| Kirsty McGuinness | |
| Birth Date: | 4 November 1994 |
| Birth Place: | Northern Ireland |
| Height: | 1.68 m |
| Currentclub: | Cliftonville Ladies |
| Years1: | 2008–2012 |
| Clubs1: | Linfield |
| Years2: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs2: | Glentoran Belfast United |
| Years3: | 2013–2020 |
| Clubs3: | Linfield |
| Years4: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs4: | Sion Swifts |
| Caps4: | 8 |
| Goals4: | 11 |
| Years5: | 2021– |
| Clubs5: | Cliftonville |
| Caps5: | 37 |
| Goals5: | 33 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2010-2013 |
| Nationalteam1: | Northern Ireland U19 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 11 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 4 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2010– |
| Nationalteam2: | Northern Ireland |
| Nationalcaps2: | 57 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 14 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 22:55, 10 June 2023 (UTC) |
Kirsty McGuinness (born 4 November 1994)[1] is a Northern Irish women's association football player and GAA player. She plays football for Cliftonville Ladies[2] and the Northern Ireland women's national football team. She plays Gaelic games for Antrim GAA.
McGuinness, who is left-footed, started playing women's football when she was 14 and was chosen by the Linfield secretary to join them.[3] In 2012, she crossed the Belfast's Big Two divide by joining Linfield's Belfast rivals Glentoran Belfast United. McGuinness helped Glentoran to a Women's Premiership and IFA Women's Challenge Cup double in her first season.[4] However she rejoined Linfield after a season despite alleged interest from English club Arsenal Ladies.
In August 2020 Sion Swifts announced the double signing of Kirsty McGuinness and her sister Caitlin McGuinness, both from Linfield.[5]
In July 2010, she made her debut for the senior Northern Ireland women's national football team in a 3–0 win over Estonia. She was 15 years and 262 days old.[6] In November 2011 she scored in a shock 3–1 win over Norway at Mourneview Park.[7] [8] [9] She had previously played for the Northern Ireland women's national under-19 football team and at under-17s level.
McGuinness also plays ladies' Gaelic football for Antrim GAA. In 2012, she was a part of the Antrim team that won the All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship.[10] She also represented them in the Ulster Women's Intermediate Championship.[11] She is among a small number of sportswomen who have played association football for Northern Ireland and GAA for Antrim. This differed from men's sport where there are traditionally sectarian divides between the historically majority Protestant association football and historically majority Roman Catholic GAA, which is no longer commonplace in women's sport in Northern Ireland. McGuinness would attend Linfield training wearing an Antrim shirt and vice versa. She is a Celtic F.C. supporter and admits she prefers football over Gaelic games.[12]