The strength of the SSE Airtricity Under-15 National League is shown, with 15 players in the squad playing domestically.

Ireland go into the back-to-back games with confidence high, after recent positive performances in an International Tournament in Spain.

The opening game takes place on Tuesday afternoon, in Sotira.

Republic of Ireland Under-15 Squad
Goalkeepers: Aaron Maguire (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Ross (Bray Wanderers)
Defenders: Ben Curtis (Shamrock Rovers), Tom Fogarty (Birmingham City), Sean Grehan (Bohemians), Craig King (St. Patrick's Athletic),  Aaron O'Reilly (St. Patrick's Athletic), John Ryan (Shamrock Rovers)
Midfielders: Glory Nzinga (St. Patrick's Athletic), Luke McGlynn (Finn Harps), Jamie Mullins (Bohemians), John Joe Power (Burton Albion)
Forwards: Edwin Agbaje (Shamrock Rovers), Evan Ferguson (Bohemians), Cian Kelly (Bohemians), Michael Leddy (Shamrock Rovers), Ciaran O'Sullivan (Cork City), Ben Quinn (St. Patrick's Athletic)

Fixtures
5/3: Cyprus v Republic of Ireland, Sotira Municipal Stadium, 3pm (1pm Irish time)
7/3: Cyprus v Republic of Ireland, Sotira Municipal Stadium, 3pm (1pm Irish time)

Moville Community College returned to winning ways in the FAI Schools Senior Girls National Cup Final having secured the honours over a talented Athlone Community College in the Showgrounds, Sligo.

The Donegal side had tasted defeat twelve months previous at the hands of Presentation Secondary School from Thurles but they bounced back with an empathic display to take the title in fine style.

Mags Mulhall had the girls well briefed at the start of proceedings and they made an explosive impact early on in a high tempo game.  

The diligent Megan Havlin had her team one up inside the first ten minutes with a delightful strike from the edge of the box to open their account. 

The Moville lead was doubled shortly after when Kerry Brown masterminded her way past the Athlone defence to stroke the ball home from close range. 

Cianna Meehan had to be alert to save a thumping effort from Megan Havlin.  While the Donegal side wrapped up a third 90 seconds later through a delightful corner. The congested goalmouth saw the ball make its way to the back of the Athlone net courtesy of good link play with Captain Kate McClenaghan and Niamh McDonald for the latter to slot in with 16 minutes on the clock. 

Athlone’s Kayleigh Shine, Allie Heartherington and Angelina De Rosa were imposing through the half but the game ended 3-0 at the break. 

Bojan Pap’s squad had plenty of possession in the second period but couldn’t penetrate the Moville defence with Aisling and Danielle McLaughlin in inspirational form. 

Unselfishly Megan Havlin played in Kerry Brown for the youngster’s second of the afternoon and Moville’s fourth on 50 minutes. 

Athlone were now facing an uphill battle to get back into this clash but Captain Megan Kelly and Robyn Heartherington kept the McClenaghan, Havlin and Brown trio at bay. 

Brown was denied her hat-trick through a wonderful stop from Meehan while the Moville maestro also hit the woodwork late on. 

MOVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE| Clodagh Skelly, Aisling McLaughlin, Ellen Hegarty, Danielle McLaughlin, Emma Doherty, Niamh McDonald, Bronagh McGuinness, Erin Coyle, Kate McClenaghan (Captain), Megan Havlin, Kerry Brown

Substitutes: Shauna Ruddy (for Erin Coyle, 56), Breena Diver (for Megan Havlin, 74), Ellen Ruddy (for Aisling McLaughlin 79), Kelene McDermott (for Bronagh McGuinness, 79) 

Teacher: Margaret Mulhall Assistant: Seamus Gallagher

ATHLONE COMMUNITY COLLEGE| Cianna Mehan, Robyn Heatherington, Breena Breheny, Megan Kelly (Captain), Angelina De Rosa,  Aisling Walsh, Allie Heatherington,  Róise Lennon, Aimee O'Connor, Grace Hannon, Kayleigh Shine.

Substitutes: Laoise O'Brien (for Breena Breheny, 52), Stephanie O’Neill (for Grace Hannon, 52), Andrea White (for Stephanie O’Neill, 79), Juliette McGrane, Danielle Greasley, Ellie Hewitt, Vicky Wilczek.

