The 32-year-old will run the line as assistant referee in Friday's Group D game between Italy and Serbia on what will be the second day of the Under 17 Finals in Azerbaijan.

Dynan is one of 18 FIFA approved officials working in the Irish game and another example of someone who started at an FAI Referees Beginners course and scaled up to an elite level.

It was only nine years ago when the Tipperary native signed up to that course in Tullamore and it didn't take long before he landed a place at the FAI School of Excellence after impressing with his officiating at schoolboy and Junior level. 

In 2009, Dynan earned another promotion when he joined the panel of officials for the SSE Airtricity League and his career graph has continued to remain on an upward curve with this appointment to the U17 European Championship Finals.

"When I started off doing the FAI Beginners Course I never even knew what the elite level was or where I wanted to go with it, so it has been some journey to here," said Dynan.

"As you progress up the ladder the greater the demands become with your personal life and with refereeing due to how the game has evolved; you also have been extremely fit, sometimes even fitter than some of the players.

"When I got to the SSE Airtricity League I thought that that was the elite level for me, but fortunately I have been able to learn and develop further, and with that further opportunities have opened up for me.

"When I got the phone call from Eddie Foley about being selected [for the U17 Finals] I was flabbergasted. It's fantastic, especially when my colleague Damien MacGraith is going to EURO 2016 this summer, so I'm very honoured."

Below is the current list of FAI/FIFA approved officials:

Referees: Paula Brady, Rhona Daly, Neil Doyle, Paul McLaughlin, Padraig Sutton, Robert Harvey, Simon Rogers (Futsal), David Berry (Futsal)

Assistant Referees: Dermot Broughton, Robert Clarke, Emmet Dynan, Sinead Forde, Mark Gavin, Kenneth Hennessey, Allen Lynch, Damien MacGraith, Wayne McDonnell, Michelle O'Neill

For more information on referee beginners courses and latest news, visit www.fai.ie/referees

To book a place on an upcoming Referee Beginners Courses, click here

An opening victory over the hosts, Hungary, was slightly deflated by a narrow loss to Austria on Wednesday, but Ireland picked themselves back up to finish the tournament on a high.

Goals from Jordan Doherty and Rowan Roache ensured Ireland secured the three points, but Osam was enthused primarily by the attitude of his players and how they executed his game-plan in what was a tricky encounter.

Osam, and his backroom staff, have been doing excellent work with the squad since last October and that was evident in their performance in the Hungarian heat on Friday morning.

"It was an early kick-off and the first half was a little scrappy with not much good play, but we improved in the second half and I thought we were very good," said Osam.

"We took the lead through a free-kick from Jordan Doherty and we looked very dangerous from there on in. We created a few more excellent chances and Slovakia didn't really trouble us.

"We then got the second goal through Rowan Roache after good work by Luke Nolan and we stayed in control of the game after that. It was a good way for us to end the tournament as we won two games in three days.

"I'm really pleased with how the week has gone. The player have taken onboard what we have asked of them and all of the staff have been instrumental in that. There is still room for improvement but I'm very pleased with the progress that we've made."

Republic of Ireland: Maher; Lee, O'Connor, Redmond, Peppard (Ledwidge 71), Bolger, Doherty (Connolly 54), Coventry (Roache h-t), Walsh (Nolan h-t), Idah (Murphy 61), Thompson (O'Farrell 71).

Ireland’s Cerebral Palsy football team was dealt a tough blow this evening as the official draw for the groups for this year’s Paralympic Games in Rio was made in Salou, Spain.

The draw, which took place at the Pre-Paralympic Games tournament where Ireland are due to face the USA tomorrow morning (Saturday, May 7th), saw Ireland place in Group A pitted against Ukraine (ranked second in the world), Brazil (ranked third in the world), and Great Britain (ranked seventh in the world).

Ireland is currently ranked fifth in the world, and will now be studying their games in the Pre-Paralympic Games tournament even harder, having been defeated by Brazil last Sunday (3-0) and also losing out to Great Britain on Monday (3-1).

On the other side of the draw in Group B sees world number one Russia, along with the Netherlands, Argentina and the USA.

Speaking about the draw, Head Coach JJ Glynn stated: “It’s the toughest draw we could have got but on a positive, we have played two of the three teams we will face in Rio this week so we know where we are in relation to them, and we know what we need to do to beat them.

“So for now, it’s heads down, work hard and we are looking forward to Rio – nothing comes easy, we always knew that. At the end of the day, we’ve made it to Rio, we didn’t make it to London so we are going to seize this chance and show the world what we can do.”

Current world rankings:

1. Russia

2. Ukraine

3. Brazil

4. The Netherlands

5. Ireland

6. Argentina

7. Great Britain

8. The USA

Sharon Boyle's team dominated the game in spite of the Hungarian heat and a tricky opponent, but this victory sets them up well for Tuesday's clash with Bosnia & Herzegovina and Thursday's game against Hungary.

There were certainly plenty of positives to take from the opening performance, particularly the coolness displayed by goalscorers Carla McManus and Heather Payne.

The work that Boyle has been doing with this group was clear to see as they were confident in possession of the ball, swift in their movement, and constantly looking to push forward.

McManus, who came on as s substitute, opened the scoring on 76 minutes when she ghosted past two defenders to fire in. Then Payne sealed the win when reacting first to a free-kick from Aoife Lynagh to clip it into the back of the net.

"I thought that we were very good. We started off strong and dominated the first half with lots of chances on goal. We probably weren't as clinical in front of goal, but Slovakia were technically very good," said Boyle.

"We made a few changes, but the girls pushed on again and went at them. We got the first goal and really kicked on from there even though Erica Turner was excellent in goal for us.

