The Finns are part of Ireland’s Euro 2017 qualifying group and won 2-0 in Tallaght Stadium last September when the sides last met. They are due to play again in Finland this June. The sides also met three years ago at the Cyprus Cup in another positional play-off which the Finns won 1-0.

Finland were in Group B and, after drawing 2-2 on the opening day with Wales, they lost 3-1 to the Czech Republic and 1-0 to Poland to finish on one point.

Ireland manager Sue Ronan won’t name her team until tomorrow morning when she will assess the freshness and fitness of her squad. Definitely out of the game are Jessica Gleeson (foot), Megan Campbell (foot), Rianna Jarrett (ACL) and Sophie Perry (work commitments). Campbell returned yesterday to Manchester City for further treatment while Perry, a schoolteacher in Brighton, has returned to work.

“Three of the four are defenders so that has limited our options in defence at a time when players are feeling the effects of having had three games in six days.  We’ll let the players have a good night’s sleep tonight and we will assess everything in the morning.”

Anybody watching the three Irish games over the past week will wonder how they are playing for seventh and eighth position after dominating possession and creating the majority of the chances in all three games. Ronan admits that they have been a little unlucky to find themselves on the wrong side of the small margins that can decide games.

“We have ended up with one point from three games when we could quite as easily have had nine, we have played that well!  The performances have been fantastic and there are a lot of positives to take forward into the qualifiers. However, the bottom line is we haven’t scored goals therefore we haven’t won our games!

“As a result we find ourselves facing a team who are in our Euro 2017 qualifying group in the positional play-off game, which is not ideal, but we want to finish the tournament on a high so we will be going all out for the win,” said Ronan.

Starting XI to face Finland 

Emma Byrne (c); Aine O'Gorman, Louise Quinn, Niamh Fahey, Meabh de Burca; Diane Caldwell, Karen Duggan, Denise O'Sullivan; Julie-Ann Russell, Ruesha Littlejohn, Katie McCabe. 

Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team Squad

Goalkeepers: Emma Byrne (Arsenal), Niamh Reid-Burke (Shelbourne), Grace Moloney (Reading)

Defenders: Louise Quinn (Eskilstuna United),Niamh Fahey (Chelsea), Savannah McCarthy (Glasgow City), Meabh De Burca (Galway).

Midfielders: Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Denise O’Sullivan (Glasgow City), Diane Caldwell (Kóln), Ruesha Littlejohn (Glasgow City), Julie-Ann Russell (UCD Waves), Megan Connolly (Florida State University), Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Emma Hansberry (Wexford Youths), Rachel Graham (Shelbourne).

Strikers: Clare Shine (Glasgow City); Aine O’Gorman (UCD Waves), Claire O’Riordan (Wexford Youths).

Cyprus Cup Group A Details

Results

Wednesday, March 2: Republic of Ireland 0 Austria 2, Italy 2 Hungary 0.

Friday, March 4: Republic of Ireland 1 Italy 1, Austria 2 Hungary 1.

Monday, March 7: Republic of Ireland 0 Hungary 1, Italy 0 Austria 0.

Next Fixture

Wednesday, March 9: Positional Play-Off – Republic of Ireland v Finland, Tassos Marko Stadium, Paralimni, 9am (Irish time).

Two goals in the first 13 minutes from a Ruesha Littlejohn penalty and a Louise Quinn header were enough to put the Irish firmly in control of the game and they never relinquished their grip after that as they notched up an impressive and morale boosting victory.

Manager Sue Ronan made three changes from the side which started on Monday against Hungary with Niamh Fahey, Diane Caldwell and Denise O’Sullivan coming in for Savannah McCarthy, Rachel Graham and Megan Connolly as Ruesha Littlejohn moved from midfield to lead the attack.

Despite playing into a strong wind in the first half, the Irish quickly took hold of the game and opened the scoring after three minutes from the penalty spot. Katie McCabe was brought down following a run into the box and Ruesha Littlejohn confidently converted the spot-kick for her fifth international goal.

Having struggled to score goals all week, the Irish took a lot of heart from such a positive start and McCabe, who was terrorising the Finnish defence with her penetrating runs, almost added a second when her shot came off the base of a post with the keeper beaten.

Ireland stretched their lead on 13 minutes when McCabe played a short corner with Denise O’Sullivan and then hit a pin-point delivery to pick out central defender Louise Quinn who sent a bullet-like header past the Finnish keeper.

That goal put the Irish firmly in control and they dominated the half after that with the Finland goalkeeper Tinja-Rikka Korpela having to produce a flying save to keep out a Littlejohn free-kick in the 37th minute.

At the other end, Emma Byrne was not to be outdone and she produced a spectacular one-handed save at full stretch to turn a shot from Natalia Kuikka around the post for a corner. The Finns should have pulled a goal back on 40 minutes but Linda Sallstrom shot wide from close range on one of the few occasions the Irish defence was breached in the whole game.

The second half saw Ireland continue to dominate and Diane Caldwell hit the crossbar from close range in the 47th minute, while Korpela saved a Julie-Ann Russell free-kick three minutes later.  She then produced another excellent stop in the 70th minute to keep out a low show from McCabe after the winger had cut in from the right onto her favourite left foot.

Megan Connolly was introduced at half-time while Emma Hansberry, Clare Shine and Rachel Graham came on in the final third as Sue Ronan got fresh legs on the pitch to ensure Ireland stayed dominant and in control.

The win gave Ireland a seventh place finish in the tournament but, more importantly, it was just the type of result Ronan had been looking for heading into next month’s crucial EURO 2017 qualifiers against Montenegro and Spain.

“I am absolutely delighted,” said Ronan after the game. “For the fourth time this week we produced another excellent performance and dominated the game. The difference this time is we managed to turn that possession into goals and we also kept our first clean sheet of the tournament.

“While it is nice to beat Finland, after losing to them twice in the past three years, we know that this result will count for nothing in June. However, it should help us believe that we can go to Helsinki and get the win we need.

“It’s been a good tournament for us. We gave four young players their senior debuts while others got much needed game-time and experience. Younger players like Katie McCabe, Megan Connolly and Savannah McCarthy really stepped up to the mark and showed that they are well able for this level, while the more established players performed consistently well all week.”

Ireland will resume their EURO 2017 qualifying campaign next month with a double header against Montenegro and Spain and are due to meet the Finns again in June.

Republic of Ireland: Emma Byrne (Arsenal); Aine O’Gorman (UCD Waves), Louise Quinn (Eskilstuna United), Niamh Fahey (Chelsea) Meabh De Burca (Galway); Diane Caldwell (Koln), Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Denise O’Sullivan (Glasgow City)Julie-Ann Russell (UCD Waves), Ruesha Littlejohn (Glasgow City), Katie McCabe (Arsenal). Used Subs: Megan Connolly (Florida State University) for Littlejohn (46 mins), Emma Hansberry (Wexford Youths) for Caldwell (72 mins), Clare Shine (Glasgow City) for Russell (85 mins), Rachel Graham (Shelbourne) for Katie McCabe (89 mins). Unused Subs: Niamh Reid Burke (Shelbourne), Grace Moloney (Reading), Jessica Gleeson (Wexford Youths), Savannah McCarthy (Glasgow City), Rachel Graham (Shelbourne), Claire O’Riordan (Wexford Youths).