Teachers: Bojan Pap & Shauna Connell.

Referee: John Barry (Sligo).

The competition is open to all grassroots football clubs across the country. Six clubs will be shortlisted for the coveted award, which will be announced on July 26, during the Festival of Football in Meath.

Each of the six shortlisted clubs will receive €2,000 and the overall winner will be given an additional €5,000 and entry to UEFA’s Grassroots Awards in the "Best Grassroots Club' category.

The FAI Club of the Year 2018 aims to recognise, celebrate and promote the inspirational work done by clubs around Ireland.

The Club of the Year competition is now in its thirteenth year and is open to any club to enter free of charge. Overall, in excess of €190,000 has been awarded to club’s countrywide.

Clubs can enter through an online application form that allows them to highlight how their club excels in the areas of; Club Management, Coaching, Community, Participation, and Facilities.

Previous winners Ballymackey FC (2018) and Carrigaline United (2017) both won out by demonstrating a massive collective effort from people across their communities in promoting and developing their club.

The FAI Club of the Year competition is not just about the biggest club, or the club with the best facilities but it’s about clubs that inspire their communities to get involved in football.

For more information on how to complete the short online application form and for an insight into what the Judges are looking for, please see the form below 

If you have any questions please email vincent.foley@fai.ie

Click Here to Apply

Applications close on the 03/05/2019

Five teams were in the draw, as Avondale United and Midleton need to meet once more in a Quarter-Final replay. That match takes place in Avondale Park on March 10 at 10.45am.

Reigning champions Maynooth University Town remain in the competition and have been drawn at home against Leinster Senior League rivals Crumlin United.

The Final will be guaranteed to be a Munster/Leinster affair with the other Semi-Final set to be an all-Munster Senior League tie.

Both Semi-Finals take place on the weekend of March 24. The FAI Intermediate Cup Final take place in Aviva Stadium on May 11.

FAI New Balance Intermediate Cup Semi-Final Draw

Avondale United/Midleton v Rockmount

Maynooth University Town v Crumlin United

This year’s quintet of matches are being hosted by the newly-rebranded TU Dublin, with the City Campus in Grangegorman set to be the hotspot with four of the five being contested on the campus. The fifth and final game of the series, the CFAI RUSTLERS Perpetual Cup will be played in Home Farm, Whitehall on Wednesday afternoon.

TU Dublin Blanchardstown Campus have their sights set on winning their first-ever CFAI Perpetual Cup, having never achieved the highest honour under any of their previous monikers. Blanchardstown will be hoping that this will be the first step in a famous double as they also have a CUFL Division One Final to look forward to later this month. Facing them will be the six-time champions, Waterford IT, who will be hoping to mark their seventh success exactly twenty years on from their last victory.

Preceding them on the Wednesday afternoon will be the Plate clash between IT Carlow and the National College of Ireland. In recent memory, IT Carlow have made more appearances in the Perpetual Cup Final including a famous six-in-a-row between 2012 and 2017. However, a first-round exit to Letterkenny IT has resulted in them forging a cup run in the Plate where they face the NCI. The city-centre based college were victorious in last year’s Challenge Cup Final and face their sternest test so far in the competition having only faced Division Two opposition thus far including IT Carlow ‘C’ in the semi-final.

In today’s action, the Challenge Cup Final will be the centrepiece of the action this afternoon as Dublin Business School face GTI Galway. DBS have been cup specialists in recent years having won back-to-back Eustace Cups in the previous two seasons. Between the two finalists, they have captured the last three Eustace Cups with GTI Galway claiming the trophy named after long-standing CFAI Chairman and President Robert Eustace (RIP).

This year’s Eustace Cup competition will be contested by Waterford IT ‘C’ and Carlow Institute of FET. Both sides have contested two of the last three finals with Waterford IT falling to GTI Galway in 2016 and Carlow being undone by DBS in 2017.

The Eustace Shield final will close out the first day of action in this year’s finals as Drogheda Institute of FE take on Limerick IT ‘C’. Drogheda could only book their place in the final yesterday as they defeated IT Carlow ‘D’ in a rearranged game after the first game between the sides was abandoned due to serious injury. Limerick IT have been in exceptional goalscoring form, netting sixteen goals in their three games in this competition thus far.

