Noleen Lennon
Personal information
Full name Noleen Armstrong (née Lennon)
Born (1984-03-22) 22 March 1984 (age 39)
Bangor, County Down
Northern Ireland[1]
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) [2]
University Ulster University
Relatives Ciara Mageean[3]
Netball career
Playing position(s): GK, GS
Years Club team(s) Apps
199x–20xx Belfast Ladies
2005–2006 → Team Northumbria
2014 → Team Northumbria
Years National team(s) Caps
20xx–2019 Northern Ireland

Noleen Lennon (born 22 March 1984), also known as Noleen Armstrong, is a former Northern Ireland netball international. She represented Northern Ireland at the 2003, 2011 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the Northern Ireland teams that were silver medallists at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships. She captained Northern Ireland when they won the 2009 Nations Cup and then again at the 2011 World Netball Championships.

Early life, family and education

Lennon is from Portaferry, County Down.[4][5][6] She is a relative of Ciara Mageean, a track and field athlete who also represented Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[3] While attending Ulster University, Lennon served as president of the university's sports union.[2][7][8]

Playing career

Clubs

Belfast Ladies

Lennon plays for Belfast Ladies in the Northern Ireland Premier League.[4][6][9]

Team Northumbria

Lennon has played for Team Northumbria in the Netball Superleague. She initially played for Team Northumbria during the 2005–06 season. As part of their preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Northern Ireland national netball team formed a partnership with Team Northumbria. This saw Lennon and six other Northern Ireland internationals – Oonagh McCullough, Fionnuala Toner, Caroline O'Hanlon, Gemma Gibney, Michelle Drayne and Niamh Cooper – play for Team Northumbria during the 2014 season.[10][11][12][13]

Northern Ireland

Lennon represented Northern Ireland at the 2003, 2011 and 2019 Netball World Cups and at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a member of the Northern Ireland teams that were silver medallists at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships.[4][6][14][15] She captained Northern Ireland when they won the 2009 Nations Cup[16][17] and then again at the 2011 World Netball Championships.[5][18][19][20] Lennon initially retired after the 2018 Commonwealth Games but was recalled for the 2019 Netball World Cup as an injury replacement for Lisa Bowman who missed out due to serious ankle injury.[4][21] In January 2018 she had helped Northern Ireland secure their place in the 2019 Netball World Cup with a player of the match performance against Wales during qualification tournament.[22]

Tournaments Place
2003 World Netball Championships[15][23] 19th
2007 Nations Cup[2][9] 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2009 Nations Cup[16][17][24] 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2011 World Netball Championships[5][18][19][20] 8th
2012 European Netball Championship[6] 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2014 Commonwealth Games[25][26] 7th
2017 European Netball Championship[6][27] 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2018 Commonwealth Games[14][28][29] 8th
2019 Netball World Cup[15][30][31] 10th

Other sports

Lennon has also played both basketball and ladies' Gaelic football at club level. Together with Fionnuala Toner, she was a member of the Ulster Rockets team that won Basketball Ireland's Women's National Cup in January 2011. She also played gaelic football for the Antrim GAA club, Glenavy.[5][14][30]

Honours

Northern Ireland

References

  1. ^ "Team Northern Ireland Handbook – Glasgow 2014" (PDF). www.nicgc.org. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "NI netball accept invitation to go to Singapore for six nations tournament". www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk. 19 June 2007. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b "2018 Commonwealth Games Team Guide" (PDF). athleticsni.org. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Legend Lennon reverses retirement to answer Northern Ireland's World Cup call after nightmare injury blow". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 1 July 2019. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d "The ladies bringing netball success to Northern Ireland". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Fantastic Four for Gold Coast". thedownrecorder.co.uk. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Ulster University partners with Netball Northern Ireland as they go for gold". www.ulster.ac.uk. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  8. ^ "UUJ names sports scholars". news.bbc.co.uk. 5 December 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Noleen flies home to boost Belfast Ladies title bid". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 3 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Northern Ireland reach for glory with Team Northumbria". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Northumbria and Northern Ireland in Netball Superleague partnership". www.bbc.co.uk. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Northern Irish eyes are smiling as North-East netball enters a new era". www.thenorthernecho.co.uk. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Lennon's ladies slay Dragons in Superleague encounter". www.newsletter.co.uk. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  14. ^ a b c "Noleen Lennon". gc2018.com. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Noleen Armstrong". www.nwc2019.co.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  16. ^ a b "Northern Ireland Crowned Champions of Nations Cup 2009". www.womensportreport.com. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Northern Ireland get upper hand in pre-final Tussle". www.womensportreport.com. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  18. ^ a b "NI netball team prepare to take on the world". news.bbc.co.uk. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
  19. ^ a b "NI netballers see off Sri Lanka in World Cup Pool A". www.bbc.co.uk. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  20. ^ a b "Women Netball XIII World Championship 2011". www.todor66.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  21. ^ "Netball World Cup: Armstrong to replace injured Bowman for Northern Ireland". www.bbc.com. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Future looks bright as Northern Ireland netball team secure World Cup qualification". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  23. ^ "Women Netball XI World Championship 2003". www.todor66.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Northern Ireland emerge champions of Netball Nations Cup". www.redsports.sg. 13 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Noleen Lennon". thecgf.com. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  26. ^ "Glasgow 2014: NI netballers beat Wales to secure seventh spot". www.bbc.co.uk. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  27. ^ "England end Euro dreams for Northern Ireland". www.newsletter.co.uk. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  28. ^ "Malawi and Northern Ireland close out their Games". netballscoop.com. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  29. ^ "Women Netball Commonwealth Games Golden Goast, Australia 2018". www.todor66.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  30. ^ a b "Gaelic football fuelling Northern Ireland's Netball World Cup bid across the water". www.the42.ie. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  31. ^ "World Cup woes for Northern Ireland who now face New Zealand". www.irishnews.com. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
Categories