For loi19.com: Paul Doolin interview

Having steered the Republic of Ireland Under-19's to the Elite Phase of the 2013/14 UEFA European Under-19 Championships, manager Paul Doolin took time out of preparation for his fourth Elite Phase to speak to loi19.com  about his side’s chances of reaching the finals in Hungary next summer; the teams standing in his side’s way of progression; the importance of making home advantage count; and the tricky question of squad selection.

For loi19.com: Reaction to Enda McGuill Cup semi-final

Following today’s draw for the semi-finals of the Enda McGuill Cup, loi19.com caught up with the attendees to gauge their reaction.

For loi19.com: Emergency Sam on call for Pat's

St. Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Sam Verdon can count himself amongst an exclusive club which includes Republic of Ireland internationals past and present, Niall Quinn and John O’Shea.

For loi19.com: Ryan Robinson - September 2013 Player of the Month

Shelbourne’s Ryan Robinson has been selected as the Airtricity League of Ireland Under-19 Player of the Month for September.

For loi19.com: FAI delegation heads to Greece for UEFA Study Group Seminar

The League of Ireland u19s will be represented at a UEFA Study Group seminar in Greece this week as Shelbourne’s Marin Murray and Derry City’s John Quigg form part of an 11-strong FAI delegation.

For loi19.com: Left-back Desmond has the striker's touch for Shels

He hadn’t scored in over three years but he now has two goals in six games – and left-back Lee Desmond is aiming to keep the front foot forward as Shelbourne look to maintain their impressive form in their bid to become only the second side to win the League of Ireland u19 Elite Division title.

For loi19.com: Conor Pepper two-part interview

Conor Pepper is currently in his second season at Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL) outfit Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The former St. Patrick’s Athletic midfielder was home for the international break last weekend, so we met him in Malahide – joined by his sister Naoise – to talk about his career so far.

For loi19.com: Goalkeeper Michael Lynch with his jumpers for posts

“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough” is an adage so clichéd that it has almost fallen out of use in footballing circles – the point is now translated through actions rather than words as clubs across the League of Ireland turn to youth on the pitch to help keep books balanced off it. And goalkeeper Michael Lynch is another protege hoping to make the jump sooner rather than later.

For loi19.com: FAI's Pat Duffy focussed on raising the standard

As the League of Ireland Under-19's section gears up for the kick-off of its third season this weekend, Pat Duffy feels that while it has been successful so far, there is still more that can be done to raise the standard, competitiveness and representation of the league across the country.

For loi19.com: loi19.com-Pieta House partnership launched at Tallaght Stadium

The official launch of the partnership between loi19.com and the charity Pieta House took place in a sun-kissed Tallaght Stadium last week.

CorkCityFC.ie: Kilbarrack United club profile

This club profile of Kilbarrack United was put together ahead of their FAI Cup 2nd round clash with Cork City in August 2013. It appeared on CorkCityFC.ie on the 03/08/2013.

Kilbarrack United club profile

Ahead of the Bank Holiday Monday FAI Cup 2^nd round clash at Turner’s Cross, CorkCityFC.ie takes a look at the visiting team.

Name: Kilbarrack United

Founded: 1970
League: Athletic Union League (AUL), Premier A
Ground: Greendale Open Space

Chairman: Willie Dunne
Manager: Paul Breen
Captain: Jonathan Meleady

CorkCityFC.ie: Saints secure late win at Richmond Park

This match report was written for CorkCityFC.ie and was published 27/07/2013.

St. Patrick's Athletic   2          Cork City   1

Cork City were seconds away from securing the unlikeliest of points at Richmond Park but an eventful second half ended in heartbreak for the travelling Leesiders as a late Killian Brennan penalty secured a 2-1 win for league leaders St. Patrick’s Athletic.

CorkCityFC.ie: Shels edge tense Tolka Park battle

This match report was written for CorkCityFC.ie and was published 12/07/2013.

Shelbourne   2                        Cork City   1

Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty said before the game that failure to get a result in Tolka Park would render last week’s victory over champions Sligo Rovers at Turner’s Cross meaningless – and sadly for him and the travelling Rebel Army, he was unable to prevent Johnny McDonnell’s Reds from edging a scrappy game.

CorkCityFC.ie: City beaten at the Belfield Bowl

This match report was written for CorkCityFC.ie and was published 28/06/2013: it can be viewed in its original form here.

UCD    3                      Cork City         0

Tommy Dunne said before the game that Cork City would need some luck to get a result in the UCD Bowl – but sadly for the Leesiders they didn’t get an ounce of it as they were put to the sword by the Students.

Shels' fightback begins as ten man Bohs capitulate

Bohemians   0     Shelbourne   3

The Shelbourne renaissance under Johnny McDonnell began in earnest at Dalymount Park as the Reds comfortably despatched ten man Bohemians, securing their first league win since early May, with Dean Kelly becoming the first Shels player to score more than once in a league game this season.

For Extratime.ie: Strachan happy with ref; O'Neill not so much

Gordon Strachan said he was happy with the performance of Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli during Scotland's 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, despite the official and his team missing Jonathan Walters occupying an offside position in the build-up to the home side's goal. 

For Extratime.ie: Martin O'Neill - It's important for the nation

Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill has not shied away from the enormity of this weekend's Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland, saying: “It's important for the nation.”