Fixtures
All games to be played at TU Dublin Grangegorman Campus unless stated.

Tuesday 5th March
CFAI RUSTLERS Challenge Cup
Dublin Business School v GTI Galway (3pm)

CFAI RUSTLERS Eustace Cup
Waterford IT ‘C’ v Carlow Institute of FET (12pm)

CFAI RUSTLERS Eustace Shield
Limerick IT ‘C’ v Drogheda Institute of FE (6pm)

Wednesday 6th March
CFAI RUSTLERS Perpertual Cup
TU Dublin Blanchardstown v Waterford IT, Whitehall (4pm)

CFAI RUSTLERS Plate
IT Carlow v National College of Ireland (12.30pm)

Ireland dominated the vast majority of the contest in the Estadio de Municipal Marbella and end the international camp with an impressive victory over a strong Welsh side. 

Defenders Diane Caldwell and Megan Campbell both missed the international friendly through injury whilst striker Emily Whelan was sidelined through illness. 

Claire O'Riordan came into the starting line-up to replace Campbell in Colin Bell's only change to the team following the 0-0 draw against the same opposition last week. 

In the blistering Spanish heat, both sides struggled to create openings during the first-half at the Estadio de Municipal Marbella. The closest Ireland came during the first-half was three minutes from the break through full-back Harriet Scott. 

The tireless Leanne Kiernan retrieved a loose clearance on the right and her cross was only punched away as far as the on-rushing Scott, who failed to adjust in time as her shot was blocked. 

After the break, Ireland were the far superior team throughout and almost went ahead in the 61st-minute. After a 15-pass move from Colin Bell's side, the Welsh defence cleared the ball out to Quinn who fired a shot narrowly over the bar from 30 yards. 

A minute later, Quinn had her goal. Heather Payne won a free-kick on the right and Tyler Toland's pinpoint cross found the Arsenal defender who rose highest to head home. 

It was a quiet 45-minutes for goalkeeper Marie Hourihan as Ireland defended stoutly throughout and secured the victory they deserved after the 10-day international camp in Marbella, Spain.

"It's a fantastic victory for the team and I'm absolutely delighted with the players. I felt we struggled with the Welsh press in the first-half but really kicked on after the break and deservedly won," said WNT Head Coach Colin Bell.

"It's been a great 10-day camp with the team, fantastic effort throughout from the entire squad and I would go so far as to say this is the best camp I've had with the team during my time here. The second-half performance was excellent, we had a number of brilliant phases of play and I'm delighted for the team to get the win.

"It's a huge confidence boost for the team of course, heading into those qualifiers in September. Wales are a second-seed so it shows we can mix it with these teams and get results against them, which is what we need to do to qualify for a major international tournament.

"The effort, the commitment and the desire from every single member of the team throughout was exceptional and we look forward to our next camp in April when we head to Italy."

Republic of Ireland: Marie Hourihan (GK), Heather Payne, Harriet Scott, Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Tyler Toland, Leanne Kiernan (Amber Barrett 80), Denise O'Sullivan, Katie McCabe (C), Claire O'Riordan, Megan Connolly.

Wales: Laura O'Sullivan (GK) (Claire Skinner 48), Gemma Evans, Sophie Ingle, Rhiannon Roberts, Angharad James, Kayleigh Jones, Jessica Fishlock, Natasha Harding, Cori Williams, Hayley Ladd, Kylie Nolan, Claire Skinner. 

Referee: Marta Frias Acedo (ESP)

Jason Donohue's side conceded an early goal inside the first 15 minutes when Andreas Savva's shot beat Aaron Maguire in the Irish goal.

On the half-hour mark, Ben Quinn scored for Ireland to give the side a well-deserved equaliser. Midfielder Jamie Mullins, who was a late replacement in the starting line-up for John Joe Power, played a perfect through ball for Quinn, who scored past the Cypriot goalkeeper to secure the draw.

Speaking after the game, Head Coach Donohue revealed that he was happy with how the side coped in the Cypriot heat.

"The lads have never played in those temperatures before. Going in at 1-1 at the break, we were happy with. We had all the chances in the second-half though and were unlucky not to win," said Donohue.

