Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Bonnie McKiernan has re-signed for the 2024 season.

The Cavan native returns for her second season with the Bit O’Red. Last season, Bonnie arrived from Athlone Town, and It wasn’t long before she became a regular in the first team, starting a total of 19 times throughout the season.

On signing back, the ATU Sligo student said: ‘I’m really happy to be back with Sligo for another year; I loved last season and feel like I learned so much after Steve gave me a chance to play. I’m really looking forward to this season and think it will be a huge year for us.”

Tommy Hewitt added: ‘Bonnie is a player I know well from my time with Athlone, I know what she brings and I’m not surprised that it didn’t take her long to become a first team regular. I will be looking to her to help us push on this season.’

Bonnie becomes the 17th member of Tommy Hewitt’s squad for 2024:
Caoimhe O’Reilly
Bonnie McKiernan
Amber Hardy
Leah Kelly
Yvonne Hedigan
Kelsey Munroe
Keeva Flynn
Emma Hansberry
Kelly Crompton
Muireann Devaney
Emma Doherty
Amy Roddy
Kerri Pixie O’Hara
Sarah Kiernan
Ciara Henry
Alice Lille
Zoe McGlynn

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that midfielder Zoe McGlynn has signed for the Bit O’Red ahead of the 2024 League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division season.

The 25-year-old joins from Sion Swifts in the NIFL where she has impressed alongside her Bit O’Red team-mate Kelly Crompton. McGlynn is the fifth new signing alongside Crompton, Muireann Devaney, Kelsey Munroe and Yvonne Hedigan.

McGlynn, who is from Raphoe in Donegal, started her career with Raphoe where she played for the boys’ team before signing for Lagan Harps. At the age of 16, McGlynn signed for Sion Swifts and was also involved in Republic of Ireland Under 17 and Under 19 squads. The Donegal native also featured for the Irish College’s team, and enjoyed four years playing college football in the United States.

She told sligorovers.com: “Sligo approached me last season but I made the decision to stay at Sion Swifts for another season. Tommy then got in contact with me at the end of the season there and we had a few chats. 

“I had a few other offers but decided going with Sligo was the right move for me and Tommy made the decision a little easier by the conversations we had as I liked his ideas and plan he had for the team.

“I played most my earlier years of football in Donegal before I started playing senior football around the age of 16 with Sion Swifts in the NIFL so I think that senior level experience carries with me. 

“I’ve been involved in many cups and big games with Sion so the aspiration to do well and achieve team goals has always been in me. “I went to University in the States where I played D1 football with CCSU and won three conferences with them and reached the NCAA where I think I learned a lot on the field playing top quality oppositions. I’ve been involved in u17s and u19s Ireland squads too so I enjoy being around that professionalism.”

Alongside Kelly Crompton, McGlynn is already familiar with a few of her team-mates having come across them over the years.McGlynn is the latest in a string of high profile signings to be announced this pre-season, and now she can’t wait to get cracking.

“I think I can bring high intensity and experience. I love being involved in the game as much as possible. I’m hoping to get on the assist and score sheet as much as possible to help the team improve from where they were last season

“When talking with Tommy he would have mentioned a few of the girls that were signed or signing and it seemed like he has been adding top players who are going to help improve the team and help them progress in this league

“I’m really looking forward to working with Tommy and the rest of the coaching staff, and getting going with the girls and seeing how much we can improve from the previous seasons. 

“I’m excited for the new challenge that comes with moving to a new team and into a different league.”

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Ciara Henry has re-signed for the 2024 season.

The ATU Sligo scholarship recipient is back for her third season with the senior squad having come through the Academy.

The Tubbercurry native joined the club in 2018, progressing from the U-17 and U-19 squads to the senior team.

Speaking with sligorovers.com, Ciara said: ‘I’m delighted to be re-signing for Sligo Rovers for the 2024 season. I’m looking forward to working with Tommy, his team and all the girls to build on what we’ve created here over the last two years, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve this season.”

Tommy Hewwit, on Ciara’s signing, said: ‘It’s great to have Ciara back on board, she is improving season on season and you can see how much it means to her to play for her hometown club.’

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Keeva Flynn has re-signed for the 2024 season.

Last season, Keeva became the youngest player (15 years 234 days) to play for Rovers when she made her debut away to Cliftonville.

Her impressive form at academy and senior levels has seen her called up to Irish international squads. Her most recent call-up was just last week when she played for the Ireland U-17 side that beat South Korea and Portugal in two friendlies.

Speaking on signing with the senior squad, Keeva said: ‘I am delighted to be signing for Sligo Rovers senior team for the 2024 season. It’ll be an exciting year coming off the back of the work done last season, and I can’t wait to get going with Tommy and the girls and look to build on my debut season last year.”