For loi19.com: Football's Next Star interview with Gavin Boyne

This interview was conducted for loi19.com as part of a series with players who appeared on the reality television programme Football's Next Star. It was published on the 03/06/2013 and can be seen in its original form here.

Football's Next Star is a reality television programme that aimed to find a talented young Irish footballer with the reward being a contract at Scottish Premier League club, Celtic FC.

Dunne and dusted: Sheriff claim second FAI Junior Cup

This match report was used on the Junior Soccer Portal website; this version can be viewed here.


Kilbarrack United   0     Sheriff YC   0 (AET)
(Sheriff win 5-4 on penalties)

Football can be as cruel as it is rewarding, and perhaps there is no better personification of this than the respective weeks endured by both Sheriff YC and Kilbarrack United. For one team, it is a case of celebrating a provincial and national cup double; for the other, it is a case of ruing chances not taken.

Boyne hoping to build on Salthill game

St. Patrick's Athletic u19 midfielder Gavin Boyne is hoping he did enough in last week's EA Sports Cup game against Salthill Devon to convince Liam Buckley that he is worthy of more first team opportunities this season.

Mathews gone but not forgotten

The fans sang throughout that, with Alan Mathews gone, "things will only get better." Yet after the manner of their 3-0 home reverse to St. Patrick's Athletic last night it is clear that you can take the manager from the club but not the team that he assembled - and that things will most likely need to get worse before they get better.

Paisley's enforced departure highlights home truths

The first memory that comes to mind when I hear the name Stephan Paisley isn't even football related. It was New Year's Eve, 2011. I was in the Grand Social on Lower Liffey Street with friends and 2012 had long been rung in by the time I decided to pick up my jacket and head home. As I was leaving, I spotted a familiar face.

Mario Götze: this decade's Michael Ballack?

A relatively unheralded German club reaches the final of the Champions League, defeating the champions of England along the way, with their star player - viewed as the most gifted of his generation by some - already signed by  the biggest club in Germany, Bayern Munich, for the following season.

Youngster Desmond looks to kick-start career following Newcastle release

Every summer, hundreds of Irish youngsters from various age groups make their way across the Irish Sea with stars in their eyes to take up contract offers from professional clubs all over England - and every year, making the return journey, are a slightly older group, their bright eyes dimmed by the rash realisation that their dreams have been dashed.

The Belgian footballing mini-pilgrimage, April 2013

On April Fool's Day 2013, I jetted* out to Belgium to visit a friend who is currently living in the city of Leuven. Anthony Gallagher and I are long time acolytes of the game and will watch a match anywhere we can whenever we can - and his current Erasmus placement afforded us an opportunity to add to our last experience of European football.

No surface worries for Sligo as they make it five from five

Bohemians   0     Sligo Rovers   3

The much maligned Dalymount Park surface didn't stop the Sligo machine from churning out another victory as Ian Baraclough's men made it five wins from five Premier Division games with a 3-0 victory over Bohemians, providing RTÉ with live League of Ireland goals for the first time in four attempts in the process.

On the importance of Neil Lennon staying at Celtic

Only 17 men have had the distinction of managing Glasgow Celtic in 125 years. Of those 17, only eight were in charge for three years or less - Liam Brady (1991-93), Lou Macari (93-94), Tommy Burns (94-97), Wim Jansen (97-98), John Barnes/Kenny Dalglish (99-2000) and Tony Mowbray (09-10). And presently, Neil Lennon is the eighth - this is only his third full season at the helm (but he's in charge three-and-a half years having taking over from Mowbray in March 2010 on a temporary basis initially).

Shels Byrned by former striker as Crowley sees red on début

BRAY WANDERERS   1     SHELBOURNE   0

The countdown to 200 is on for Jason Byrne as the Bray striker's second-half goal proved to be the difference between the Seasiders and ten man Shelbourne at the Carlisle Grounds.

Airtricity League Premier Division: key players for 2013

Every new League of Ireland season brings with it some familiar faces appearing in familiar or unfamiliar places, some old faces returning to the league from spells abroad and some new faces appearing in the league for the first time.

Remember the name: Cüneyt Çakır

For almost an hour, Manchester United were tactically perfect against Real Madrid. A Gonzalo Higuaín cross which evaded everybody and a rightly disallowed goal aside, United nullified the much-vaunted counter-attacking threat of José Mourinho’s outfit that undone a diminished Barcelona twice in the space of five days. Enter Cüneyt Çakır.

Can Boyd and McFadden rejuvenate the SPL?

So James McFadden has returned to the SPL with his first club Motherwell, making substitute appearances in Motherwell's back-to-back defeats to Dundee United and Ross County, and looks all set to feature against runaway leaders Celtic tonight. And Kris Boyd has also returned to his roots, to Kenny Shiels' Kilmarnock - and he too could feature tonight, against Hibernian.

Teaandtoast.ie: Mafia Wars (July 10th, 2012)

On Sunday morning, I woke up at around seven o’clock because I have to go work. As if I’d stir that early for any other reason; I hate the sanctity of my lazy Sundays being breached by anything. By now, I have a routine for the early shifts: I’ll get up, go about my bathroom business, get dressed, go downstairs and breakfast while Facebooking. I enjoy that 20 minutes to myself to listen to some music and to laugh at the ridiculous things the internet has to offer, as they help me battle on through the day – but not this day.