The two teams meet again on Thursday afternoon. Kick-off is at 3pm (1pm Irish time).

Cyprus: Demetris Stylianides, Sergios Fenerides, Konstantinos Venizelos, Nikolas Lamprou, Konstantinos Patichis, Giorgios Louka, Demitris Spyridakes, Andreas Athanasiou, Andreas Savva, Konstantinos Koromias, Kyriakos Chrisomiles.

Republic of Ireland: Aaron Maguire; John Ryan, Sean Grehan, Ben Curtis, Tommy Fogarty (capt); Glory Nzingo (Aaron O'Reilly 59), Luke McGlynn, Jamie Mullins (John Joe Power 70); Cian Kelly, Michael Leddy (Evan Ferguson 52), Ben Quinn (Edwin Agbaje 59).

Referee: Antoniou Menelaos (CYP).

A former Ireland international, who played 29 times at senior level, Reid has been pursuing his coaching qualifications with the FAI in recent years and is part of the current UEFA Pro Licence group.

Reid has been working with the Under-18s, under Jim Crawford, since March 2018 and will now take control of the team with Jim linking up with Stephen Kenny's Under-21 set-up.

Reid knows all about underage success having won the UEFA European Under-16 Championships in 1998, before going on to enjoy a professional career that included spells with Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Sunderland, Sheffield United and Blackpool.

Since hanging up his boots, Reid has completed his UEFA A & B Licence with the FAI and served as assistant first-team coach at Nottingham Forest for an interim period.

Speaking on his appointment, Reid said: "It is a real honour and privilege to have the opportunity to be appointed the Republic of Ireland Under-18 Head Coach.

"Having played underage football for my country, I understand the pathway these young players are taking. It will be a real pleasure to help them along the way.

"I have been involved in the set-up with Jim Crawford and have seen first hand some of the amazing work he has done. I am keen to maintain that work whilst putting my own stamp on it. I am very grateful to Jim for all of his help so far and I can’t wait to get started."

FAI High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter said: "I am delighted to see Andy as the new Head Coach of the Under-18s. He brings a wealth of experience from his playing days and has gone through the pathway from Under-15 all the way up to the senior team.

"Andy is currently participating on our Pro Licence course and managing the Under-18's is a great opportunity for him to develop further as a manager/coach. I am sure the players will benefit from his passion and great knowledge of the game."

The eighth season of the Women's National League was launched on Tuesday night with Só Hotels unveiled as the new sponsors.

The launch took place in the Athlone Springs Hotel, one of the hotels in the chain owned by Mr. McDonagh with the Supermac’s M.D. in attendance to officially unveil the new sponsorship deal that he hoped would be a "long-term partnership".

Players from all eight clubs in the League were in attendance and Mr. McDonagh spoke with great passion about backing the League, which will be his first national sponsorship with the Football Association of Ireland following on from his long-standing backing of Galway WFC.

"Being involved in sport is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our young people. A healthy body helps to develop a healthy mind," said McDonagh.

"You are the beacons from which young girls all over the country will take their lead. You are a shining example to them all and of that you should be immensely proud.

"We have been involved in sport and in sponsorship in sport for a long time mostly in hurling and football but we are delighted in the last few years to get involved in women's sport, whether it is with Supermacs or the Só Hotel Group.

"I would like to wish each and every one of the teams the best of luck for the coming year."

FAI Competitions Director, Fran Gavin spoke with great positivity about the League and the hopes to expand in the coming years while paying tribute to the new sponsors.

"The League is built around the clubs, the players, the FAI and now our partners, Só Hotels," said Gavin.

"We have had very good sponsors for the Women’s National League with Bus Éireann and Continental. We have had lengthy relationships with them and we look forward to the same with the Só Hotel Group."

Só Hotels - ‘Só’ meaning luxury in Irish - consists of six contemporary Irish hotels, namely the Charleville Park Hotel in Cork, Lough Rea Hotel & Spa in Galway, the Killeshin Hotel in Laois, Castletroy Park Hotel and the Castle Oaks House in Limerick and the Athlone Springs Hotel & Leisure Club in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

Series 1 Fixtures

Saturday, March 9
Peamount United v Cork City WFC, KO 18:30
Wexford Youths v DLR Waves, KO 18:30

Sunday, March 10
Kilkenny United v Shelbourne, KO 14:00
Limerick FC v Galway WFC, KO 14:00

Two first half goals from Shane Nolan and Mark O’Keefe proved to be enough to fend off the challenge of Blanchardstown who applied great pressure in the second half to force an equaliser.