The Irish face the Italians at the RSC, Waterford, on Thursday, March 24 (6.00pm), then travel to Koper to face Slovenia on March 28 (5.00pm Irish). Italy are currently top of the group with 13 points from five games but King’s charges were very unlucky not to secure at least a point from their meeting in Vicenza in October when the Italians secured a 1-0 win with ten men.

Ireland lost their next fixture 3-1 against Lithuania so King will be looking to his side to get back on form against the Azzurri in Waterford. The Irish squad will be reduced to 18 players prior to the fixtures.

Ian Lawlor (Manchester City – on-loan to Bury)

Danny Rogers (Aberdeen – on-loan to Falkirk)

Brian Lenihan (Hull City)

Tommie Hoban (Watford)

Glen Rea (Brighton)

Jack Connors (Dagenham)

Niall Keown (Reading)

Sean Hoare (St Patrick’s Athletic)

Kevin O’Connor (Cork City)

Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers)

Alan Browne (Preston North End)

Harry Charsley (Everton)

Josh Cullen (West Ham United – on-loan to Bradford)

Jack Byrne (Manchester City – on-loan to Cambuur)

Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United)

Brandon Miele (Shamrock Rovers)

Conor Wilkinson (Bolton Wanderers – on-loan to Newport County)

Shamir Goodwin (Crawley Town)

Josh Barrett (Reading)

Shane Griffin (Reading)

Sean Maguire (Cork City)

Sean Long (Reading)

Dylan Connolly (Bray Wanderers)

Kenny McEvoy (York City)

• Fans who were successfully allocated tickets following the fan sales phase will not be able to resell their tickets. 
• But fans across the world will have another opportunity to obtain tickets for matches for which their application was unsuccessful during the December / January participating National Association fan application window.
• All tickets made available on the Ticket Resale Platform will be offered on a first come first served basis with Mastercard and Visa credit cards being the only accepted payment methods. Please note, debit cards will not be accepted.
• The availability of tickets may frequently change based on which tickets will be made available for resale. Fans are therefore advised to visit www.EURO2016.com/tickets in order to check what tickets are on offer.
• UEFA will ensure that tickets allocated in March 2016 will be shipped to the fans by end of May 2016.
• The basic business rules applied in all UEFA EURO 2016 sales phases so far will continue to be applied in this phase.
• Fans may only hold up to 4 tickets per match and may not hold tickets for two or more matches happening on the same day.
• Fans will be able to purchase tickets for as many matches as they want as long as the above conditions are met.
• The ticket resale platform will be open until 31 March 2016 18:00 CET.
• In relation to the FAI ‘appeals process’ – the deadline for supporters to register their unsuccessful emails from UEFA was Wednesday 24th February at midnight.
• The ticket office are currently reviewing all the requests received and expect to get back to all supporters within the next 2 weeks.

The win over Finland, the draw against Italy and the quality of the performances in all four games have given the Irish skipper the belief that the dream of qualifying for the European Championships in the Netherland next year is still on.

“The dream is still alive, definitely, These kinds of weeks that we are together is a huge advantage for us because it builds good team bonding and morale within the camp and we all look forward to meeting up and getting out on the pitch,” said Byrne who added two more appearances to bring her total number of caps to 124.

“We didn’t get all the results we wanted but at the end of the day we finished well. It’s really all about our European campaign and we beat Finland in the last game and I think mentally and psychologically that is going to be a huge boost for us and that is what we are going to take from the whole trip.”

Byrne also believes that the 1-1 draw against World No.13 Italy was another major boost for the squad.

“The girls felt they could have won and that was a huge confidence boost for them. Italy have always been a very good team and we have never beaten them so I think a draw was fantastic and I definitely feel the girls took a lot of confidence out of it.  It was another confidence boost and I think that is what this team needs. We have good players so it just now mental thing about getting them to believe in themselves.”

One of the disappointments for the Irish team was their failure to convert the possession they had and the chances they created in all four games into goals but Byrne is not getting too downbeat about that.

“That will come too. It is more of a worry if you are not creating the chances We have got good finishers but it just a question again of them getting confident and the result of our final game against Finland will give them confidence. We have a lot of young girls coming in so it is a question of building up confidence through games and I think that is what Cyprus Cup does for us.”

The squad arrived in Cyprus with 11 of the 23 players under 22 years of age and Byrne is the only member who is over 30 years of age. She laughs that it makes her feel old but adds that the quality of player now emerging is something she has never seen before.

“I actually think the kids coming through are some of the best we have ever had at that age. I am really hopeful about the future of Irish football because the likes of Megan Connolly, Emma Hansberry and Grace Moloney mean the future is definitely looking bright and it’s a question of can they now adapt to senior football because there is a massive gaps between underage and senior football and I think they will be the first to admit that. So it is a question of them being able to adapt and develop and hopefully step up and compete at this level.”

Katie McCabe, who has won 12 caps since making her debut at the Istria Cup a year ago, recently joined Byrne at Arsenal and the captain admits that the Dubliner has made such an impact she doesn’t even think of her a kid any more.

“Katie is flying and she is just getting better and better. She still has a good bit to go but she is an honest girl and she has got her head screwed on so she knows she need to keep developing. At Arsenal I think it is going to be a fantastic opportunity for her to develop and to grow and she is definitely settling in there. I think she is going to play and she deserves to play and I think that it will be great for Ireland to have that type of stand-out player in our team.”

There are less than four weeks to the resumption of the EURO 2017 qualifying campaign with the double-header away to Montenegro and Spain and Byrne says her only thoughts at the moment are on the opening game.

“I am focused on the Montenegro game because it is a must win match. We really have to beat them. We are focused on them because we have to win that but I also think we can beat Spain. They recently drew with Scotland and the Scots should have won. We know we are capable of beating Scotland so you pick up on these little things and they help build up your confidence. I know Spain beat us 3-0 at home but I don’t think the result reflected on our performance. I know Spain don’t like playing us and if we play like we did against Finland then they should be worried about us.”

This latest success gives the formidable ‘A’ side their fifth Umbro Cup win in five years and a total of six in the past seven.  

The only goal of a tightly contested game came with 20 minutes remaining after striker Dean Broaders, recently snapped up by Waterford United, ran on to a perfectly placed through ball from Anthony McAlavey and cooly beat a helpless Sean Fogarty.  

A fairly even opening half with plenty of edge to it ended in dramatic style when IT Carlow ‘B’ had a great chance to go in front from the penalty spot in time added on. Ross Fitzgerald was taken down in the box by McAlavey but the opportunity was missed when ‘A’ team goalkeeper Darren McGarry guessed correctly to keep out Ryan Murray’s effort.

