{{short description|Ireland international rugby union player}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox rugby biography |birth_date={{birth date and age|1994|03|25|df=y}} |birth_place=Clare |weight=69kg |height=163cm |ru_position=Flanker | amatyears1 =2012–2016 | amatteam1 =NUIG | amatapps1 = | amatpoints1 =0 | years1 =2013–2019 | clubs1 =Galwegians | apps1 = | points1 =0 | years2 =2013–2019 | clubs2 =Connacht | apps2 = | points2 =0 | years3 =2019–2022 | clubs3 =Wasps | apps3 = | points3 =0 | years4 =2022– | clubs4 =Exeter Chiefs | apps4 = | points4 =0 | repyears1 =2018–present | repteam1 ={{nwrut|Ireland}} | repcaps1 =36 | reppoints1 =5 | ru_ntupdate = 7 September 2025 |repsevensyears1= |repsevensteam1={{nwrut7|Ireland}} |repsevenscomp1= }} '''Edel McMahon''' (born 25 March 1994) is an Irish rugby player from Kilmihil, Co Clare. She plays for Exeter Chiefs Women, previously played for Wasps Ladies and Connacht and is a current member of the Ireland women's national rugby union team.
== Club career == McMahon won an All-Ireland Intermediate club title in ladies Gaelic football with her club Kilmihil in 2008 when she was aged 13, lining out in goals in a team trained by her father Tom.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 March 2021|title=McMahon Taking It In Her Stride As Return To Action Nears|url=https://clarechampion.ie/mcmahon-taking-it-in-her-stride-as-return-to-action-nears/|access-date=4 May 2021|website=The Clare Champion|language=en-GB}}</ref>
A chance meeting with a rugby player when she went to study at the National University of Ireland Galway in 2012 prompted her towards rugby and, within five years, she was playing for Ireland.
Her first senior club was Galwegians RFC and she lines out for Connacht at interprovincial level. After the 2019 Women's Six Nations, prompted by Claire Molloy, she decided to move to England to get Premier 15s experience and joined Wasps.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Farrell|first=Sean|title='Ireland need to qualify for a World Cup and I wanted to be a better player'|url=https://www.the42.ie/edel-mcmahon-chemistry-ireland-women-hits-5034074-Mar2020/|access-date=4 May 2021|website=The42|date=8 March 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
== International career == McMahon was selected for the first women's Barbarians team in November 2017, before she had even played for Ireland.
She was on course to make the Ireland team for the 2017 Women's Six Nations and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup but got an Achilles injury beforehand.<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Brien|first=Brendan|date=21 September 2021|title=Edel McMahon: Ireland embracing the pressure in World Cup bid|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40703021.html|access-date=21 September 2021|website=Irish Examiner|language=en}}</ref>
She made her Six Nations debut, as a replacement against Italy, in the 2018 Women's Six Nations when she was also a replacement against Wales and Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=8 March 2019|title=From casual rugby player to Irish international|url=https://www.clareecho.ie/from-casual-rugby-player-to-irish-international/|access-date=18 May 2021|website=Clare Echo|language=en-GB}}</ref>
She made her first start for Ireland in the 2018 Autumn Internationals.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Ireland lose to USA at Energia Park|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46254765|access-date=18 May 2021}}</ref>
Injury curtailed her involvement in the 2019 Women's Six Nations to one appearance, as a replacement in Game 5 against Wales.
She was Ireland's regular openside flanker for the 2020 Women's Six Nations, starting against Scotland, Wales and England, winning Player of the Match against Scotland but missed the final game against Italy because of injury.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Ireland name squad for conclusion of Women's Six Nations|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ireland-name-squad-for-conclusion-of-women-s-six-nations-1.4362296|access-date=18 May 2021|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref> In 2020 she was one of Rugby Player Ireland's nominees for Irish senior Player of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 October 2020|title=Nominees For Irish Rugby Players Awards Announced|url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2020/10/07/nominees-for-irish-rugby-players-awards-announced/|access-date=18 May 2021|website=Irish Rugby|language=en-US}}</ref>
She missed Ireland's 2021 Women's Six Nations campaign due to a knee injury.<ref>{{Cite web|date=12 March 2021|title=McMahon Taking It In Her Stride As Return To Action Nears|url=https://clarechampion.ie/mcmahon-taking-it-in-her-stride-as-return-to-action-nears/|access-date=18 May 2021|website=The Clare Champion|language=en-GB}}</ref>
She was named in Ireland's XVs side for the 2025 Six Nations Championship in March.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2025 |title=Bemand Names Ireland Preparation Squad For Guinness Women's Six Nations |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/2025/02/11/bemand-names-ireland-preparation-squad-for-guinness-womens-six-nations/ |access-date=19 March 2025 |website=Irish Rugby}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 February 2025 |title=Bemand announces Ireland's squad for Guinness Women's Six Nations |url=https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/en/w6n/news/bemand-announces-irelands-squad-for-guinness-womens-six-nations |access-date=19 March 2025 |website=Six Nations Rugby}}</ref> On 11 August 2025, she made the Irish squad to the Rugby World Cup.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Wafer and McMahon fit for Ireland World Cup squad |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cqjyyvlpxrpo |access-date=11 August 2025 |website=BBC Sport}}</ref><ref name="Ireland">{{cite web |date=11 August 2025 |title=Ireland's Squad Named For Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/video/irelands-rugby-world-cup-squad-announcement/ |access-date=11 August 2025 |website=Irish Rugby}}</ref>
== Personal life == McMahon, who grew up on a dairy farm in Kilmihil was a very talented ladies gaelic football player and played inter-county for Clare. She co-captained Clare to the All-Ireland minor football title and won a junior club All-Ireland with Kilmihil in 2008 and a Clare senior title in 2019.
She has also won Australian Rules Football titles in Ireland with the West Clare Waves and won two European AFL titles, in 2018–19, with Ireland's National AFL side, the Irish Banshees.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Duffy|first=Emma|title='Absolutely huge' - Ireland crowned European AFL champions after remarkable showing in London|url=https://www.the42.ie/ireland-european-afl-champions-4851110-Oct2019/|access-date=18 May 2021|website=The42|date=14 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
She has a degree in biochemistry from the National University of Ireland Galway and is doing a research Masters through the University of Limerick. She worked as a diagnostic laboratory scientist with O’Byrne & Halley Veterinary Clinic in Tipperary until moving to England to play professionally in 2019 where she works, part-time, for Irish medical device company Glenbio Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web|title=All or Nothing! - Rugby Players Ireland|url=https://www.rugbyplayersireland.ie/all-or-nothing/|access-date=4 May 2021|website=www.rugbyplayersireland.ie |date=17 February 2021 }}</ref>
McMahon is fifth oldest from a family of seven and several of her siblings are also scientists. Her sister Geraldine is a top-class show-jumper who has competed in the Dublin Horse Show.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Field|first=The Irish|title=SHOW JUMPING: Moran continues dominance of Spring Tour|url=https://www.theirishfield.ie/show-jumping-moran-continues-dominance-of-spring-tour-613594/|access-date=18 May 2021|website=www.theirishfield.ie|language=en}}</ref>
== Honours ==
* McMahon was selected to play for the first women's Barbarians Team in 2017.
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.irishrugby.ie/women/edel-mcmahon/ Irish Rugby Profile]
{{Exeter Chiefs Women squad}} {{Ireland 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McMahon, Edel}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Irish female rugby union players Category:Rugby union flankers Category:Ireland women's international rugby union players Category:Ireland international women's rugby sevens players Category:Irish rugby sevens players Category:21st-century Irish sportswomen Category:Exeter Chiefs Women players