Celtic FC Women add defensive reinforcement as Lauren Doran-Barr makes the move from Hibernian to join the Hoops.
Celtic FC Women have officially signed defender Lauren Doran-Barr from Hibernian, with the club confirming the deal via their official channels on Saturday morning. She arrives having spent a spell at Hibs competing in the SWPL, and the move represents a direct raid on one of the league’s more consistent defensive performers.
The announcement came directly from Celtic FC Women’s official account, leaving no ambiguity about the deal’s status. This is done, dusted, and official. Doran-Barr is a Celt.
Hibs will feel this one. Doran-Barr established herself as a reliable presence in their defensive unit over her time with the club, and losing a player of that consistency to a direct domestic rival is never a comfortable afternoon. That said, from Celtic’s perspective, signing a defender who knows the SWPL inside out – its physicality, its tempo, its demands – is exactly the kind of low-risk, high-value business that builds squads rather than just filling them.
The broader picture here matters too. Celtic’s women’s side have been building with genuine purpose, and Doran-Barr joins a squad that has been reshaped with competitive intent. The club’s recruitment approach has shown a clear appetite to identify and act on domestic quality already competing at the top level of the Scottish women’s game. It’s a coherent strategy, and there’s a pleasing logic to it.
With the new SWPL season approaching, the attention turns to how quickly she beds into the defensive unit and whether she features from the off under the Celtic Women’s coaching staff. Given she arrives with SWPL experience already banked, there’s every reason to think the transition will be smoother than most. The club will be hoping she hits the ground running.
Welcome to Celtic, Lauren. Mon The Hoops.