It was an electric opening fifteen minutes with Paul Martin and Colin McCabe both being forced into a number of save from the likes of O’Keefe and Mikey Scott.

Waterford took the lead on twenty minutes when Shane Nolan capitalised on Jamie Coyne’s loose clearance and glided past the last-ditch challenges of the Blanchardstown defenders to poke the ball past McCabe.

Adham Masood had two opportunities to extend the lead but was denied by smart saves from McCabe. McCabe could not prevent O’Keefe from doubling the lead when he struck Nathan Brennan’s throw-in on the half-volley from the edge of the box.

Blanchardstown decided to freshen things up in the second half and brought George Mukete on at the interval. Within four minutes, Mukete had delivered for his side when he diverted Steven Ball’s corner past Martin.

Blanchardstown remained a threat in the second half from set-plays with Andy McKenna causing Waterford some difficulty with long throws however Martin was rarely put under too much strain, collecting a number of balls into the box calmly. Waterford had opportunities to extend their lead on the counter attack with O’Keefe dragging his shot wide in the closing stages.

Waterford would hold on for their seventh success in the competition, their first since 1999.

TU Dublin: McCabe, O’Riordan, Coyne (Mukete 46’), McKenna, O’Donovan, O’Sullivan, Manley, Hollywood (Byrne 73’), Scott, Ball, Abulu

Waterford IT: Martin, Breslin, Brennan, Walsh, Smithers, Reidy, Hersee (Hickey 78’), McGinley (Flanagan 90’), O’Keefe, Nolan (Rea 85’), Masood

Goals from Amos Sholanke, Tyrick Reilly and two from Josh Ojelabi gave the boys in green a 4-1 win at Reading's Academy in west London, played in front of several interested club scouts.

Manager Gerry Davis was delighted with his sides win; "It was a great performance today as we were struggling a little with a couple of injuries but we asked everyone for a big performance and I think we got that."

The Erasmus+ trip to the UK has ended with the FAI/ETB squad unbeaten in their four games. Manager Gerry Davis was delighted with how the tour went.

"This has been the first Erasmus+ trip for players in FAI/ETB courses and has been a fantastic experience both on and off the pitch for everyone involved. The FAI have worked really hard behind the scenes to make this happen and it has been a great success."

With a full schedule of events planned it was a busy two weeks for the FAI/ETB trainees from eight different courses around the country. Visits to Premier league games, a Wembley Stadium tour, and four games against academies sides from Fulham, Crawley Town, Reading and Isthmian league semi-professional side Dorking Wanderers kept them busy. However it was the visit to Brighton’s impressive academy which proved the most interesting according to Davis.

“We had a tour of their excellent facility which included a presentation from Academy manager John Morling, outlining Brighton’s player development and recruitment strategies. John specified what attributes they look for in players when recruiting and how they monitor them their development. Brighton’s Irish underage internationals Warren O'Hora and Jayson Molumby also answered questions in relation to being an player at the academy which our players found fascinating especially as O’Hora had been previously been a trainee at the FAI/ETB course in Cabra.”

"We would like to thank John as he has been a great help with the planning of the trip and also organizing the visit to Brighton."

The Erasmus+ trip for FAI/ETB players has been a resounding success and plans are in place for future trips for next intake of trainees in September 2019.

Anyone under the age of 16 will be permitted free entry to this summer's UEFA European Under-17 Championships in the Republic of Ireland, while special offers will be available for schools and grassroots clubs.

Anticipation is building for this summer's tournament, which will kick off on Friday, May 3, with 16 teams involved, and finish with the final on Sunday, May 19.

Colin O'Brien's Ireland U-17 team qualify automatically as hosts, while the remaining teams will be discovered after the upcoming Elite Round games. The draw for the tournament will take place on April 4 in Dublin.

O'Brien (pictured above with tournament mascot Barry The Bodhrán) will have two friendly international games on home soil against Finland in March as he continues preparations for what will be a third successive tournament appearance.