Earlier the ‘A’ team might have opened the scoring when  Broaders saw his goal bound shot blocked by Mitch Kelly. Later McAlavey’s well-struck free-kick from the edge of the box was turned away by goalkeeper Fogarty.

While at the other end Murray dragged his effort just past the post and Stephen Last had to be alert to clear a Stephen Moloney header.

The second half continued in the same vain with neither side managing to take control until Broaders seized the opportunity the fire home the important score.

In a final effort McGarry had to be at his best in the closing minutes to keep out a great strike from Jamie Smith as the ‘B’ side battled to get back on terms.

ITCARLOW‘A’: D McGarry; E Dempsey (M Keeley 72), S Last, D McGuinness, G O’Boyle; A McAlavey, T Croke (J Bonner 60), K McDaid, A Mulligan (C Poole 80); A O’Rourke (U Ivkovic 72), D Broaders (J Morgan 87).  

ITCARLOW‘B’: S Fogarty; E Rogers (S Osbourne 61), S Moloney, J Smith (R Ryan 87), M Kelly; E O’Neill, I O’Brien (A Wall 61), R Fitzgerald (E McDonald 82), R Wogan; S Lawless, R Murray.   

Referee: G Fitzgerald (Waterford).
 

B TEAM CUP FINAL
Evan Herd struck the winning goal deep into extra-time to give the IT Carlow ‘C’ team a narrow 3-2 victory over IT Blanchardstown in the Colleges FAI ‘B’ Team cup final at Waterford IT Sports Campus.

A Daniel O’Donovan header from Karl Murray’s free kick had put the Dublin side into an early lead. But Carlow struck back to lead 2-1 by the interval.

Neil Heffernan levelled with a penalty on 16 minutes and a Darren Rogers goal put them in front on 43 minutes.

Blanchardstown quickly got back on terms when Brian McCrossan beat goalkeeper Joe Smyth with a well placed free kick shortly after the restart.

Keeva Keenan scored the decisive goal on 58 minutes to ensure Dave Connell's team followed up last Tuesday's 1-1 draw with another positive performance.

Portugal proved to be a strong opponent over the two games and they showed how dangerous they can be when rattling the Irish crossbar with a free-kick early on.

Connell's side, however, are not easily scared and they were able to turn the momentum around in the favour. The pace of Dearbhaile Beirne, the tricky of Roma McLaughlin, and the slick passing of Megan Lynch allowed them to open up spaces all over the pitch.

Support was never hard to find for Ireland with Lucy McCartan and Niamh Prior providing outlets out wide, while the industry of Evelyn Daly and Hayley Nolan in the middle of the pitch had the Portuguese stretched at key moments.

After a scoreless first half Ireland made some changes but it was Keenan, wearing the captain's armband, who got the opening goal. Unmarked at a corner kick, the Shelbourne Ladies defender perfectly cushioned a header into the back of the net.

Ireland maintained that lead through to the end as they overcame the searing heat and a tricky Portuguese side to claim a morale-boosting win that gives them confidence ahead of the UEFA European Championship Elite Phase qualifiers in April.

RepublicofIreland: Dunne; McCartan, Keenan, Moloney, Prior; Daly, Lynch, H Nolan; Beirne, McLaughlin, McGlynn.

It has been over 100 days since Ireland qualified for UEFA EURO 2016 following a memorable Play-Off victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina and this announcement marks the beginning of preparations for this summer's finals in France.

O'Neill has opted to select an enlarged squad to give as players the opportunity to stake a claim for a regular spot as they build up to two crucial friendly games along with a week working out at the FAI National Training Centre.

Included in the squad for the first time are defender Matt Doherty, midfielders Jonathan Hayes, and Chris Forrester - all of whom have represented Ireland at underage level.

The squad will be shortened ahead of assembling on March 20.

Speaking at today's press conference in FAINTC, Ireland manager O'Neill said: "The countdown to EURO 2016 starts now for us and we look forward to welcoming both Switzerland and Slovakia to Aviva Stadium for what will be two very important games for us.

"Both myself and my staff have been incredibly busy since qualification last November scouting and monitoring as many players as possible. I know that I will have a very tough decision to name a final squad for EURO 2016 and that is why I want to give players a chance to impress.

"For these two games, I would like to encourage Ireland supporters to come out in numbers to support the team as passionately as they did during our qualifying campaign. When we come together it creates a fantastic atmosphere at the Aviva Stadium and the players really feed off that."

Tickets for the 'Three' International Friendly games between Republic of Ireland and Switzerland (Friday, March 25) and Slovakia (Tuesday, March 29) at Aviva Stadium are available through Ticketmaster.ie

The squad in full is: 

Goalkeepers

Darren Randolph (West Ham United)  
David Forde (Millwall)   
Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)  
Rob Elliot (Newcastle United)  

Defenders

Cyrus Christie (Derby County)  
Seamus Coleman (Everton)  
Richard Keogh (Derby County)  
John O'Shea (Sunderland)  
Alex Pearce (Bristol City*)  
Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers)  
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa)  
Paul McShane (Reading)  
Stephen Ward (Burnley)  
Greg Cunningham (Preston North End)  
Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers)  

Midfielders

Robbie Brady (Norwich City)  
James McCarthy (Everton)  
Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)  
Darron Gibson (Everton)  
Harry Arter (Bournemouth)  
Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth)  
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)  
Paul Green (Rotherham United)  
Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City)  
David Meyler (Hull City)  
Stephen Quinn (Reading)  
Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday*)  
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)  
Alan Judge (Brentford)  
Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen)  
Chris Forrester (Peterborough United)  
Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City)  
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)  
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)  

Forwards

Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)  
Shane Long (Southampton)  
Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town)  
Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)  
Anthony Stokes (Hibernian*)   
Simon Cox (Reading)  

* Denotes players as currently on loan.

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Cobh Ramblers v Drogheda United, St. Colman’s Park, 19:15

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Galway WFC v Kilkenny United, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:30

Wexford Youths WFC v Shelbourne Ladies, Ferrycarrig Park, 19:30

UCD Waves v Peamount United, Jackson Park, Kilternan, 19:45

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division

Bohemians v Dundalk, IT Blanchardstown, 12:00

Drogheda United v Athlone Town, United Park, 14:00

Finn Harps v St Patrick’s Athletic, Finn Park, 14:00

Longford Town v Shelbourne, City Calling Stadium, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Southern Division

Cork City v Galway United, Mayfield, 14:00

Shamrock Rovers v Cobh Ramblers, AUL, 14:00

Waterford United v Cabinteely, RSC, 14:00

FAI Intermediate Cup Quarter-Final Replay

Ringmahon Rangers v Firhouse Clover, Ringmahon Park, Cork, 14:00

IUFU Crowley Cup Semi Final

UCC v St Mary’s, Queens University Belfast, 14:30.

UUC v QUB, Queens University Belfast, 14:30.

