Under 23 International Squad

The Republic of Ireland are currently competing in a new, UEFA approved, eight nation Under 23 international tournament. The International Challenge Trophy comprises two groups of four, with the group winners meeting in the final to decide the trophy. Ireland have been drawn in Group B containing Belgium, Northern Ireland and Slovakia while Group A is comprised of England, Finland, Italy and Wales.

For the opening fixture, the Ireland team was made up exclusively of eircom League of Ireland players and managed by Pat Fenlon. The current Bohemian FC manager was assisted by Cork City manager Alan Matthews together with coach Pete Mahon of UCD and goalkeeping coach Dave Henderson for the opening fixture against Slovakia. In the rotational management structure, John Gill of Dundalk replaced Pete Mahon as coach for the fixture against Northern Ireland.

Ireland opened their campaign against Slovakia in Dalymount Park on Tuesday 13 November 2007 with a commanding 2-0 victory. Ireland's goals came from, Gavin Peers in the 26th minute, with a far post header following a Killian Brennan free kick and Brennan himself on 33 minutes when he followed up a Stephen Rice effort, which came back off the crossbar, to shoot home.

Ireland travelled to Lurgan to meet Northern Ireland on Tuesday 13 May 2008 and came away with a somewhat fortuituous one nil victory. On a bumpy and dusty pitch, the hosts had much the better scoring opporunities but failed to make the breakthrough. They suffered for their profligacy when a diving header from Stephen Rice, following a Paul Keegan free kick, found the net three minutes into added time. Ireland will finish their group fixtures with a home match against Belgium in the autumn of 2008. In the other opening Group B fixtures, Belgium scored a 2-1 home victory over Northern Ireland on Tuesday 11 December 2007 while the Slovakia versus Belgium match ended in a one all draw.

Republic of Ireland Under 23 Squad to play
Northern Ireland on 13 May 2008

Goalkeepers	Club
Brendan Clarke	St Patrick's Athletic
Barry Murphy	Shamrock Rovers
Defenders	Club
Ian Bermingham [A]	UCD
Seamus Coleman [W]	Sligo Rovers
Shane Guthrie	Cobh Ramblers
Conor Kenna	UCD
Darren Murphy [A]	Cork City
Ger O'Brien	Shamrock Rovers
Joseph O'Cearuill [W]	St Patrick's Athletic
Gavin Peers[W]	Sligo Rovers
Derek Pender [A]	Bray Wanderers
Conor Powell	Bohemian FC
Midfielders	Club
Killian Brennan	Bohemian FC
Ruairi Higgins	Derry City
Patrick Kavanagh	Bray Wanderers
Paul Keegan	Drogheda United
John Paul Kelly	Bohemian FC
Stephen O'Donnell [W]	Bohemian FC
Stephen Rice	Bohemian FC
Forwards	Club
Denis Behan	Cork City
David Mooney	Cork City
Mark Quigley	St Patrick's Athletic
Ger Rowe	Shamrock Rovers

[A] Added to Squad
[W] Injury Withdrawal