"Slovakia had a couple of chances but we dealt with them quite well. I'm delighted with the win but this tournament is more about the development of the players and getting them minutes on the pitch. We will regroup after this, have a training session and go again on Tuesday with a few changes to our team.

"It's a great start for us and I'm delighted with the reaction of the players, which is the most important thing."

Republic of Ireland: Turner; Lambe (Fensom 70), Fennell (Grier h-t), Ruddy (Lynagh 76), Doyle, Toland, Lawlor (Cully 37), Baynes, O'Donoghue (McManus h-t), Mackey, Payne.

Slovakia: Gyomraiova; Papiernikova, Kratochvilova, Kalaberova, Srnkova, Patkova, Panakova, Dianiskova, Macugova, Karaffova, Ninajova.

Leinster Senior League 2-5 Clare & District League 

In what could be described as an excellent game of football which had its fair share of thrills and spills the Clare & District League put on a excellent display to lift the 2016 FAI Oscar Traynor Trophy in Pearse Park. 

Both leagues had come in to the final in good form but it was the front two of Clare that grabbed the headlines with Eoin Hayes scoring the first after five minutes from the penalty spot he then turned provider and set up Man of the Match David Mc Carthy with his four goals. 

Clare raced in to a two goal lead before the Leinster Senior Leagues Chris  Strraessle scored from the penalty spot to leave the Clare team going in to the break two one up. The Leinster Senior League couldn't of gotten off to a worse start when Referee David Jameson sent off Eoin Lanigan in the 50th minute for a dangerous challenge. Mc Carthy sent Clare 3-1 up before Straesssle pulled it back to 3-2 and Clare looked to be in trouble, however as the Leinster Senior League searched for a equaliser Clare caught them twice on the counter attack to finish the tie 5-2 winners. 

Both Leagues can feel proud of their players for giving the large crowd such a wonderful entertaining game in excellent conditions. 

Leinster Senior League: Evan Gaffney, Ian Cloone, Carl Redmond, Derek Griffin, Graham Dixon, Brian Mooney, Chris Straessle, Dermot Kennedy, Eoin Lanigan, Ian Touhy, David Dempsey, Gavin Mc Ardle, Aaron Stedman, Gareth Byrne, Daniel Mc Guinness, Daniel Loughran, Robert Gaynor, John Paul Kelly. 

Clare & District League: Barry Ryan, Darryl Eade, Eoin O' Brien, Alan Kelly, Paddy Purcell, Darren Corry, Colin Smyth, Stephen Kelly, Eoin Hayes, David Mc Carthy, Eoin Whelan, Joe Collins, Sreven Carroll, Mark Roche, Cathal Mc Conigley, Brian Monaghan, Colin Nelson, Arek Mamala.

Match Officials: David Jameson, Carl Doyle, Owen White, Gavin Colfer (Wicklow) Referee Observer Terry Mc Partland. 

Top Performer
David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town)
Back from injury, McGoldrick kept his cool from the penalty spot to secure victory for Ipswich against Derby County. He has had a stop-start season but showed glimpses of his best form in this game.

Watch Out For
Lee O’Connor (Manchester United)
Some kids have all the talent! Just look at this Waterford native who has been spotted excelling at full-back, centre-back, and in midfield. No wonder United were quick to recruit the Republic of Ireland Under 17 international.

Irish Manager Monitor
In the Championship, Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion narrowly missed out on automatic promotion following a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town won 1-0 away to Derby County, while Brian McDermott’s Reading fell to a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

In League One, John Sheridan’s Oldham Athletic lost 2-0 at home to Coventry City. They sit in 17th position on 54 points from 46 League games.

Further Afield
In MLS, Robbie Keane scored twice on his comeback for LA Galaxy as they beat New England Revolution 4-2, while Kevin Doyle got an assist in Colorado Rapids’ 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake.

In the NASL in the United States, Colin Falvey started for Indy Eleven in their 1-1 draw with Edmonton, while Richie Ryan was unable to prevent Jacksonville Armada losing 1-0 to Rayo OKC.

In the USL, Kyle Callan-McFadden was part of the Orlando City II team that drew 2-2 with James Chambers’ Bethlehem Steel, Bobby Moseley played for San Antonio FC in their 3-2 loss at home to Rio Grande Valley, Derek Foran helped Sacarmento Republic beat LA Galaxy II 2-0, and Liam Miller played the full 90 minutes Wilmington Hammerheads as they lost 1-0 away to Richmond Kickers.

Women’s Focus
In Scotland, Clare Shine scored the only goal as Glasgow City beat Aberdeen Ladies 1-0 to reach the SWPL Cup Final – Savannah McCarthy and Ruseha Littlejohn also featured. In Sweden, Louise Quinn featured for Eskilstuna United in their 2-0 win over Kvarnsveden.

In the United States, Denise O’Sullivan netted ther first goal for Houston dash and it turned out to be the winner as they overcame FC Kansas City 2-1 in the NWSL.

Weekend Stats

Premier League
15 appearances– Ciaran Clark, Kevin Toner (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Damien Delaney (Crystal Palace), Darron Gibson, James McCarthy (Everton), Robbie Brady, Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Shane Long (Southampton), Stephen Ireland, Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan (Stoke City), John O’Shea (Sunderland), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion), Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
1 un-used substitute– Eunan O’Kane (Bournemouth)
6 yellow cards– Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Harry Arter (Bournemouth), Darron Gibson (Everton), Shane Long (Southampton), Stephen Ireland, Glenn Whelan (Stoke City)