SUNDAY, MARCH 13

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division        

Sligo Rovers v Derry City, The Showgrounds, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Southern Division

Bray Wanderers v Wexford Youths, Ballybrack, 14:00

Limerick v UCD, Hogan Park, 14:00

FAI Junior Cup Quarter-Finals sponsored by Aviva in association with Umbro

Pike Rovers v Glengad United, Pike Complex, Limerick, 13:00

River Valley Rangers v St Peter’s FC, AUL Complex, Dublin, 13:00

Kilbarrack United v Sheriff YC, Greendale Road, Dublin, 14:00

Newmarket Celtic v Janesboro, Mc Donough Park, Ennis, 14:00

FAI Umbro Youth Cup Quarter-Final

Ballincollig v Letterkenny Rovers, Landing Field, Ballincollig, 11:30

IUFU Crowley Cup Final

UUC or QUB v UCC or St Mary’s, Queens University Belfast, 13:30

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Cork City v Castlebar Celtic, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00

MONDAY, MARCH 14,

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Bray Wanderers v Derry City, Carlisle Grounds, 19:45

Cork City v Longford Town, Turner's Cross, 19:45

St. Patrick's Athletic v Bohemians, Richmond Park, Dublin, 19:45

Sligo Rovers v Galway United, The Showgrounds, 19:45

Finn Harps v Shamrock Rovers, Finn Park, Ballybofey, 20:00

Wexford Youths v Dundalk, Ferrycarrig Park, 20:00

Leinster Senior Cup Fourth Round

Cabinteely v Bluebell United, Stradbrook, 19:15

Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Tom Ticher National Cup Semi-Final

Calasanctius College Oranmore v Coláiste Phádraig Lucan CBS, Athlone IT All Weather, 13:00

Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Minor Boys National Cup Semi-Final

Scoil Mhuire SS Buncrana vs St. Kieran’s College Kilkenny, Oriel Park, Dundalk, 13:00.

Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Minor Girls Munster Cup Final

Coláiste Mhuire Askeaton vs Ballincollig Community School, TBC.

Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Minor ‘B’ Girls Leinster Cup Final

St. Kilian's DSD Clonskeagh v Wilson's Hospital School Multyfarnham, Leixlip United FC, 12:30

TUESDAY, MARCH 15

WSCAI Challenge Cup Final

Athlone IT v IT Tallaght, University of Limerick, 11:30.

WSCAI Premier Division Plate

Waterford IT v IT Sligo, University of Limerick, 13:30

WSCAI Division One Final

University of Limerick v   Dublin City University, University of Limerick, 13:30

WSCAI Premier Division Final

IT Carlow v NUI Galway, University of Limerick, 15:30

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Peamount United v Shelbourne Ladies, Greenogue, 19:30

THURSDAY, MARCH 17

Inspiresport Centenary Shield Schools International 

Republic of Ireland v Northern Ireland, Arklow Town FC, 13:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Southern Division

Cobh Ramblers v Limerick, St Colman’s Park, 20:00

FRIDAY, MARCH 18

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Bohemians v Wexford Youths, Dalymount Park, 19:45

Derry City v Galway United, Brandywell Stadium, 19:45

Dundalk v Cork City, Oriel Park, 19:45

Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic, Tallaght Stadium, 20:00

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Drogheda United v Athlone Town, United Park, 19:45

Shelbourne v Cabinteely, Tolka Park, 19:45

UCD v Waterford United, The UCD Bowl, 19:45

SATURDAY, MARCH 19

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Republic of Ireland v Hungary, Henry Jeanne Stadium, Bayeux (FRA), 17:00 (Irish Time)

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Longford Town  v Bray Wanderers, City Calling Stadium, 19:30

Sligo Rovers v Finn Harps, The Showgrounds, 19:45

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Limerick v Cobh Ramblers, Markets Field, 18:30

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Shelbourne Ladies v Galway WFC, Morton Stadium, 19:00

Castlebar Celtic  v Wexford Youths, Celtic Park, 19:30

Peamount United v Cork City, Geenogue, 19:30

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division

Shelbourne v Drogheda United,   AUL Complex, 12:00

Athlone Town v Sligo Rovers, Athlone Town Stadium, 14:00

Derry City v Finn Harps, Brandywell Stadium, 14:00

Dundalk v Longford Town, Oriel Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Southern Division

UCD v Bray Wanderers, AUL Complex, 12:00

Cork City v Cabinteely, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00

Galway United v Shamrock Rovers, Eamon Deacy Park, 14:00

Wexford Youths v Waterford United, Ferrycarrig Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Northern Division

Finn Harps v Drogheda United, Finn Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Southern Division

Shamrock Rovers v UCD, AUL Complex, 12:00

Waterford United v Salthill Devon, RSC, 14:00

FAI Umbro Women's U14 Cup Final

Shelbourne V AK United, Whitehall, Dublin, 15:00

FAI Umbro Youth Cup Quarter Final

Clonmel Town v Fairview Rangers, Dr Pat O'Callaghan Sports Complex, 14:00

St Brendan’s Park v Galway Hibernians, Christy Leahy Park, Killarney, 14:00

FAI Umbro Youth Inter-League Cup Quarter Final

Clare District Soccer League v Waterford & District League, County Grounds, Ennis, 14:00

SUNDAY, MARCH 20

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Kilkenny United  v UCD Waves, Buckley Park, 13:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division

St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians, ALSAA, 12:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Northern Division

Dundalk v Monaghan -Cavan FP, Oriel Park, 14:00

Longford Town v Shelbourne, City Calling Stadium, 14:00

St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City, IT Blanchardstown, 14:00

Bohemians v Athlone Town, Oscar Traynor Centre, 15:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Southern Division

Cobh Ramblers v Bray Wanderers, St Colman’s Park, 14:00

Kerry v Cork City, Mounthawk Park, 14:00

Limerick v Cabinteely, Hogan Park, 14:00

Mervue United v Wexford Youths, Fahy's Field, 14:00

MONDAY, MARCH 21

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Czech Republic   v Republic of Ireland, 18:00 (Irish Time), Stade du Hazé Stadium, Flers (FRA)

EA SPORTS Cup First Round

Pool 2: Galway United v  Mayo League, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:45

Pool 3: Drogheda United v Bluebell United, United Park, 19:45

Pool 4: Shelbourne v Cabinteely, Tolka Park, 19:45

TUESDAY, MARCH 22    

EA SPORTS Cup First Round

Pool 1: Cobh Ramblers v Limerick, St Colman's Park, 19:15

Pool 2: Finn Harps v Cockhill Celtic, Finn Park, Ballybofey, 20:00

Pool 3: UCD v Bray Wanderers, The UCD Bowl, 19:45

Pool 4: Bohemians v Longford Town, Dalymount Park, 19:45

Leinster Senior Cup Fourth Round

Shamrock Rovers v Collinstown, Tallaght Stadium, 19:45

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

UEFA U21 European Championship Group 2

Republic of Ireland v Italy, Waterford RSC, 18:00 (Live on Setanta Sports)

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Republic of Ireland v France, Henry Jeanne Stadium, Bayeux (FRA), 17:30 (Irish Time)

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

St Patrick's Athletic v Dundalk, Richmond Park, 19:45

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

Three International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Switzerland, Aviva Stadium, 19:45 (Live on Setanta Sports)

All fixtures correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.

