dublin club have enjoyed such a good start to the season following its re-entry to the Women’s National League (WNL) after a hiatus of nine years.

Jessica (21) joined ‘The Hoops’ after a stellar season Athlone Town, which saw her named in the 2022 WNL Team of the Year.

In addition to catching the attention of the Shamrock Rovers management, her performances at the heart of the Athlone defence during a campaign in which they were pipped at the final hurdle in both the league and cup by double winners Shelbourne, also impressed Ireland manager Vera Pauw, who called her and team mates Emily Corbet and Muireann Devaney up for national training for home-based players.

Speaking last week, Jessica said that her training sessions in Abbotstown with the home-based national players has helped improve her overall game over the past year.

“It really does test you. It’s something I look forward to every week and they have been great for my game. I had to step up another level at the training and that was standard that I set myself for games.”

Jessica’s path to the Women’s National League and training with the national team began on the school yard at St Kenny National School.

“I was always playing soccer with the lads. It was always soccer.”

Although she comes from a family where hurling and Gaelic football were the number one sports, Jessica’s parents Seamus (a native of the Glasson area) and Mary saw that their daughter had talent and have been a constant source of encouragement since she first joined Mullingar Athletic at the age of 14.

After impressing at local level, she moved to Lucan United and then Shelbourne, before taking a break from soccer while she studied for her Leaving Cert.

Her studies may have been her priority, but Jessica still turned out for Loughnavalley ladies and also played for the Westmeath senior team. She combined playing Gaelic football and soccer for a period after joining Athlone Town, but after a chat with her father, she realised that she had to make a choice between the two. She enjoys playing Gaelic football and believes that its greater physicality has helped her cope when playing against some of the WNL’s more robust centre forwards, but there was only going to be one winner.

“You can’t give 100 per cent to two sports. I felt that it was just so hard. Gaelic was always my second option.”

Considering the progress, she has made over the past two years, it’s easy to see why Jessica is confident that she made the right decision. When she started, Jessica initially played as a striker, then a number 10, followed by a spell as a holding midfielder. It was during her few seasons with Athlone that she made the move back to centre-back. It’s the position the suits her physical and technical attributes, she believes.

“I think centre-back is perfect for me with my height and my ability to be able to pick out a pass. It just suits me. I was quite comfortable as a ball playing midfielder and this has benefitted me so much.”

This season she has been training three nights a week with her club, as well as having a match at the weekend. She also had to factor in Wednesday night training with Ireland.

Currently coming near the end of her work placement from her college course - she will enter the final year of her Sports Science and Physiology degree at TUS Athlone in September - Jessica admits that juggling her study/work commitments with those of her blossoming soccer career have not been easy, but it hasn’t exactly been a hard cross to bear either.

“Since I was young, I was travelling up to Lucan and Shelbourne. I am fairly motivated and if I have to stay up late at night or get up early in the morning to get something done, I do it.

“You have to make sacrifices. My friends might be going out but I might have training and can’t go. It does take a lot of focus. At the end of the day, I want to be as good as I can be and hopefully turn professional soon enough.”

Jessica had the chance to go to the United States o0f America on a sports scholarship after her Leaving Cert, but decided against it. The plan now is to finish college and “see what’s on offer”. She sees England as being her most likely destination. Currently on a semi-pro contract with Shamrocks Rovers, she says that if the WNL continues on its upward trajectory, the self-professed “home-bird” may not have to leave Ireland to fulfil her dreams of a professional career.

Looking ahead to Ireland’s prospects in Group B where they will face host nation Australia, Olympic champions Canada and Nigeria, Jessica believes that Vera Pauw’s team can surprise a lot of people and make it to the knockout stages.

“I really think they can. Australia will be tough, as will all the games, but I genuinely think that they can get of the group, if things go their way. Ireland are under no pressure in this World Cup.

“No one expects them to do anything and that will suit them down to the ground,” she says.

Her clubmates Abbie Larkin and Aine O’Gorman were both named in the World Cup squad. At opposite ends of their careers (striker Larkin is only 18, while O’Gorman is 34 and has 118 caps to her name), Jessica feels that both players can make a real impact if called upon by Vera Pauw.

Seeing her colleagues picked to represent their country at the World Cup has made her even more determined to do everything she can to make her mark at the highest level of her sport.

“Since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to play for Ireland. It is definitely the goal in the next couple of years.”

It won’t be easy, but Jessica certainly won’t be found wanting in the effort department when it comes to trying to realise her dream.