Championship
27 appearances– Stephen Gleeson (Birmingham City), Shane Duffy, Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Alex Pearce (Bristol City), Stephen Ward (Burnley), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Cyrus Christie, Richard Keogh (Derby County), Sean Scannell (Huddersfield Town), Jonathan Douglas, Adam McDonnell, David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Samir Carruthers, Kevin Long, Darren Potter (MK Dons), Alan Browne, Eoin Doyle (Preston North End), Josh Barrett, Paul McShane, Stephen Quinn (Reading), Leon Best, Lee Frecklington, Paul Green, Stephen Kelly (Rotherham United), Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday), Matt Doherty, Joe Mason (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
3 goalscorers– Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Lee Frecklington (Rotherham United)
6 un-used substitutes– Jack Bonham (Brentford), Derrick Williams (Bristol City), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), Kevin Foley (Ipswich Town), Reece Grego-Cox (Queens Park Rangers), Paddy Kenny (Rotherham United)
3 yellow cards– Richard Keogh (Derby County), Adam McDonnell (Ipswich Town), Stephen Kelly (Rotherham United)

League One
21 appearances– Conor Hourihane (Barnsley), Colin Doyle (Blackpool), Billy Clarke, Josh Cullen (Bradford City), Damien McCrory (Burton Albion), Connor Dimaio, Jay O’Shea (Chesterfield), Stephen Hunt (Coventry City), Jimmy Ryan (Fleetwood Town), John Egan (Gillingham), Aiden O’Brien (Millwall), Chris Forrester (Peterborough United), Sam Foley, Sam Kelly (Port Vale), Donal McDermott (Rochdale), Stephen Dawson, Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Dave Mooney (Southend United), Anton Rodgers (Swindon Town), Anthony Forde (Walsall), Chris McCann (Wigan Athletic)
7 goalscorers– Conor Hourihane (Barnsley), Billy Clarke (Bradford City), John Egan (Gillingham), Aiden O’Brien (Millwall), Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe United), Dave Mooney (Southend United), Anthony Forde [2] (Walsall)
14 un-used substitutes– Aidan White (Barnsley), Mark Yeates (Blackpool), Anthony O’Connor, Callum Reilly (Burton Albion), Ian Lawlor (Bury), Louis Dunne (Colchester United), Emmanuel Osadebe (Gillingham), David Forde, Shaun Williams (Millwall), Joe Rafferty (Rochdale), Graham Kelly, Conor Sammon (Sheffield United), Gary Deegan, Noel Hunt (Southend United)
2 yellow cards– Sam Foley (Port Vale), Dave Mooney (Southend United)
1 red card– Chris McCann (Wigan Athletic)

League Two
26 appearances– Seamus Conneely (Accrington Stanley), Rory Gaffney (Bristol Rovers), Charles Dunne, Shamir Fenelon, Liam McAlinden, Frankie Sutherland (Crawley Town), Jack Connors (Dag & Red), Glen Rea, Alan Sheehan (Luton Town), Jamie Devitt, Barry Roche (Morecambe), Mark Byrne (Newport County), James Collins, John-Joe O’Toole (Northampton Town), Graham Burke (Notts County), Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United), Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle), Adam Barton, Brian Murphy (Portsmouth), Jake Mulraney (Stevenage), Rhys Murphy, Connor Smith, Ryan Sweeney (AFC Wimbledon), Michael Harriman (Wycombe Wanderers), James Berrett, Kenny McEvoy (York City)
3 goalscorers– Jamie Devitt (Morecambe), James Collins (Northampton Town), Callum O’Dowda (Oxford United)
2 un-used substitutes– Michael Doyle, Enda Stevens (Portsmouth)
1 yellow card– Frankie Sutherland (Crawley Town)

National League
3 appearances– Sean Long (Braintree Town), Padraig Amond, James McKeown (Grimsby Town)
1 goalscorer– Padraig Amond (Grimsby Town)
1 clean sheet– James McKeown (Grimsby Town)
1 un-used substitute– Pat Hoban (Grimsby Town)

Scottish Premiership
8 appearances– Willo Flood, Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen), Darren O’Dea (Dundee), Sean Dillon (Dundee United), Richie Foran (Inverness CT), Gary Dicker (Kilmarnock), Graham Cummins, Joe Shaughnessy (St Johnstone)
1 yellow card– Willo Flood (Aberdeen)

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

The launch took place at the Nenagh & District Chamber of Commerce in the presence of Cathaoirleach of Tipperary Seamus Hanafin, as well as FAI CEO John Delaney and FAI Development Officers James Scott (Tipperary North) and David Lenane (Tipperary South).

"I'm delighted to bring the Festival of Football and AGM to the county where I grew up for what promises to be a memorable week that showcases the great work being done in football development in Tipperary," said Delaney.

"This will be a special summer with the Republic of Ireland team competing at EURO 2016 in France and I'm sure the entire country will be gripped in football fever. So there will be no better time to connect with the officials, administrators, coaches, volunteers and players at grassroots level who help the game to grow and develop.

"Since 2007 we have had tremendous success bringing the Festival of Football and AGM to various counties and we very much look forward to coming to Tipperary in July, where we will build towards our AGM on July 30."

This will be the first time that the Festival of Football and AGM has visited Tipperary following previous years in Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan, Wexford, Clare, Donegal, Wicklow, Westmeath, and Sligo/Leitrim.

Among the events planned for the week-long Festival of Football are over 20 club visits by FAI Development Officers, coaching staff, officials and well-known footballing personalities, with Sports Direct.com FAI Summer Soccer Schools taking place across the county.

The FAI Coach Education Department will run a festival in tandem for the week to offer a unique opportunity to complete introductory level coaching courses and workshops, while football fun days will take place in Nenagh, Cashel, Cahir, Carrick on Suir, and Thurles.

The FAI will make equipment, funds, match tickets and services available to clubs in Tipperary to mark the county's hosting of the 2016 FAI AGM.

Around 250 delegates representing every League and divisional association in Ireland are expected to attend the AGM and will arrive in Tipperary ahead of the Delegates' Dinner in the Hotel Minella, at which the FAI will announce its Aviva Club of the Year as well as presenting the following national awards: the John Sherlock Service to Football award, Noel O'Reilly Coach of the Year, the Jeremy Dee Services to Women's Football award and the FAI Communications Awards.