The seven venues in Dublin, Longford and Waterford have all been confirmed and you can now secure your ticket by clicking here

Set to begin his second term as Ireland manager, McCarthy is hoping to lead his team out of Group D, which contains Denmark, Georgia, Gibraltar, and Switzerland.

First up is a trip to Gibraltar to play at Victoria Stadium on Saturday, March 23 before returning to Dublin for a home game in Aviva Stadium against Georgia on Tuesday, March 26.

Included in McCarthy's provisional squad are Keiren Westwood, Stephen Ward, Aiden McGeady, James McCarthy, Glenn Whelan, and David McGoldrick, who each earn recalls following a period away from the international set-up.

There are first senior call-ups for Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers, Newport County striker Padraig Amond and Luton Town forward James Collins, who have all represented Ireland at underage level.

Both Travers and Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher will also be part of Stephen Kenny's Under-21 squad for their qualifier against Luxembourg on Sunday, March 24 in Tallaght Stadium. McCarthy will then have the option to draft them into the senior squad ahead of the Georgia game.

Injury has ruled out Newcastle United's Ciaran Clark, Preston North End's Callum Robinson, Burnley's Jonathan Walters, and Southampton's Michael Obafemi.

The squad will be finalised ahead of the '3' FAI International Awards on Sunday, March 17 with the players undergoing their first session at the FAI National Training Centre on Monday, March 18.

Republic of Ireland Provisional Squad
Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Kieran O'Hara (Macclesfield Town*), Mark Travers (Bournemouth)
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Cyrus Christie (Fulham), Richard Keogh (Derby County), John Egan (Sheffield United), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Kevin Long (Burnley), Jimmy Dunne (Sunderland*), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Derrick Williams (Blackburn Rovers), Stephen Ward (Burnley)
Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Sunderland), Alan Judge (Ipswich Town), James McCarthy (Everton), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Harry Arter (Cardiff City*), Glenn Whelan (Aston Villa), David Meyler (Coventry City*), Shaun Williams (Millwall), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Callum O'Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Daryl Horgan (Hibernian)
Forwards: Shane Long (Southampton), Sean Maguire (Preston North End), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Scott Hogan (Sheffield United*), Aiden O'Brien (Millwall), David McGoldrick (Sheffield United), James Collins (Luton Town), Padraig Amond (Newport County)

*Indicates player is on loan

EURO 2020 Qualifiers
March 23: Gibraltar v Republic of Ireland
March 26: Republic of Ireland v Georgia
June 7: Denmark v Republic of Ireland
June 10: Republic of Ireland v Gibraltar
September 5: Republic of Ireland v Switzerland
October 12: Georgia v Republic of Ireland
October 15: Switzerland v Republic of Ireland
November 18: Republic of Ireland v Denmark

Tickets for Ireland v Georgia at Aviva Stadium on March 26 are on sale now. Click here to secure tickets

The programme involved 31,728 students last year with over 1,528 schools participating. The competition has been running since the mid 1990s and the programme promises to be bigger and better this year.

Local competitions will begin at the end of February or early March with Regional qualifiers taking place in April. The Provincial Finals will take place in early and mid-May while the National Finals will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

There are six sections to cater for all school sizes (small, medium and large schools). There are separate competitions for boys and girls but girls are permitted to play in the boys’ competitions.

All schools can enter the competition at fai.ie/primary5

A first-half goal from Evan Ferguson wasn't enough for Jason Donohue's side as second-half strikes from Giorgios Louka and substitute Andreas Athanasiou gave the home team the win.

Ferguson took advantage of slack defending to give Ireland the lead, as he dispossessed Konstantinos Veneizelos and ran in on goal where his shot easily beat Theodoros Koutsou.

The Under-15s return to action in early April, with two matches against Czech Republic.

Cyprus: Theodoros Koutsou, Savvas Chrysostomou, Sergio Fenerides, Konstantinos Patichis, Nikolas Lamprou, Konstantinos Patichis (capt), Marios Valiandes, Giorgos Louka, Andreas Savva, Titos Procopiou, Orthodoxos Othodoxou

Republic of Ireland: Jack Ross; Cian Kelly (John Ryan 51), Sean Grehan, Aaron O'Reilly, Craig King (Tommy Fogarty 51); Glory Nzingo, Ben Curtis, John Joe Power (Jamie Mullins 51); Edwin Agbaje, Evan Ferguson (capt), Ciaran O'Sullivan

Referee: Antonis Konstantinides (CYP)

As part of the celebrations, the FAI are proud to pledge support to the official launch of #ShowYourStripes initiative under the 20x20 campaign.  