Tommy Hewitt said, “Keeva has huge potential, and I am excited to work and help with her development this season. She is a very talented young player with a fantastic future ahead of her.”

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce that Alice Lillie has re-signed for the 2024 season.

The Ballinafad native came through our academy over the last three seasons and made her Senior debut in 2022. The talented defender arrived at The Showgrounds following spells at local clubs Strand Celtic and Arrow Harps.

Alice’s fine performances have seen her involved with The Republic of Ireland underage squads over the last couple of seasons.

Speaking with Sligorovers.com, Alice said: ‘I am delighted to be re-signing with Sligo Rovers for the 2024 season. I’m really looking forward to working with Tommy and his team. I really enjoyed playing last season, and I learned a lot and developed as a player. Hopefully, we can build on the past two seasons and push on this year and be successful.”

Tommy Hewitt, speaking on Alice signing back, said: “Alice is a very talented and intelligent player. She was one of the young players that really impressed last season and can go on to achieve great things with us over the next few years.”

Sligo Rovers are delighted to announce the signing of Sligo native Yvonne Hedigan for the 2024 League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division campaign.

The experienced defender signs for her home town club after enjoying spells at Bohemians, Galway and Castlebar Celtic. After a difficult two years in which Hedigan has worked her way back from a broken leg, the North Sligo native is ready for a big season in which she announces her return from injury.

Hedigan started her Women’s National League career with Castlebar Celtic, where she played alongside the Bit O’Red’s Emma Hansberry. She played in the 2013 Women’s FAI Cup final, and impressed during her spell with the Mayo side. In 2016, she signed for Galway Women.

In 2021, Hedigan joined Bohemians and was enjoying a great season until she suffered an horrific injury that would see her miss two years. And now having worked her way back from that injury, Hedigan feels it is the right time to sign for Rovers.

She told sligorovers.com: “I’m obviously from Sligo, when Tommy approached me back in November and said that he wanted me to come in with him, we had numerous chats about it, I felt like now is the right time. I’m coming back from an injury that kept me out for two years. When Tommy approached me, he wanted to instil confidence in me and my return to play and come back and represent my home club, I felt that now is the right time to do that. 

“I grew up in Sligo, I used to go to all the home games with my father every weekend. I just felt that now is the right time to go home and put on the Sligo Rovers jersey.

“Now I can always turn around and say I’ve always represented my home town club and that’s something that everybody wants to do. Especially from a young age, now is the right time to go back and represent them.”

Now that she has recovered from the broken leg, Hedigan wants to put it all behind her and make a statement as she returns to league action.”I broke my leg in September 2021. I went through eight or nine months of rehab to find out that I had to get an osteotomy to try and re-break the leg. It had healed wrong initially so I had to go through the rehab process again for another year. It just made me not take anything for granted.

“My passion and drive to get back is massive. It’s been very difficult. I’m delighted to be back in and back training. I had my first session with Sligo Rovers on Saturday. I’m delighted to be back and hope to push on and make a statement for myself, that I’m back.”

Due to that injury, Hedigan has actually not had the opportunity to play against Rovers since they entered the league in 2022. But, she has already played alongside a number of players and is familiar with others.”I would have played with the likes of Emma Hansberry from a young age, when I was in school and obviously at Castlebar Celtic. 

“I grew up playing with Emma Hansberry and Lauren Boles. Those girls are quality players. We knew last year at Bohs coming down playing against Sligo, we always knew how strong Sligo were going forward. I think when Tommy came in he knew what he had to do to try and strengthen the team. 

“He’s brought in some defensive players and I think that’s what Sligo needed to take it up another step. It’s exciting, it’s exciting to see where we’re going to go and bring that standard up to try and compete in the league.”

Hedigan works for Sport Ireland in Dublin and says her employers will generously allow her to work from home, which will make the commute between Sligo and Dublin for training that bit easier. Playin for Rovers means her family will have less travelling to do in order to support her, another reason to sign for the Bit O’Red.

“My family have been right behind me from a very young age since I was 16 playing national league. My father has driven me all around the country and supported me all the time. “Now for him and the likes of my grandfather, to have them in the stands and for them to not have to travel as far will be nice. It will be nice support for me as well.”

And Hedigan believes that Rovers will be a dark horse this year, given the quality of new signings that manager Tommy Hewitt has brought in.”I think we’re going to strive to increase league position this year. I think we can do that. I think the squad we have in there this year is going to really compete in the league. “Sligo Rovers are going to be a dark horse. In the cup, anything can happen. In the cup, it comes down to who wants it more. I think we’re going to push on this year.”