Sharon Boyle’s side had beaten Slovakia 2-0 in their opening game on Sunday so the Irish coach was thrilled with how her players followed that performance up with an excellent three goal salvo.

The Irish went ahead in the 18th minute when Amy Boyle Carr steered home a header from a Tiegan Ruddy cross.

Ruddy then got on the score-sheet in the 51st minute when she burst through from midfield and found the Bosnian net with a thumping drive from 30 yards out.

Aoife Fennell wrapped up the scoring in the 66th minute when her corner curled straight into the opposition net.

“I’m very pleased with how we played today,” said Boyle. “We made three changes to the line-up from Monday’s game so everybody has played a part already which is good.

“We started well. Our back four was solid through-out and Tyler Toland was outstanding in midfield. She’s just up from the schools U15s squad and will be a top player.

“We pressed them high had a few chances saved after taking the lead and made changes throughout the game. I’m delighted with the performance – the girls did very well.

“I’m excited to see how this group develops going forward. They’re a special group of players. We’re preparing them for the UEFA WU17 qualifiers next season and things are going well. We’re looking forward to Thursday’s game against Hungary.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Sally Kelly, Tiegan Ruddy, Tyler Toland, Rachel Baynes, Megan Mackey, Heather Payne, Bethany Fensom, Lauryn Grier, Amy Boyle Carr, Keelin McEntee, Aoife Lynagh. Subs: Emma Lawlor for Payne 19 mins, Sadbh Doyle for Toland 38, Carla McManus for Boyle Carr 41, Gillian Keenan for Bayne 41, Aoife Fennell for Carroll 57, Harriet Lambe for Grier 57, Hannah O’Donoghue for Mackey 62, Tara Cully for Ruddy 62.

RESULTS & FIXTURES

UEFA Women's U16 Development Tournament

Sunday, May 8

Republic of Ireland 2-0 Slovakia, Bük, Hungary

Tuesday, May 10

Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-3 Republic of Ireland, Bük, Hungary

Thursday, May 12

Hungary v Republic of Ireland, Bük, Hungary (9.00am Irish)

Tom Mohan will take charge of the side in his first game since his appointment as Republic of Ireland U19 head coach as these players will all be eligible for that age-group next season.

The Irish coach is positive that getting the squad together - and for a three-team tournament in Sweden next month - will help with the preparations for next season.

“We’ve been together since Sunday and flew out on Monday after training at QPR's training ground. It’s hot over here so the conditions will be a test for them," he said.

From the squad that was named last week Shamrock Rovers winger Trevor Clarke and Reading's Josh Barrett were both ruled out but West Ham's Anthony Scully and St Patrick's Athletic striker Jamie Aherne have been brought in.

“We want to see the players and how they've progressed. We’ve had some changes with injuries and club commitments but it’s an opportunity for these players to perform against high quality opposition," said Mohan.

"That’s where you get confidence from - by performing against top nations. We’ll go out to be very competitive and we’ll try to win the match.

"We know we’ll have to defend very well obviously because Germany have good players but we have very good players too that can also hurt Germany."

Many of this squad played for Mohan at the UEFA U17 Championships Finals in Bulgaria last year and he believes they have the potential to replicate that achievement at U19 level.

“It was a great achievement for them to qualify at U17s but that’s the past and we want to look to the future and get to another finals. There's a hunger there to do it again," he said.

“You can see how some of them have developed in the past year. Some of them have already made the U19s and also put in good performances with the U18s in those games earlier this season. Some of them are also playing U21 football for their clubs."

Republic of Ireland Under 18 Squad

Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)

Mark Travers (Unattached)

Corey O'Keefe (Birmingham City)

Jonathan Lunney (Preston North End)

Declan Rice (West Ham Utd)

Dara O'Shea (West Bromwich Albion)

Robert McCourt (West Bromwich Albion)

Canice Carroll (Oxford United)

Luke Wade-Slater (Stevenage)

Conor Levingston (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Liam Brady (Stevenage)

Connor Ronan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Conor Masterson (Liverpool)

Daniel Mandriou (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Zachary Elbouzedi (West Bromwich Albion)

Ronan Hale (Birmingham City)

Anthony Scully (West Ham Utd)

Jamie Aherne (St Patrick's Athletic)

Wednesday, May 11

Under 18 International Friendly

Germany v Republic of Ireland, Stadion Am Sommerdamm, Rüsselsheim am Main (10.00am Irish time)

Tom Mohan's side bounced back from the concession of an early goal to lead 2-1 at the break through a double from Birmingham City's Ronan Hale.

After conceding a second half equaliser the Irish were denied an injury-time when St Patrick's Athletic striker Jamie Aherne was taken down by the goalkeeper on the edge of the box when he was just about to shoot to an unguarded net. The keeper was dismissed but Ireland fired narrowly wide from the resulting free-kick.

Germany went ahead through Joel Richter of FSV Mainz  in the seventh minute after a defensive lapse but Hale grabbed the first of his two goals in the 38th minute to level when he fired past the home keeper in a one on one situation.

The striker then struck again in the 45th minute and this time he rounded the keeper before the ball bounced up and he reacted swiftly to volley home.

Seven minutes into the second half the home side levelled through Kaiserslautern's Nicklas Shipnoski after another defensive error but despite those blips Mohan was very pleased with the game, which will serve as good preparation for next season's UEFA U!9 Championships Qualifiers.

"It was a good result but I was particular pleased with our overall performance. We were very good in the first half and had a couple of chances before they scored. We made a mistake and they punished us," said Mohan.

"The first half was very even. Ronan Hale could have had a hat-trick and was very dangerous.