All three goals of an action-packed contest came in the first half, with man-of-the-match Sean Murphy firing Sheriff ahead on 15 minutes before Mark Townley equalised with a delightful lob seven minutes later.

The winner arrived in the 32nd minute after Darren O’Brien cut in from the right and buried a low shot beneath Craig Reilly in the hosts’ goal. Both teams finished with ten men after having a player sent-off in the last minute following an off-the-ball incident.

Sheriff’s quest to reach a third final in four years will continue on the weekend of April 9/10 when they welcome Janesboro from Limerick to Dublin in the semi-final. The other finalist for the Aviva Stadium showdown will be either St. Peters FC (Westmeath) or Pike Rovers (Limerick), both teams having also emerged from yesterday’s quarter-final fixtures.

The biggest rivalry in Dublin junior football, played before a crowd of over 1,000 spectators, began at blistering pace with Sheriff taking the initiative. From a rehearsed short-corner after just six minutes, Darren Dunne sent his first-time shot over the crossbar.

It wasn’t long for the breakthrough to come. Despite Darren Murphy clearly fouling John Rock 25 yards out, referee Declan Troy played a good advantage to enable Murphy race clear and stroke the ball beyond Reilly.

Roared on by a boisterous home crowd, Kilbarrack didn’t waste time in hitting back. Mark Townley had work to do when latching onto a long punt upfield but from all of 30 yards he executed a pinpoint lob over the retreating Lee Murphy for the leveller.

The home side continued to press and Murphy was required to advance and snuff out the danger as Eoin Fowler tried to spring Sheriff’s offside trap.

Still, the champions of 2012 and 2013 always carried a threat up front and they regained the lead on 32 minutes when Daz O’Brien punished some defensive hesitancy to nip in and tuck his shot beneath the grasp of Reilly.

Five minutes after the restart, Kevin Lynch came close to extending the lead from a free-kick which curled just wide while, at the other end, Fowler couldn’t keep his header down from six yards following a left-wing centre.

Kilbarrack’s deployment of substitute Alan McHugh into the attack for the final 10 minutes caused their capital rivals plenty of nervous moments. The aerial bombardment in pursuit of a second equaliser required midfielder Darren Dunne to scamper back with six minutes remaining to produce a headed goal-line clearance.

Murphy might have settled it for Sheriff moments later when he connected with a left-wing cross from Mark Higgins only to send his header a yard wide of the far post.

As United teed up their final fling from a free-kick into the penalty area, the referee’s attention was called by his assistant, resulting in straight red cards being dished out to Darren Murphy and Jeffrey Flood.

Elsewhere, Pike Rovers were far too strong for Donegal outfit Glengad United by winning 4-0. Janesboro FC beat Newmarket Celtic whilst St. Peters FC from Westmeath overcome Rivervalley Rangers, both on 1-0 scorelines.

KilbarrackUnited: C Reilly; I O’Reilly (A McHugh 80), M Mooney, D Murphy, G Gaughran; D Jackson (G Brady 69), G O’Brien, D Gibbons, E Mulligan; M Townley, E Fowler.

SheriffYC: L Murphy; P Murphy, J O’Neill, J Flood, K Lynch; S Murphy (W Molloy 87), J Lester, D Dunne, D O’Brien, T Dunne (M Higgins 69); J Rock.

Referee: Declan Troy (Dublin).

Quarter-final results from Sunday, 13 March:

Pike Rovers (Limerick) 4-0 Glengad United (Donegal)

Newmarket Celtic (Clare) 0-1 Janesboro FC (Limerick)

Kilbarrack United (Dublin) 1-2 Sheriff YC (Dublin)

Rivervalley Rangers (Dublin) 0-1 St. Peters FC (Westmeath)

Semi-final draw (ties to be played April 9/10):

Sheriff YC (Dublin) v Janesboro FC (Limerick).

St. Peters FC (Westmeath) v Pike Rovers (Limerick).

Top Performer
Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday)
Netting the opening goal in the win over Nottingham Forest saw McGeady help The Owls maintain their promotion push in England’s Championship. The winger was a constant threat and wreaked havoc when going forward.

Watch Out For
Louis Dunne (Colchester United)
A senior debut for talented midfielder Dunne saw him follow in the footsteps of his father, Joe, and line out for The U’s. An energetic player with tody feet, the 17-year-old is rated very highly by the League One club.

Irish Manager Monitor
In the Championship, Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town lost 1-0 away to Cardiff City, while Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion are in action on Tuesday night against Reading.

In the FA Cup, Brian McDermott’s crashed out following a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace despite registering an impressive performance.

And in League Two, John Sheridan’s Newport County secured a 3-0 victory away to Portsmouth to move onto 40 points.

Further Afield
In the Eredivisie, Jack Byrne scored for Cambuur Leeuwarden as they fell to a 3-1 loss to Heracles Almelo, while in the A-League, Andy Keogh netted twice for Perth Glory in their 4-0 triumph over Roy O’Donovan’s Central Coast Mariners, and in Cyprus, Cillian Sheridan started for Omonia Nicosia in their 2-1 defeat away to Apoel.

Women’s Focus
In the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Savannah McCarthy, Ruesha Littlejohn, and Clare Shine all started for champions Glasgow City in their 1-0 victory over Stirling University.

Meanwhile in England’s FA Women’s Cup, Brighton & Hove Albion Women saw Sophie Perry score a penalty in a 5-2 win over Blackburn Rovers Ladies. They will meet Sporting Club Albion Ladies in Round Five.

Weekend Stats

Premier League
5 appearances– Eunan O’Kane (Bournemouth), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Shane Long (Southampton), Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)
2 un-used substitutes– Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Stephen Ireland (Stoke City)

FA Cup
7 appearances– Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy (Everton), Simon Cox, Paul McShane, Stephen Quinn (Reading), Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
1 un-used substitute– Joey O’Brien (West Ham United)

Championship
24 appearances– Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Shane Duffy, Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Alan Judge, Alan McCormack (Brentford), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Cyrus Christie, Jeff Hendrick, Richard Keogh (Derby County), Sean Scannell (Huddersfield Town), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Samir Carruthers, Darren Potter (MK Dons), Greg Cunningham, Eoin Doyle (Preston North End), Leon Best, Lee Frecklington, Paul Green, Stephen Kelly (Rotherham United), Aiden McGeady, Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday), Matt Doherty, Joe Mason (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
3 goalscorers– Stephen Ward (Burnley), Leon Best [2] (Rotherham United), Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday)
1 clean sheet– Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)
9 un-used substitutes– Jack Bonham (Brentford), Alex Pearce (Bristol City), Joe Murphy (Huddersfield Town), David Meyler (Hull City), Jonathan Douglas, Jay Tabb (Ipswich Town), Eric Grimes (Leeds United), Gerry McDonagh (Nottingham Forest), Paddy Kenny (Rotherham United)
1 yellow card– Samir Carruthers (MK Dons)

