While Spain proved a step too far for the Republic of Ireland Under-17s on Saturday, the run to the European Championship quarter-finals was largely impressive nonethless.
Colin O'Brien's side bounced back from a 5-1 defeat to Poland in their opener at the tournament in Hungary, going on to beat Wales and the host nation 3-0 and 4-2 respectively on the way to the knockout stages, with League of Ireland-based talents like Mason Melia, Luke Kehir, Ike Orazi and Naj Razi all putting their names in lights.
The consolation prize of a World Cup play-off was not forthcoming either due to results elsewhere on Saturday but getting to the quarter-finals has led to some optimism about the quality of young Irish players coming through.
However, increased funding and growing the number of qualified coaches will be vital as former Ireland underage and international Paul Corry emphasised on the latest RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
"There's a couple of players there that have definitely made a name for themselves and the great thing is we can track them so close to home now because so much of that squad are playing in the League of Ireland and in the underage national leagues," said the ex-UCD, Shamrock Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, in light of the Brexit rules which ensure that more Irish players are based at home longer and cannot go to the UK until the age of 18.
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"There's been a lot of comments around the development of our players now and ensuring we get the adequate coaching around them.
"I think that was just proof that the players are there and if we can get the right coaches and the right facilities and environment around them, we can be a little more consistent in how well we can compete at underage level."
Also speaking on the podcast, former Dundalk and UCD striker David McMillan echoed Corry's point.
"I think it's been mentioned the lack of full-time coaches at academy level compared to countries across Europe," he said.
"But the experience of the Under-17s even mentally to go through all of that tournament scenario, even them moving forward into the Under-19s and '21s, that can only hold them in good esteem and they'll want to get back there.
"And the more teams we can get progressing as far as that at underage level can only develop and help our senior teams later on, so the more times we can achieve that, I think that has to be the goal for the underage teams and it takes investment and it takes a lot of work from the FAI and they need help as well from Government level.
"But if we can achieve what the Under-17s achieved more regularly then it will help in the longer run for our national team."
While St Patrick's Athletic forward Mason Melia has already made his SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division debut at the age of 15, that early introduction won't necessarily be the case for his other Ireland U17 team-mates, depending on their rate of development and career trajectory.
Corry added that bridging the gap between Under-19s football and first-team action will be key.
"It's about the contact hours particularly at that age group. They're so fundamental in developing players in any aspect from physical to tactical and technical," he said.
"We really need to ensure that we replicate a full-time environment because the development that typically took place at English academies needs to take place here.
"I know there's the likes of Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's - and I'm sure there are others - who are trying to get them in and around their first-team environment and give them those types of contact hours with coaches and with the ball and try to do that as best they can.
"But outside of that it's trying to ramp up our national leagues, ramp up the facilities and the coaching that goes into these players and try to at least give the players the best opportunity of playing here in the League of Ireland."
Pointing to the journeys of Dawson Devoy and Darragh Burns who came through the domestic ranks before earning moves to England, Corry feels a pipeline is in place.
"The league is getting younger it seems and the opportunities are there," he said.
"It makes sense for the clubs to give them those opportunities and financially to try and sell them on.
"We're getting there. It feels like the key pillars are there. We just need to improve them a little bit more."
Watch the UEFA European Under-17 Championship final on Friday from 6.55pm on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player; Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk in the League of Ireland on Friday from 7.35pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on all matches on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app; and the Women's Champions League final, Barcelona v Wolfsberg, on Saturday from 2.55pm on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player
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