Dorothy Wall and Erin King have returned to the Irish camp with head coach Scott Bemand naiming a 37-player squad for a three-day training camp as preparations ramp up for April's Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
The duo underwent surgery last April for knee (Wall) and Achilles tendon (King) injuries and, as a result, missed the side’s 2025 Rugby World Cup campaign.
They are included in the Dublin camp alongside 10 uncapped players with the squad meeting at the IRFU High Performance Centre on Monday.
Forwards Beth Buttimer, Cara McLean, Jemima Adams Verling, India Daley, Rosie Searle and Sophie Barrett are all named in the panel, while uncapped backs Alana McInerney, Caitriona Finn, Niamh Gallagher and Robyn O'Connor have all recently impressed in the Celtic Challenge.
Alan O'Connor - the former Ulster second row - has joined the coaching team of Bemand (head coach), James Scaysbrook (defence coach), Gareth Steenson (backs and kicking coach) and Denis Fogarty (scrum coach) as forwards coach.
Ireland’s Six Nations campaign begins against England at Twickenham on 11 April before hosting Italy at Dexcom Stadium a week later.
The newly-renovated home of Connacht Rugby – which officially opens later this month – will play host to its first Women’s Six Nations match, with the Ireland women’s only previous appearance in Galway being a 15-8 victory over Canada in April 2006.
Ireland training camp squad:
Forwards: Ailish Quinn, Aoife Wafer, Beth Buttimer, Brittany Hogan, Cara McLean, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Dorothy Wall, Ellena Perry, Erin King, Fiona Tuite, Grace Moore, Jane Clohessy, Jemima Adams Verling, India Daley, Linda Djougang, Neve Jones, Niamh O'Dowd, Rosie Searle, Ruth Campbell, Sadhbh McGrath, Sam Monaghan, Sophie Barrett.
Backs: Alana McInerney, Anna McGann, Aoibheann Reilly, Aoife Dalton, Beibhinn Parsons, Caitriona Finn, Dannah O'Brien, Emily Lane, Enya Breen, Eve Higgins, Nancy McGillivray, Niamh Gallagher, Robyn O'Connor, Vicky Elmes Kinlan.