League One
27 appearances– Conor Hourihane (Barnsley), Colin Doyle (Blackpool), Billy Clarke, Josh Cullen (Bradford City), Damien McCrory, Callum Reilly (Burton Albion), Ian Lawlor, John O’Sullivan (Bury), Connor Dimaio, Jay O’Shea (Chesterfield), Louis Dunne, Owen Garvan (Colchester United), Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood Town), Bradley Garmston (Gillingham), Aiden O’Brien (Millwall), Chris Forrester (Peterborough United), Sam Foley, Sam Kelly (Port Vale), Niall Canavan, Donal McDermott, Joe Rafferty (Rochdale), Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Gary Deegan, Stephen McLaughlin, Michael Timlin (Southend United), Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town), Anthony Forde (Walsall)
2 goalscorers– Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Michael Timlin (Southend United)
7 un-used substitutes– Paul Keegan (Doncaster Rovers), Emmanuel Osadebe (Gillingham), David Forde, Shaun Williams (Millwall), Graham Kelly, Conor Sammon (Sheffield United), Liam Kinsella (Walsall)
1 yellow card– Josh Cullen (Bradford City)

League Two
24 appearances– Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley), Charles Dunne, Lanre Oyebanjo, Frankie Sutherland (Crawley Town), Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), Alan Sheehan (Luton Town), Jamie Devitt, Barry Roche (Morecambe), Mark Byrne, Conor Wilkinson (Newport County), James Collins, Brendan Moloney, John-Joe O’Toole (Northampton Town), Graham Burke, Ronan Murray (Notts County), Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United), Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle), Michael Doyle, Enda Stevens (Portsmouth), Rhys Murphy, Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon), Michael Harriman (Wycombe Wanderers), Kevin Dawson (Yeovil Town), Kenny McEvoy (York City)
2 goalscorers– Jake Carroll (Hartlepool United), Jamie Devitt (Morecambe)
4 un-used substitutes– Shamir Fenelon (Crawley Town), Clinton Morrison (Exeter City), Adam Barton (Portsmouth), James Berrett (York City)
3 yellow cards– Mark Byrne (Newport County), James Collins (Northampton Town), Enda Stevens (Portsmouth)
1 red card– Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon)

National League
3 appearances– Conor Clifford (Boreham Wood), Alan Power (Lincoln City), Mark O’Brien (Southport)
1 goalscorer– Mark O’Brien (Southport)
6 un-used substitutes– Sean McGinty (Aldershot Town), Josh O’Keefe (Altrincham), Jack Connors (Boreham Wood), Harry Crawford (Dover Athletic), Ritchie Branagan (Macclesfield Town), Ryan O’Reilly (Wrexham)

FA Trophy
4 appearances– Padraig Amond, Conor Henderson, Pat Hoban, James McKeown (Grimsby Town)

Scottish Premiership
5 appearances– Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Darren O’Dea (Dundee), Gavin Gunning (Dundee United), Richie Foran (Inverness CT), Gary Dicker (Kilmarnock)
2 un-used substitutes– Willo Flood (Aberdeen), Sean Dillon (Dundee United)

MLS
2 appearances– Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids), Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)
1 yeallow card– Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)

*Only players still eligible to represent Republic of Ireland teams appear on this list

The draw was:

Portmarnock v Letterkenny Rovers

St John Bosco v Janesboro

Pike Rovers v Rockmount

St Peter’s v Leeside

Carrigaline United v Bluebell United

Bandon v Ringmahon Rangers

Crumlin United v Greystones United

Killester United v Cherry Orchard

Byes: Firhouse Clover, Midleton, Glebe North, Sheriff YC

Matches will be played on the weekend of April 10 with any replays required taking place on the weekend of April 24.

The winners of the eight ties and the four teams who received byes will advance to the Second Round where they will be joined by the 20 SSE Airtricity League clubs.

Aged 92, Waterford-born Walsh won 20 caps for the Republic of Ireland after making his senior debut against Portugal in 1946. He scored five goals.

Walsh enjoyed a fine club career, particularly with West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa, who he lined out for over 100 times. He also featured for Limerick United, Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers, Linfield, and Walsall.

FAI CEO John Delaney paid tribute to Walsh: "It is with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Davy Walsh. A terrific player for Ireland, as well as Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion, he will be dearly missed.

"I had the pleasure of welcoming Davy and his family to FAI Headquarters in 2009 to unveil his commemorative display and that acts as a small homage to someone who gave so much to Irish football. Part of the team which beat England in Goodison Park in 1949, he was truly a special player.

"On behalf of the FAI, I would like to pass on my sympathies to his family and friends. We will pay tribute to him at our upcoming international against Slovakia."

FAI President Tony Fitzgerald added: "I would like to extend my sympathies to the Walsh family upon hearing this sad news. Davy was one of our great players and he deserves to be remembered as such."

The Dutchman, who joined the FAI in August 2013 from the KNVB, the Dutch Football Association, has signed a five-year deal with the Association which will bring him to the end of 2020.

Dokter will continue to work on the Player Development and Emerging Talent programmes - which were launched in 2015 and 2006 respectively - and further develop the foundations that have been laid to achieve long-term success from our most promising players.

"First of all I have to say that the FAI has been a great organisation to work with because it is an organisation working on development of football for the future," said Dokter.

"It is great working with the clubs and all of the affiliates and everybody in the football community. This is an exciting time for Irish football.

"It is important for me to say that in the two and a half years I've been here I feel that so much has been accomplished and I didn't hesitate for a second to renew my contract with the FAI.

"There are many challenges ahead of us and we are focused on continuing to make improvements to the development of players in Ireland. We've achieved much already including rolling out the first two recommendations of the FAI Player Development Plan, improving the Emerging Talent Programme structures, and the completion of the FAI Women's Strategic Plan 2015-18.

"We have also made continued improvements in Coach Education. The SSE Airtricity U19 and U17 League have proven to be successful and we will introduce the U15 National League in the coming years.

"We have made great strides with our underage international teams with our U17 men's team reaching the UEFA European Championships in Bulgaria last year and they are preparing for the Elite Phase this year. It is similar with our Women's U19 and U17 teams, who both reached European Championships in the last two years and are also working towards Elite Phase qualifiers.

"I see many opportunities for Irish football and I am looking forward to the coming years with the FAI."

Welcoming today's announcement, FAI CEO John Delaney said: "We are delighted that Ruud will be continuing to work with the FAI. He has worked closely with all of the affiliates involved in Irish football on the development of our elite player pathway and it is vital that this good work continues.

"We want to ensure that the Player Development Plan is implemented so that our games continues to improve across all levels, from grassroots right up to the highest level."