"We kept possession well and defended well outside of the goal so we deserved to be ahead at the break. They got bodies forward in the second half and we made another mistake which was punished.

"The longer the second half went on we looked like we could score again particularly on the break when some of our counter-attacking was excellent

"Jamie Aherne was unlucky not to get the winner when went around the goalkeeper and was basically rugby tackled as he had an open net to kick into empty net.

"We went home disappointed to have drawn away to Germany which tells a story. We may have grabbed a late winner but in fairness our two goalkeepers Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers both made important saves.

"I'm pleased with how well things have gone. We did well in and out of possession. It was a very intense couple of days and a real group effort from staff and players. The boys will take great confidence from a performance against a side like Germany."

Next on the agenda is an U18 invitational tournament in Sweden next month before the Irish turn their minds to next season's U19 campaign.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Caoimhin Kelleher, Canice Carroll, Conor Masterson, Declan Rice, Robert McCourt, Conor Levingston, Corey O'Keefe, Connor Ronan, Zachary Elbouzedi. Ronan Hale, Jonathan Lunney.

Subs: Dara O'Shea for Rice 30 mins, Daniel Mandroiu for Ronan 65, Luke Wade-Slater for Carroll 65, Liam Brady for Elbouzedi 65, Mark Travers for Kelleher 71, Jamie Aherne for Hale 71, Anthony Scully for McCourt 80.

RESULT

Wednesday, May 11

Under 18 International Friendly

Germany 2-2 Republic of Ireland, Stadion Am Sommerdamm, Rüsselsheim am Main 

This will be the first time that the Festival of Football and AGM has visited Tipperary following previous years in Kerry, Mayo, Monaghan, Wexford, Clare, Donegal, Wicklow, Westmeath, and Sligo/Leitrim.

Among the events planned for the week-long Festival of Football are over 20 club visits by FAI Development Officers, coaching staff, officials and well-known footballing personalities, with Sports Direct.com FAI Summer Soccer Schools taking place across the county.

The FAI Coach Education Department will run a festival in tandem for the week to offer a unique opportunity to complete introductory level coaching courses and workshops, while football fun days will take place in Nenagh, Cashel, Cahir, Carrick on Suir, and Thurles.

The FAI will make equipment, funds, match tickets and services available to clubs in Tipperary to mark the county's hosting of the 2016 FAI AGM.

Around 250 delegates representing every League and divisional association in Ireland are expected to attend the AGM and will arrive in Tipperary ahead of the Delegates' Dinner in the Hotel Minella, at which the FAI will announce its Aviva Club of the Year as well as presenting the following national awards: the John Sherlock Service to Football award, Noel O'Reilly Coach of the Year, the Jeremy Dee Services to Women's Football award and the FAI Communications Awards

With the announcement this week that the 10th FAI Festival of Football will take place in county Tipperary, take a look back at last year's Festival of Football in Sligo! 

In what will be a crucial game in preparation for UEFA EURO 2016, the visit of Danny Blind's team - who are 17th in the FIFA World Rankings - to Dublin allows O'Neill to test his players against quality opposition.

After missing the March friendlies against Switzerland and Slovakia through injury, there are recalls for Shay Given, Marc Wilson, Jeff Hendrick, Harry Arter, Jonathan Walters, and David McGoldrick.

There is also a first senior call-up for Ireland Under 21 international Callum O'Dowda, who recently helped Oxford United seal automatic promotion to League Two in England.

"Everything now is about preparing for EURO 2016 and that is why we wanted to play a team of the calibre of the Netherlands as we aim to make the most of our time ahead of the departure for France," said O'Neill at a press conference at Three's Headquarters.

"We will travel to Fota Island Resort for a training camp and a game against Belarus in the week afterwards, but this game at the Aviva Stadium is very important in terms of building our match sharpness and getting into tournament mode.

"It is also an opportunity to play in front of the Ireland supporters, who have been terrific, at the Aviva Stadium before leaving for the EUROs and that is something that means a lot to the players because when we get together, it all comes together."

The Ireland squad will begin their preparations for EURO 2016 on Monday, May 23 at the FAI National Training Centre before facing Netherlands on Friday, May 27. O'Neill will announce his EURO 2016 panel the following day at a press conference.

The squad will then transfer to County Cork for a week-long training camp at Fota Island Resort and take on Belarus in a 'Three' International Friendly on Tuesday, May 31 at Turner's Cross. 

The squad will depart for France on Wednesday, June 8.

Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Stoke City, 133 caps / 0 goals), Darren Randolph (West Ham United, 8/0), David Forde (Millwall, 23/0), Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday, 18/0)

Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton, 33/0), Cyrus Christie (Derby County, 4/1), Paul McShane (Reading, 33/0), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa, 16/2), Richard Keogh (Derby County, 11/1), John O'Shea (Sunderland,110/3), Alex Pearce (Bristol City*, 7/2), Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers, 2/0), Marc Wilson (Stoke City, 24/1), Stephen Ward (Burnley, 32/2)

Midfielders: Aiden McGeady (Sheffield Wednesday*, 81/5), James McClean (West Bromwich Albion, 36/5), Glenn Whelan (Stoke City, 70/2), James McCarthy (Everton, 35/0), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County, 19/0), David Meyler (Hull City, 15/0), Stephen Quinn (Reading, 14/0), Darron Gibson (Everton, 25/1), Harry Arter (Bournemouth, 1/0), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City, 28/2), Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth, 2/0), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City, 9/1), Robbie Brady (Norwich City, 22/4), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City, 38/10), Jonathan Hayes (Aberdeen, 2/0), Callum O'Dowda (Oxford United, 0/0)

Forwards: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy, 143/67), Shane Long (Southampton, 61/15), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town, 2/0), Kevin Doyle (Colorado Rapids, 62/14), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town, 20/0)

*Indicates player is currently on loan

Tickets for Republic of Ireland v Netherlands range from €10 for children, €20 for students, and €30 for adults. Click here to get your tickets now

Sharon Boyle’s side ran out 3-1 winners, and won the tournament, despite losing influential defender Tiegan Ruddy to a red card two minutes before half-time.