The Association gave their initial commitment of support to the campaign in 2018 and have since signed up to the '20x20 Charter' with the Federation of Irish Sport covering all three core objectives.

As part of the #ShowYourStripes initiative, a challenge was set for people to make a pledge in how they will positively impact women in sport. Well, the FAI committed to three...

✅ Continued recognition of our heroes
✅ More opportunities to make a difference
✅ Increased promotion at all levels

On the continued recognition of our heroes, the FAI proudly unveiled two tribute alcoves beside the main reception in FAI HQ to honour former Republic of Ireland women's internationals Emma Byrne and Olivia O'Toole.

They are the first women to be celebrated with their own showcase stands to recognise their fantastic careers that saw Byrne finish up as Ireland Women's record caps holder and O'Toole as Ireland Women's record goalscorer.

Creating more opportunities for women to make a difference in Irish football has been an on-going feature in the FAI within recent times following the promotions of Rea Walshe (Chief Operating Officer) and Karen Campion (Director of Business Partnerships), as well as the appointment of two Football Development Officers for Women's Football in Dublin.

However, the creation of a soon-to-be-unveiled Female Leadership Programme, which is aimed at volunteers around the country to help develop and enhance their skill-set and empowering them to take the lead in roles in football, will open up new roles for many others.

The FAI continues to push promotion of the sport at all levels, but the recruitment of Martina Genockey as a Communications Executive for Women's Football will help to propel coverage and ensure that more good work gets highlighted.

These are exciting times for women in sport and the FAI are fully supportive of the 20x20 campaign, which is being incorporated into everyday practice across playing, coaching, mentoring, promotion, and administration.

The 22-year-old former Derry City attacker, born in London and raised in Donegal, won two caps under previous Ireland boss Martin O’Neill.

Curtis was one of several front players named last Thursday in McCarthy’s provisional squad for the EURO 2020 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia. Significantly, he was the only one to score at the weekend in England - and in front of the watching McCarthy at that.

“Ronan has 12 goals now for Portsmouth as they push for a return to the Championship and many of them have been special,” said McCarthy.

“His latest goal, on Saturday, was definitely in that category. It was a real bullet header and one that the goalkeeper was never going to stop. He’s naturally a wide player, as we have seen on the many occasions we have watched him this season, but Ronan is a real goal threat as well.

“He’s a right-footer playing on the left and he is always looking to cut in from the wing behind the full-back and get into scoring positions inside the six-yard box. It is very difficult for defenders to cope with an elusive player who drifts in like that. It’s why Ronan gets so many goals and I really like that in a wide player.”

Ipswich Town's Alan Judge, watched by assistant manager Terry Connor in the 1-1 Championship draw at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, was another player to impress before decisions are made on selecting the final Ireland squad for McCarthy’s return to the job.

McCarthy added: “Terry [Connor] was at the game and Alan [Judge] played top left in a three-man attack. He’s switched behind a midfield role and that wide role a few times this season and he was excellent again on Saturday.

“It’s great to see him back playing consistently well after his injury and he’s another player who has given us food for thought.”

Connor also watched goalkeeper Keiren Westwood keep a clean sheet for Sheffield Wednesday against Sheffield United last Monday night, and again saw the shot-stopper in action against Derby County in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

“There’s no doubt that Wednesday have been a better team since Keiren came back into the side earlier this year,” stated McCarthy. “He’s on form at a good time and it’s great to have competition between Darren Randolph and Keiren ahead of the qualifiers.

“I was also glad to see David McGoldrick and Scott Hogan start for Sheffield United, alongside John Egan and Enda Stevens, in their 2-0 win at home to Rotherham on Saturday.

“David played all but the last six minutes and Scott is just waiting on that first goal. They’re at home to Brentford on Tuesday so we’ll have another look before finalising the squad.”

