It’s all change in Irish football, with both the Men’s Team and Women’s team having recruited new managers in the last twelve months. Daire Lydon takes a look at how both head coaches have gotten on in their starts at the helm, and what’s to come for Ireland’s top footballers.
Men’s National Team
With the groups for the Men’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification now revealed, the Republic of Ireland Men’s National Team are staring down the barrel of a tough road to the World Cup in the USA. At this critical juncture it is an opportune time to reflect on Heimer Hallgrímsson's ephemeral stint with the boys in green thus far.
Hallgrímsson was by all accounts a shock successor to Stephen Kenny when he was appointed as Ireland manager in July 2024 following a long (231 day) search by the FAI for a new Ireland boss. Having previously been involved with a successful Icelandic team, as well as managing Jamaica, relatively little was known about Hallgrímsson in Irish football circles. It is fair to say the former dentist has had a mixed bag of results so far as manager.
Hallgrímsson's tenure got off to a bumpy start when Ireland suffered a 2-0 home defeat to England in September 2024. The Boys in Green responded with wins home and away against Finland but losses against Greece followed. The second leg against England didn’t go any better when Ireland were embarrassed at Wembley by a 5-0 defeat in November.
Since then, things have improved. Ireland defeated Bulgaria twice this March, winning 2-1 in both Plovdiv and the Aviva in the UEFA nations league play offs, ensuring the team remained in the second division.
Despite a rollercoaster reign to date Hallgrímsson appears upbeat about Ireland's World Cup qualification chances. Speaking to Patrick Kielty on the Late Late Show he said “we have a good chance of qualifying if everything goes according to plan and we are lucky with injuries”.
Hallgrímsson's contract extends until November 2025 which means he will lead Ireland for their upcoming World Cup qualification campaign commencing in September. Only Armenia, Hungary and Portugal stand in the way of getting to the biggest stage in world football.
Women’s National Team
The Women’s National team are also undergoing a period of transition with newly appointed manager Carla Ward navigating her first few fixtures in charge of the side, having replaced Eileen Gleeson in January this year.
Her time in charge got off to a positive start in February when Ireland beat Turkey 1-0 before suffering a tough 4-0 defeat on the road against Slovenia. Ireland bounced back by defeating Greece emphatically away from home 4-0 earlier this month, followed by a 2-1 victory at home.
The team have had obvious success in recent years, having played at the 2023 World Cup, a tournament debut for Ireland. They however failed to progress from the group stages, having only managed one point from a gruelling group with a draw against Nigeria.
Rather than building on the World Cup appearance and taking the learnings into EURO 2025, a playoff defeat to Wales during qualification in December saw the Green Army narrowly miss out on this Summer’s action. This ultimately was the final nail in Eileen Gleeson’s coffin, sealing her fate and leading to her departure from the role.
Her replacement, Ward, is here for the long haul with her contract already set to continue through to the 2027 World Cup. She is an experienced manager. Formerly of Aston Villa, she played a role in Emma Hayes’ management staff of the US team which went on to win Olympic gold.
Speaking on the same episode of the Late Late Show, alongside Hallgrímson, she praised Ireland's qualification run for the last World Cup but reminded fans that big names such as Niamh Fahey and Diane Caldwell have stepped away and how there is a need to reevaluate where the team is at. “We need to understand where we are at and make a plan for the next two years, but the goal is the World Cup”.
Ireland currently hold second place in group B2 of the Nations League following their victories against Greece. Ward's side had to make do without skipper Katie McCabe who missed out due to suspension. Next up for Girls in Green is Turkey who they will take on in Tallaght Stadium in June.
It is a time of transition for the management of both our national teams, with opportunities beckoning for both and everything to play for. It remains to be seen whether the appointments will change the fortunes of Irish football.