Ruddy had headed the Irish in front after seven minutes when she connected with a Lauryn Grier corner.

Unfortunately Ruddy’s afternoon came to an early finish as she was dismissed for a foul which resulted in a home penalty that was duly converted by Antonia Andre to level matters just before the break.

Boyle’s charges regrouped at half-time and showed great resolve to hold the Hungarians at bay then scored twice midway through the second half to seal the victory and complete a clean sweep of wins this week.

Carla McManus put Ireland 2-1 up with a brilliant individual goal, turning a defender before slotting the ball past the advancing keeper in the 49th minute. Amy Boyle Carr made it 3-1 with nine minutes left when she linked up with Tyler Toland before finding the net with a composed finish.

Boyle was naturally very pleased with the work put in by her players and staff this week and believes many of the players have shown that they can be assets to WU17 Head Coach Dave Bell in next season’s UEFA Championships Qualifying campaign.

“We played very well again. We made three more changes so the girls who hadn’t started before today got a start and had that experience of walking out for national anthem and going through that process,” said Boyle.

“We passed the ball well, worked it through thirds well and threatened to exploit their weaknesses that we had identified through our analysis. We looked to press them in the right areas and I felt we did that.

“After the first goal they pressed us a bit but didn’t really trouble our keeper much until Tiegan was unfortunately sent off and they got the opportunity to equalise from the penalty.

“We regrouped at half-time and it was noticeable that the players were all very down at the break but we told the girls that they need to learn that no matter what’s going on out there on the pitch you have to pick yourself up and do your job.

“If they hadn’t got their minds back on the task at hand we could have got a hiding but they all stood up and showed leadership. We had to change our shape a little but we went out for second half and kept things tight and defended extremely well.

“Both of our goals in the second half showed Individual quality from Carla McManus and Amy Boyle Carr. Players like those girls, Tyler Toland, Lauryn Grier and others were very good this week and I believe many of this squad can go into the trials with Dave Bell’s U17s full of confidence.

“Overall we’re delighted with how the week went. We came here to develop the players and for them to learn what it’s like to be away from home and adjust to this level of the game. Five of them are eligible for U16 again next season. The staff were all great and deserve recognition for their great work this week.”

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Erica Turner, Harriet Lambe, Aoife Fennell, Tiegan Ruddy, Sadhbh Doyle, Tyler Toland, Megan Mackey, Gillian Keenan, Lauryn Grier, Carla McManus, Tara Cully. Subs: Keelin McEntee for Fennell 30 mins; Bethany Fensom Carroll for Lambe 37; Rachel Baynes for McManus 49; Amy Boyle Carr for Cully 49; Hannah O'Donoghue for Keenan 73; Emma Lawlor for Mackey 81; Sally Kelly for Turner 81.

RESULTS

UEFA Women's U16 Development Tournament

Sunday, May 8

Republic of Ireland 2-0 Slovakia, Bük, Hungary

Tuesday, May 10

Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-3 Republic of Ireland, Bük, Hungary

Thursday, May 12

Hungary 1-3 Republic of Ireland, Bük, Hungary

Wexford Youths WFC and Shelbourne Ladies FC, who played out a thrilling final game of the regular season to force a Play-Off for the title, have three players each selected to the Team of the Season.

All making the cut for the Best XI are representatives from Galway WFC, Peamount United, and UCD Waves, with three players - Karen Duggan, Claire O'Riordan and Aine O'Gorman - making it onto the team for a second successive year.

Duggan and O'Gorman, who both play for UCD Waves, are in the running for the Senior Player of the Year alongside Wexford captain Kylie Murphy, while Evelyn Daly (Cork City WFC), Roma McLaughlin (Peamount United), and Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne Ladies FC) are up for the Young Player of the Year.

The 2015/16 Continental Tyres Women's National League Awards will take place in the Marker Hotel on Wednesday, May 18. There will also be a Services to Women's Football Award presented and an presentation of Golden Boot award.

Senior Player of the Year Nominees
Karen Duggan (UCD Waves)
Aine O'Gorman (UCD Waves)
Kylie Murphy (Wexford Youths WFC)

Young Player of the Year Nominees
Evelyn Daly (Cork City WFC)
Roma McLaughlin (Peamount United)
Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)

2015/16 Team of the Season
Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Keeva Keenan (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Meabh De Burca (Galway WFC)
Ruth Fahy (Wexford Youths WFC)
Shauna Fox (Galway WFC)
Karen Duggan (UCD Waves)
Emma Hansberry (Wexford Youths WFC)
Roma McLaughlin (Peamount United)
Siobhan Killeen (Shelbourne Ladies FC)
Claire O'Riordan (Wexford Youths WFC)
Aine O'Gorman (UCD Waves)

The launch took place at the Nenagh & District Chamber of Commerce in the presence of Cathaoirleach of Tipperary Seamus Hanafin, as well as FAI CEO John Delaney and FAI Development Officers James Scott (Tipperary North) and David Lenane (Tipperary South).

"I'm delighted to bring the Festival of Football and AGM to the county where I grew up for what promises to be a memorable week that showcases the great work being done in football development in Tipperary," said Delaney.

"This will be a special summer with the Republic of Ireland team competing at EURO 2016 in France and I'm sure the entire country will be gripped in football fever. So there will be no better time to connect with the officials, administrators, coaches, volunteers and players at grassroots level who help the game to grow and develop.

"Since 2007 we have had tremendous success bringing the Festival of Football and AGM to various counties and we very much look forward to coming to Tipperary in July, where we will build towards our AGM on July 30."