The good news for McCarthy arrived via team doctor Alan Byrne’s medical update on Saturday night when he confirmed that Shane Long (dead leg) and Seamus Coleman (illness) both expect to be back in full action this week.

As part of an initiative to involve all SSE Airtricity Under-17 National League players, the Football Association of Ireland have reached out to all 23 clubs to pay for their travel and lunch to attend at least one game of the 2019 UEFA Under-17 European Championships.

The FAI are working with each club to ensure that they do not miss any of their own League games and that they can make the most of travelling to either Dublin, Longford, Waterford or Wicklow for a tournament clash between May 3-19.

When the U-17 National League teams arrive at their chosen venue, they will be met by a Coach Education tutor who will set the players a match analysis task to watch the game - and players of the same age - through an analytical perspective.

The idea is to provide an opportunity for all players at that level to to get a greater insight to elite football, but also to enjoy the atmosphere that comes with a European tournament.

This is a fantastic chance for some of the country's most talented young players to get a closer look at their peers representing the top 16 nations in Europe and to see tomorrow's stars today.

Initial feedback from the clubs has been extremely positive and the FAI are busy making arrangements to ensure that all players & coaches from the National League clubs are accommodated for the U-17 EUROs.

Tickets are free for U-16s and only €5 for adults. Click here to secure your tickets

Regional United have been drawn at home to play Aisling Annacotty in the final four. Regional booked their place in the Semi-Finals after defeating former winners Sherriff YC in the Quarter-Finals. Aisling Annacotty travelled to Mayo and defeated Westport United 2-1 to set up the all-Limerick clash.

The second Semi-Final sees Donegal's Glengad United travel to Tipperary to play St. Michaels. The Donegal side defeated Clonmel Town 3-1, while St. Michaels at a 1-0 win away to Evergreen in the Quarter-Finals.

Both Semi-Finals will be played on the week ending 7th April

FAI Junior Cup Semi-Final Draw
Regional United v Aisling Annacotty
St. Michaels v Glengad United

The Kildare native enjoyed an extraordinary career, where she won every trophy available during her time with Arsenal and also raised the profile of women's football by consistently producing top-class performances for Ireland.

Byrne ended up with 134 senior caps, from making her senior debut in 1996 through to her final game in 2017. During that period, she was also captain for four years and led by example on the pitch.

The Football Association of Ireland recently dedicated a tribute alcove to Byrne in their Headquarters on the National Sports Campus and this Hall of Fame award follows on from that in a bid to highlight her fantastic career.

FAI Board Member & Chairperson of the Women's Football Committee, Niamh O'Donoghue said: "From the time that she first burst onto the underage international stage at age 14, Emma was a fantastic servant to the women's game, representing her country at every age level and winning multiple honours at club level.

"She was a tremendous role model for young girls around the country and I've no doubt that she inspired an entire generation of girls to follow their dreams of becoming a professional footballer. 

"The tribute alcove in FAI Headquarters is fantastic to see and anyone who visits the offices will be able to see just what she achieved. However, becoming the first women's player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is historic and well deserved."

FAI CEO John Delaney said: "To pull on the Ireland jersey is a special thing, but to do it on 134 occasions is quite remarkable. Emma has earned her right to be described as an Irish legend.

"Emma was a fantastic goalkeeper and ambassador for the women's game. She deserves to have her name in the Hall of Fame, alongside some of the best players ever to represent Ireland."

Byrne will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the '3' FAI International Awards ceremony on Sunday, March 17 in RTE Studios. The programme will be broadcast live on RTE2.

The full list of nominees for the '3' FAI International Awards will be revealed later this week.

Hall of Fame Recipients
2017: Damien Duff
2016: Robbie Keane
2015: Tony Cascarino
2014: Andy Townsend
2013: Ronnie Whelan
2012: Kevin Sheedy
2011: Ray Houghton
2010: Frank Stapleton
2009: Ray Treacy
2008: Arthur Fitzsimons
2007: Paddy Mulligan
2006: Don Givens
2005: Mick Martin
2004: Gerry Daly
2002: Liam Tuohy
2001: Liam Brady
2000: Joe Haverty
1999: 1949 Ireland team v England
1998: Shay Brennan / Tony Dunne
1997: Kevin O’Flanagan