The prestigious awards will be held at RTE studios and broadcast live on RTE2 from 8pm, where the Republic of Ireland men's senior squad will be in attendance alongside each of the nominees.

Robbie Brady, Wes Hoolahan, and Jonathan Walters are all in the running for the Senior International Player of the Year - neither of whom have won that award yet.

In the mix for the Three International Goal of the Year is Robbie Brady's strike away to Bosnia & Herzegovina, Shane Long's match-winner against Germany, and Jonathan Walters' goal at home to Georgia.

Contesting the Senior Women's International Player of the Year is last year's winner Julie-Ann Russell along with defender Louise Quinn and midfielder Denise O'Sullivan.

For the SSE Airtricity League Player of the Year, it is three men who helped Dundalk clinch the domestic double last year with Andy Boyle, Daryl Horgan, and Richie Towell all up for the award.

The Special Merit award goes to Gerry Smith's Eastern Region team who were victorious on home soil last year when hosting the UEFA Regions' Cup.

Here are the full list of nominees and selected winners:

Senior International Player of the Year
Robbie Brady
Wes Hoolahan
Jonathan Walters

Senior Women's International Player of the Year
Louise Quinn
Denise O'Sullivan
Julie-Ann Russell

Young International Player of the Year
Robbie Brady
Cyrus Christie
Jeff Hendrick

Three International Goal of the Year
Robbie Brady v Bosnia & Herzegovina
Shane Long v Germany
Jonathan Walters v Georgia

Special Merit
Regions' Cup team

Under 21 International Player of the Year
Alan Browne
Darragh Lenihan
Callum O'Dowda

Under 19 International Player of the Year
Noe Baba
Fiacre Kelleher
Ryan Manning

Under 19 Women's International Player of the Year
Megan Connolly
Savannah McCarthy
Jessica Nolan

Under 17 International Player of the Year
Caoimhin Kelleher
Conor Masterson
Connor Ronan

Under 17 Women's International Player of the Year
Jamie Finn
Amanda McQuillan
Saoirse Noonan

Under 16 International Player of the Year
Jayson Molumby (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Under 16 Women's International Player of the Year
Heather Payne (Salthill Devon)

Under 15 International Player of the Year
Lee O'Connor (Villa - Waterford)

SSE Airtricity League Player of the Year
Andy Boyle (Dundalk)
Daryl Horgan (Dundalk)
Richie Towell (Dundalk)

Junior International Player of the Year
Jimmy Carr (St Michael's)
Dean Gibbons (Kilbarrack United)
Kevin Lynch (Sheriff YC)

Intermediate Player of the Year
Gavin Cullen (Cockhill Celtic)
Noel Murray (Crumlin United)
Kenneth Hoey (Rockmount)

FAI School's International Player of the Year
Connor Ellis (Colaiste Phobail)
Darragh Markey (Colaiste Phadraig)
Dan Tobin (Oatlands College)

Football For All International Player of the Year
Mark Duffy (Special Olympics Ireland)
Trevor Hogan (Homeless World Cup squad)
Jason Maguire (St Vincent's Deaf team)

Dave Bell's team kick off the first of three UEFA European Championship Elite Phase qualifiers in France with the intention of making it to a second successive finals tournament.

Payne was part of the 'Ice Queens' squad that competed in Iceland last summer and she is determined to help lead this new group to the finals, which will be held in Belarus in May.

First up is Hungary, followed by a clash with Czech Republic on Monday, and a final Group 3 game against France on Thursday. But first things first, it's about the opening three points on offer.

"Hungary is our first match and that is the most important match for us. We want to go out there with all guns blazing and get the win," said Payne.

The Galway native plays just like she speaks with a direct style that gets straight to the point. Little wonder then that she was this week selected as the Women's Under 16 International Player of the Year.

Payne has a good excuse for missing Sunday night's Three FAI International Awards, but she would rather share any glory that comes her way with her team-mates - who she describes as her 'family'.

"We're all really close and we are like a family. It's important to have that chemistry because if you don't have it then you don't work well together on the pitch," she explained.

"We're all really close and even after our recent friendlies in Poland we were all texting each other excited about when we would next be back together. Now we're in France for three huge games and we're ready for them."

Bell has no injury concerns for the opening game and a recent training stint in FOTA Island has helped his squad maintain their sharpness. It's simply a matter of putting it all together on the pitch.

The team certainly did that in the First Phase qualifiers - scoring 13 goals and not conceding any in three games. If they can repeat that then Payne knows that Ireland will be in with a great chance of topping their group.

"I definitely want to go back to the final again. It was so good last year and I want to get there again. The girls have asked me about the experience and we all want to get there together," she said.

"But first of all we have to beat Hungary. Our focus is just on Hungary and that is all that matters now."

Fixtures

Republic of Ireland WU17 v Hungary, Saturday, March 19, Bayeux, France, KO 5pm
Czech Republic v Republic of Ireland, Monday, March 21, Flers, France, KO 6pm
Republic of Ireland WU17 v France, Thursday, March 24, Bayeux, France, KO 5:30pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 19

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Republic of Ireland v Hungary, Henry Jeanne Stadium, Bayeux (FRA), 17:00 (Irish Time)

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Longford Town  v Bray Wanderers, City Calling Stadium, 19:30

Sligo Rovers v Finn Harps, The Showgrounds, 19:45

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Limerick v Cobh Ramblers, Markets Field, 18:30

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Shelbourne Ladies v Galway WFC, Morton Stadium, 19:00

Castlebar Celtic  v Wexford Youths, Celtic Park, 19:30

Peamount United v Cork City, Geenogue, 19:30

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division

Shelbourne v Drogheda United,   AUL Complex, 12:00

Athlone Town v Sligo Rovers, Athlone Town Stadium, 14:00

Derry City v Finn Harps, Brandywell Stadium, 14:00

Dundalk v Longford Town, Oriel Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Southern Division

UCD v Bray Wanderers, AUL Complex, 12:00

Cork City v Cabinteely, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00

Galway United v Shamrock Rovers, Eamon Deacy Park, 14:00

Wexford Youths v Waterford United, Ferrycarrig Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Northern Division

Finn Harps v Drogheda United, Curragh Athletic FC, Killygordon, 14:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Southern Division

Shamrock Rovers v UCD, AUL Complex, 12:00

Waterford United v Salthill Devon, RSC, 14:00

FAI Umbro Women's U14 Cup Final

Shelbourne V AK United, Whitehall, Dublin, 15:00

FAI Umbro Youth Cup Quarter Final

Clonmel Town v Fairview Rangers, Dr Pat O'Callaghan Sports Complex, 14:00

St Brendan’s Park v Galway Hibernians, Christy Leahy Park, Killarney, 14:00

FAI Umbro Youth Inter-League Cup Quarter Final

Clare District Soccer League v Waterford & District League, County Grounds, Ennis, 14:00

SUNDAY, MARCH 20

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Kilkenny United  v UCD Waves, Buckley Park, 13:00