Here is a look back at some of the major successes Tipperary teams and players have had on the field over the past number of years and why the county is a perfect location for this year's event. 

D.I.D Electrical, Ireland’s leading electrical retailer, which has 22 stores across the country, has today announced a four-year sponsorship deal with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), which will see D.I.D. become the official electrical retail partner of the Association.

As part of the sponsorship agreement, D.I.D. Electrical will supply equipment for a games and entertainment room for the Republic of Ireland squad at their EURO 2016 base in Versailles, just outside Paris. The Irish-owned electrical retailer will be supplying the latest in tech and gadgets to the team including games consoles, big screen televisions and a selection of tablets.

Speaking at the launch, Ireland manager Martin O’Neill said: “We’re delighted to welcome D.I.D. Electrical to our team of football partners. It’s important for the Irish players to have an environment, such as the games room, in which they can relax and escape the pressures on the pitch at the European Championships this summer.”

Football Association of Ireland CEO John Delaney added:“I am extremely happy with our new partnership with D.I.D Electrical. They join us at a very exciting time for Irish football as we head into EURO 2016. I know this will be a long and successful relationship between both sides.”

Commenting on the sponsorship, Donal Horgan, Managing Director of D.I.D. Electrical said: “Sport captures the attention of the entire nation. D.I.D. Electrical opened its first shop on Mountjoy Square, Dublin in 1968 a year when only four teams competed in the European Championship and Irish supporters had no chance to cheer on their heroes. This summer, we can all get behind the boys in green and for anyone not lucky enough to be heading to France for the Euros, D.I.D will have unbeatable deals on all the latest big-screen TVs to allow supporters to get close to the action from the comfort of their home.”

He added, “D.I.D. operates across Ireland and partnering with the FAI gives us the opportunity to support soccer at a local level and give back to communities in which our stores are based.” 

The FAI Junior Cup Final, in association with Aviva & Umbro Ireland, opens preceedings with Pike Rovers from Limerick taking on last years beaten finalists, Sheriff YC from Dublin at 4pm.  

The second game of the day is the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup Final as holders Crumlin United take on Letterkenny Rovers from Donegal at 7pm. 

Entry for both games is €10 for adults, while Under 16's entry is free of charge. Tickets are available on the day from the Ticketmaster outlet on Lansdowne Lane from 2pm onwards. Gates open at Aviva Stadium from 2.30pm and access is through Turnstile F on Lansdowne Lane only.

Live updates of both games will be available on FAIreland on Twitter.

FAI Junior Cup Final - Saturday, May 13 - Aviva Stadium

Pike Rovers v Sheriff YC - 4pm

FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup Final - Saturday, May 13 - Aviva Stadium 

Crumlin United v Letterkenny Rovers - 4pm

The Dublin clubs will contest the Continental Tyres WNL Cup Final at Richmond Park at 15:00 knowing that there will be a new name etched onto the trophy with neither team having won this competition before.

This is Shelbourne's very first campaign following a merger with Raheny United last year but it will be their second final having already played in the Continental Tyres FAI Women's Senior Cup Final - losing narrowly on penalties to Wexford Youths WFC.

Known as the Red Pandas, Shelbourne are driven by ambition and a group of players who demand success. It is why they are still in the hunt for the Continental Tyres Women's National League - facing Wexford in a Play-Off on Sunday, May 22 to decide the 2015/16 champion.

Yet winger Siobhan Killeen insists that they won't be overawed by going into Sunday's final. "We just look at each game as any other game and luckily enough if we win we get a trophy," said Killeen.

"It would be nice to end the season with two trophies. We have to just take each game as it comes."

UCD have adopted a similar mindset as they continue to make notable strides following their own merger with DLR Waves in 2014. Eileen Gleeson has done a terrific job since taking over as manager.

They too possess some exceptional players, notably Aine O'Gorman, who just claimed the Golden Boot award for finishing as top scorer in the WNL regular season.

The Republic of Ireland international has enjoyed domestic success previously with Peamount United, but she believes that her current team-mates are good enough to come out on top on Sunday.

"We know what to expect and we believe on our day no one can stop us. The club is growing all the time, so we want a trophy," said O'Gorman.

"This side is getting stronger. We've some good young girls coming through and there is real competition for places. We know we can win the Cup."

Route to the Final

Shelbourne Ladies FC
Group Stage: Shelbourne Ladies 3-0 Galway WFC
Group Stage: Peamount United 2-2 Shelbourne Ladies
Group Stage: Castlebar Celtic 1-12 Shelbourne Ladies
Semi-Final: Shelbourne Ladies 4-2 Wexford Youths WFC

UCD Waves
Group Stage: UCD Waves 4-1 Kilkenny United
Group Stage: UCD Waves 1-1 Wexford Youths WFC
Group Stage: Cork City WFC 0-5 UCD Waves
Semi-Final: UCD Waves 2-1 Galway WFC

Continental Tyres Women's National League Cup Final
Shelbourne Ladies FC v UCD Waves
Sunday, May 15
Richmond Park
Kick-Off: 15:00
Referee: Deirdre Nolan

Tuesday, May 17

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division
St Patrick's Athletic v Finn Harps, Richmond Park, 19:45

SSE Airtricity National Under 19 League - Northern Division
Drogheda United v St Patrick's Athletic, United Park, 19:45

Wednesday, May 18

International Friendly
Colleges & Universities v French Universities, Whitehall, 14:30

Bank of Ireland FAI Schools First Year Girls National Cup Final
Scoil Mhuire SS, Buncrana v Ursuline College, Sligo, Gortakeegan, 13:00

