Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

6 September 2025; Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F qualifying match between Republic of Ireland and Hungary at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Hallgrimsson gets backing from FAI to see out campaign

The FAI has declared that they are "fully supportive" of manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and confirmed that the Icelander will remain in the job until the end of the current World Cup qualifying campaign.

Soccer • 10 hrs

Rock bottom not here yet, but it is coming

There are defeats you can rationalise, defeats you can live with, even defeats that leave you frustrated but still with a thread of hope. Ireland's loss to Armenia on Tuesday wasn't one of them, writes Eoin Doyle.

Soccer • 15 hrs

26 January 2024; Shamrock Rovers chief executive officer John Martin during the Shamrock Rovers Women's Aid partnership announcement at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

FAI appoints former Hoop Martin as director of football

The Football Association of Ireland has confirmed the appointment of John Martin as director of football, succeeding former chief football officer Marc Canham.

Soccer • 11 Sep

2 September 2025; Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson during a Republic of Ireland media conference at the FAI National Training Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

'Not for me to decide' - Heimir on equal manager pay

Heimir Hallgrimsson does not feel that it is up to him to decide whether the Football Association of Ireland should introduce equal pay for the managers of Ireland's men's and women's teams.

Soccer • 02 Sep

FAI set for job cuts as redundancy programme announced

The Football Association of Ireland has announced it will introduce a voluntary redundancy programme and potentially move towards compulsory job losses in what the FAI says is the start of "a significant transformation programme to modernise how football is developed and delivered in Ireland".

Soccer • 27 Aug

10 September 2023; Republic of Ireland coach Keith Andrews, left, coach Stephen Rice, centre, and goalkeeping coach Dean Kiely before the UEFA EURO 2024 Championship qualifying group B match between Republic of Ireland and Netherlands at the Aviva Stadium

Rice leaves Ireland U-21s to link up with Brentford

Republic of Ireland men's Under-21s assistant coach Stephen Rice has departed to take up the position of first-team setpiece coach with English Premier League side Brentford, the Football Association of Ireland has confirmed.

Soccer • 22 Aug

6 June 2025; FAI President Paul Cooke welcomes guests during the 35th FAI International Awards at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

FAI amateur cup competitions switch to summer season

Following last week's announcement that the FAI would allow leagues to exempt themelves from the aligned football calendar, the association have confirmed that their major amateur and youth cup competitions would be switching to a calendar year season

Soccer • 14 Aug

10 August 2025; Referee Damien MacGraith shows a red card to Patrick McClean of Sligo Rovers, left, during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between St Patrick's Athletic and Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Spo

McClean red card rescinded as Sligo win another appeal

Sligo Rovers have won a red card appeal for the second time in a week after Patrick McClean's controversial dismissal was wiped out by the FAI's appeals body today.

Soccer • 11 Aug

9 December 2023; FAI vice-president nominee John Finnegan addresses the assembly during the annual general meeting of the Football Association of Ireland at the Radisson Blu St. Helen's Hotel in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

FAI vice-president Finnegan quits role

FAI vice president John Finnegan has resigned from his post with immediate effect, citing "personal and family reasons".

Soccer • 03 Jul

Shane Robinson is the FAI's new interim technical director

FAI confirms Robinson as interim technical director

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has announced that Shane Robinson will take over as interim technical director until a permanent appointment is made while Hannah Dingley will leave her role as head of women & girls' football.

Soccer • 19 May

Hannah Dingley at the launch of the FAI's women and girls' football action plan in March

Updated Dingley to leave FAI after just one year

Hannah Dingley is to leave her position as the Football Association of Ireland's head of women and girls' football after just over a year in the job.

Soccer • 21 May

Canham successor has to be a football person - Ward

Republic of Ireland head coach Carla Ward says the FAI's next chief football officer must be "a wholehearted football person" committed to supporting the women's game.

Soccer • 13 May

Ireland boss Ward baffled by 'ludicrous' skorts fallout

Republic of Ireland women's boss Carla Ward has described the skorts/shorts camogie fallout as "absolutely ludicrous", and said it's symptomatic of "an old mentality towards women".

Soccer • 12 May

FAI assesses transgender players on case-by-case basis

The FAI continues to deal with the eligibility of transgender women footballers on a "player-by-player basis" as it awaits a comprehensive review of the issue from FIFA.

Soccer • 02 May

Maxim Afonin is one of 11 Shamrock Rovers players in the Republic of Ireland squad for the Torneo Delle Nazioni, which was played this week

Ireland squad highlights imbalance at academy level

The recent Republic of Ireland Under-15 squad announcement has reignited a long-running debate in Irish football over regional balance and the growing divide between academies in Dublin and those outside the capital.

Soccer • 03 May

Republic of Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson was coaching at Knocklyon United for a MiWadi Football Camp

Hallgrimsson: League of Ireland call-ups possible

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson says he had been keen to see League of Ireland players in the summer window, if more friendlies had been possible, but has not completely ruled out call-ups.

Soccer • 30 Apr

' if Irish football continues to lose in the court of public opinion, all the pathways in the world won't get us to where we need to go'

Vital the FAI learn lessons of Canham's flawed tenure

Marc Canham's sudden exit as FAI chief football officer may have caught some off guard, but not those paying close attention to the state of Irish football, according to Eoin Doyle.

Soccer • 25 Apr

FAI CEO David Courell (L) with Marc Canham

FAI CEO to cast net wide in search for Canham successor

FAI CEO David Courell has said the association are willing to once again look outside of Ireland to fill the chief football officer role (CFO) vacated by Marc Canham.

Soccer • 23 Apr

Marc Canham speaking during an FAI coaching development conference in February 2025

Gartland: 'Fractured' game caught Canham by surprise

Graham Gartland believes Marc Canham was not fully prepared for how "fractured" the game is in Ireland when he took on the role of the FAI's director of football.

Soccer • 22 Apr

Canham to leave FAI chief football officer role

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed that Marc Canham has taken the decision to step away from his role as chief football officer (CFO).

Soccer • 22 Apr

Football Pathway Plans and the aligned calendar divide

FAI grassroots director Ger McDermott joins Raf Diallo to share an insight into the planning and implentation of the FAI's Football Pathways Plan which was initially unveiled last February and responds to the concerns raised about the aligned calendar aspect of the plans.

Soccer • 16 Apr

FAI grassroots director Ger McDermott, right, and chief football officer Marc Canham at the February 2024 launch of the Football Pathways Plan

FAI 'wants to meet leagues' over aligned calendar issue

The FAI's grassroots director Ger McDermott says the association remains keen to speak to the local leagues and associations around the country that harbour major concerns about the plans for Irish soccer to move to an aligned calendar by 2028.

Soccer • 17 Apr

Kerry's win against Finn Harps has been scratched off

FAI claim Kerry statement has 'several inaccuracies'

The FAI have claimed there are "several inaccuracies" in a statement Kerry FC issued on Thursday that heavily criticised the process which saw their SSE Airtricity Men's First Division victory over Finn Harps annulled.

Soccer • 04 Apr

'The anger now spilling out from club representatives is rooted in that feeling of being misled and frustrated by a lack of results'

FAI must deliver on academy funding or let clubs lead

As League of Ireland clubs continue to wait on Government funding for their academies, Eoin Doyle asks whether the FAI are showing enough initiative and leadership.

Soccer • 28 Mar

Ivi Casagrande has left the position of performance coach with the Republic of Ireland

Pickett replaces Casagrande after ROI coach exit

Holly Pickett has been added to the Republic of Ireland backroom team following the surprise resignation of performance coach Ivi Casagrande.

Soccer • 25 Mar