SSE Airtricity U19 League Northern Division

St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians, ALSAA, 12:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Northern Division

Dundalk v Monaghan -Cavan FP, Oriel Park, 14:00

Longford Town v Shelbourne, City Calling Stadium, 14:00

St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City, IT Blanchardstown, 14:00

Bohemians v Athlone Town, Oscar Traynor Centre, 15:00

SSE Airtricity U17 League Southern Division

Cobh Ramblers v Bray Wanderers, St Colman’s Park, 14:00

Kerry v Cork City, Mounthawk Park, 14:00

Limerick v Cabinteely, Hogan Park, 14:00

Mervue United v Wexford Youths, Fahy's Field, 14:00

MONDAY, MARCH 21

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Czech Republic   v Republic of Ireland, 18:00 (Irish Time), Stade du Hazé Stadium, Flers (FRA)

EA SPORTS Cup First Round

Pool 2: Galway United v  Mayo League, Eamonn Deacy Park, 19:45

Pool 3: Drogheda United v Bluebell United, United Park, 19:45

Pool 4: Shelbourne v Cabinteely, Tolka Park, 19:45

TUESDAY, MARCH 22    

EA SPORTS Cup First Round

Pool 1: Cobh Ramblers v Limerick, St Colman's Park, 19:15

Pool 2: Finn Harps v Cockhill Celtic, Finn Park, Ballybofey, 20:00

Pool 3: UCD v Bray Wanderers, The UCD Bowl, 19:45

Pool 4: Bohemians v Longford Town, Dalymount Park, 19:45

Leinster Senior Cup Fourth Round

Shamrock Rovers v Collinstown, Tallaght Stadium, 19:45

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23

Continental Tyres Women’s National League      

Shelbourne Ladies v Wexford Youths, Morton Stadium, 19:00

UCD Waves v Galway WFC, Jackson Park, Kiltiernan, 19:45

THURSDAY, MARCH 24

UEFA U21 European Championship Group 2

Republic of Ireland v Italy, Waterford RSC, 18:00 (Live on Setanta Sports)

UEFA Women’s U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 3

Republic of Ireland v France, Henry Jeanne Stadium, Bayeux (FRA), 17:30 (Irish Time)

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

St Patrick's Athletic v Dundalk, Richmond Park, 19:45

FRIDAY, MARCH 25

Three International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Switzerland, Aviva Stadium, 19:45 (Live on Setanta Sports)

SATURDAY, MARCH 26

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Galway United v Bohemians, Eamonn Deacy Park, 14:00

Wexford Youths v Derry City, Ferrycarrig Park, 17:00

Bray Wanderers v Sligo Rovers, Carlisle Grounds, 19:30

Finn Harps v Longford Town, Finn Park, Ballybofey, 20:00

SSE Airtricity League First Division

Shelbourne v Drogheda United,Tolka Park, 19:00

Cobh Ramblers   v UCD, St. Colman's Park, 19:15

Athlone Town v  Limerick, Athlone Town Stadium, 19:45

Cabinteely v Waterford United, Stradbrook, 19:45

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Shelbourne Ladies v Peamount United, Morton Stadium, 19:00

Galway WFC v UCD Waves, Eamonn Deacy Park, Galway, 19:30

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

Continental Tyres Women’s National League

Cork City WFC v Wexford Youths, Bishopstown Stadium, Cork, 14:00

Kilkenny United v Castlebar Celtic, Buckley Park, Kilkenny, 14:00

U18 International Friendly

England v Republic of Ireland, St George’s Park, Burton upon Trent (ENG), 12:30 (Behind closed doors).

MONDAY, MARCH 28

UEFA U21 European Championship Group 2

Slovenia v Republic of Ireland, ŠRC Bonifika Stadium, Koper (SVN), 17:00 (Irish Time)

UEFA U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 7

Republic of Ireland v Serbia, MZOS Znicz Stadium, Pruszkow (POL), 14:00 (Irish Time)

EA SPORTS CUP

Pool 1: Waterford United v Rockmount, RSC, 2pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 29

Three International Friendly

Republic of Ireland v Slovakia, Aviva Stadium, 19:45 (Live on Setanta Sports)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30

UEFA U17 European Championship Elite Round Group 7

Republic of Ireland v Montenegro, ROSRRiT Siedlce Stadium, Siedlce (POL) 13:00 (Irish Time)

Continental Tyres Women’s National League Shield Final

Wexford  Youths v Shelbourne Ladies, Ferrycarrig Park, 19:30

Continental Tyres Women’s National League Cup Group A

Cork City WFC v UCD Waves, TBC, Cork, TBC

All fixtures correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.

O'Neill originally selected a 40-man provisional panel but that has now been reduced down to 33 players. Included in the squad are the uncapped duo of Matt Doherty and Jonathan Hayes.

The squad will be present at the Three FAI International Awards in RTE Studios on Sunday night and will begin preparations for the two friendly games on Monday at the FAI National Training Centre.

Tickets for the 'Three' International Friendly games between Republic of Ireland and Switzerland (Friday, March 25) and Slovakia (Tuesday, March 29) at Aviva Stadium are available through Ticketmaster.ie

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SQUAD

Name-Club-DOB-Caps-Goals

Darren Randolph (West Ham United)  12/05/1987  6  0
David Forde (Millwall)  20/12/1979  23  0
Rob Elliot (Newcastle United)  30/04/1986  3  0
Cyrus Christie (Derby County)  30/09/1992  3  1
Seamus Coleman (Everton)  11/10/1988  32  0
Richard Keogh (Derby County)  11/08/1986  11  1
John O'Shea (Sunderland)  30/04/1981  109  3
Alex Pearce (Bristol City*)  09/11/1988  6  2
Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers)  01/01/1992  1  0
Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa)  26/09/1989  17  1
Paul McShane (Reading)  06/01/1986  31  0
Stephen Ward (Burnley)  20/08/1985  31  2
Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers)  16/02/1992  0  0
Robbie Brady (Norwich City)  14/01/1992  20  4
James McCarthy (Everton)  12/11/1990  33  0
Jeff Hendrick (Derby County)  31/01/1992  19  0
Harry Arter (Bournemouth)  28/12/1989  1  0
Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth)  10/07/1990  0  0
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)  13/01/1984  70  2
Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City)  03/08/1988  2  0
David Meyler (Hull City)  29/05/1989  14  0
Stephen Quinn (Reading)  01/04/1986  12  0
Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday*)  04/04/1986  79  5
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion)  22/04/1989  34  4
Alan Judge (Brentford)  11/11/1988  0  0
Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen)  09/07/1987  0  0
Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City)  06/06/1988  8  1
Jonathan Walters (Stoke City)  20/09/1983  38  10
Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)  20/05/1982  25  2
Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy)  08/07/1980  143  67
Shane Long (Southampton)  22/01/1987  59  14
Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town)  15/03/1983  19  0
Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids)  18/09/1983  61  14

*Indicates player is currently on loan