Friday, May 20

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup - Second Round
Bohemians v Galway United, Dalymount Park, 19:45
Cork City v St Peter's, Turner's Cross, 19:45
Derry City v Drogheda United, Brandywell Stadium, 19:45
Dundalk v Shelbourne, Oriel Park, 19:45
Firhouse Clover v Wexford Youths, Ferrycarrig Park, 20:00
Shamrock Rovers v Midleton, Tallaght Stadium, 20:00
UCD v Bray Wanderers, UCD Bowl, 19:45
Waterford United v Longford Town, RSC, 19:45

Allen McKinstry Cup
St Kieran's College, Kilkenny v Northern Ireland, AUL, 16:30
Douglas Community School, Cork v Chepstow, AUL, Wales, 16:30

Saturday, May 21

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup - Second Round
Athlone Town v Letterkenny Rovers, Athlone Town Stadium, 19:45
Bluebell United v Limerick, Markets Field, 14:00
Cobh Ramblers v Cherry Orchard, St Colman's Park, 14:30
Finn Harps v Crumlin United, Finn Park, 20:00
Ringmahon Rangers v Glebe North, Ringmahon Park, 14:00
Sligo Rovers v Cabinteely, The Showgrounds, 19:45
St Patrick's Athletic v Pike Rovers, Richmond Park, 15:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 19 League - Northern Division
Derry City v Drogheda United, Brandywell Stadium, 14:00
Dundalk v Finn Harps, Oriel Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 19 League - Southern Division
Cabinteely v Bray Wanderers, Larkview, 12:00
Galway United v Waterford United, Eamonn Deacy Park, 14:00
Shamrock Rovers v Cork City, Tallaght Stadium, 14:00
Wexford Youths v Limerick, Ferrycarrig Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 17 League - Northern Division
Athlone Town v Monaghan-Cavan, Lisseywollen, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 17 League - Southern Division
Mervue United v Waterford United, Fahy's Field, 14:00

FAI UMBRO Women's Under 16 Cup Final
Shelbourne Girls v Salthill Devon, Frank Cooke Park, 13:00

Allen McKinstry Cup
St Kieran's College, Kilkenny v England, AUL, 15:00
Douglas Community School, Cork v Scotland, AUL, 15:00

Sunday, May 22

Irish Daily Mail FAI Senior Cup - Second Round
Janesboro v Sheriff YC, Pearse Stadium, 14:00

Continental Tyres Women's National League - Play-Off
Shelbourne Ladies FC v Wexford Youths WFC, TBC

SSE Airtricity National Under 19 League - Northern Division
Longford Town v Bohemians, City Calling Stadium, 14:00
Shelbourne v Athlone Town, Tolka Park, 14:00
St Patrick's Athletic v Sligo Rovers, IT Blanchardstown, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 19 League - Southern Division
Cobh Ramblers v UCD, St Colman's Park, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 17 League - Northern Division
Finn Harps v Longford Town, Finn Park, 14:00
Dundalk v St Patrick's Athletic, Oriel Park, 14:00
Sligo Rovers v Derry City, The Showgrounds, 14:00

SSE Airtricity National Under 17 League - Southern Division
Bray Wanderers v Cabinteely, Carlisle Grounds, 14:00
Cork City v UCD, Bishopstown Stadium, 14:00
Kerry League v Cobh Ramblers, Mounthawk Park, 14:00
Shamrock Rovers v Limerick, TBC, 14:00
Wexford Youths v Salthill Devon, Ferrycarrig Park, 14:00

Allen McKinstry Cup
Positional Play-Offs, 1 v 2 / 3 v 4, / 5 v 6, AUL, 10:30

**All fixtures are correct at time of publication but are subject to change

The left-winger settled the Aviva Stadium final on 32 minutes by rising high at the far post to power a header beyond goalkeeper Gary Neville following Paul Murphy’s pinpoint cross.

Although Sheriff should have extended their lead shortly after the restart through Darren O’Brien’s header which sailed over, they were made to withstand Pike’s late rally which saw Sean O’Callaghan and substitute Colin Daly fashion chances to equalise.

It wasn’t enough, however, for the 2011 winners from Limerick, allowing Sheriff to avenge the defeat they suffered to local rivals Liffey Wanderers at the Dublin 4 venue in last year’s decider.

The Dublin side dominated from the outset, with Darren Dunne bossing the midfield area. 

On the half hour, they came close to forging ahead when John Lester nodded a cross from Higgins into the path John Rock, who turned brilliantly six yards out but blazed his volley over the crossbar.

Sheriff only to wait another two minutes for the breakthrough to arrive as captain Murphy raided down the raid before telegraphing a deep cross for Higgins to apply a bullet header high into the net.

Seven minutes into the second half, O’Brien could have put the tie to bed after he raced clear, lobbed the ball over the advancing Neville but somehow nodded over from six yards with an empty net to aim for.

Pike struggled to get going as an attacking force and the loss of playmaker Stephen McGann on the hour to a hamstring injury dented them further.

Still, they gave Sheriff a few nervy moments in the final 20 minutes, firstly when O’Callaghan looped his header a yard over from Paddy O’Malley’s cross.

Cian Collins then had a penalty claim rebuffed after falling under the challenge of Anto Kavanagh box before Daly cut in from the left and smashed his shot off-target.

Their best opportunity of forcing extra-time fell to centre-back O’Callaghan four minutes from the end when he found space 20 yards out to drag a low shot wide with goalkeeper Lee Murphy beaten.

SHERIFF YC: L Murphy; P Murphy, Kavanagh, O’Neill, Lynch; Lester; Sean Murphy (Glen 84), O’Brien, D Dunne, Higgins (T Dunne 81); Rock.

PIKE: Neville; W O'Donovan, P Mullins, O'Callaghan, E O'Donovan; Connery, Colbert, Walsh (J Mullins 46), Collins; McGann (O’Malley 62); G Higgins (Daly 57).

Referee: Jonathan Walsh.