Two Mayo players on Irish Under 17 squad for Euro qualifiers

The Republic of Ireland men’s Under 17 team head coach, Colin O’Brien, has announced a 20-man squad ahead of three UEFA Under 17 European Championship qualifiers that begin in Cork next week.

The squad features Sligo Rovers duo Conor Walsh and Daniel Kelly, both former Westport United players.

Ireland will take on Andorra on Thursday, October 7, followed by North Macedonia on Sunday, October 10, and then Poland on Wednesday, October 13, in the first round of qualification for the Under 17 European Championships.

All games will be at the home of Cork City, Turner’s Cross, and fans will be able to back the Boys in Green with tickets priced at €5 for adults and €1 for children, students and OAPs.

Around 1,000 fans saw the Ireland Under 17s beat a strong Mexico side 2-1 last month and head coach O’Brien is calling on supporters to come out in numbers to support his exciting young team.

He said: “The players were speaking after the win over Mexico about just how much the crowd encouraged them and got behind them, and I think that shows just how vital the supporters can be during a game. They (the players) really felt that fan-to-player connection and having a crowd at Turner’s Cross was huge for us.

“These are three big games that set up our season and I’m sure the Irish fans will be there to get behind this young and exciting Ireland team.”

On his squad, O’Brien added: “Having the National League run through the summer gave us a great opportunity to look at a lot of the players and that has helped us in our selection process.

“There’s a very good dynamic within the team which I believe transfers onto the pitch. The players get on so well together and you see that on the pitch.

“I feel there are some really good players in this group with high potential and it is exciting to have them together for these upcoming games.”

The squad in full is: goalkeepers - Fintan Doherty (Derry City), Conor Walsh (Sligo Rovers); defenders - Luke Browne (Shelbourne), Sam Curtis (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Cathal Heffernan (Cork City), Ruadhan Kane (Klub Kildare), Daniel Kelly (Sligo Rovers), Luke O’Brien (St. Patrick’s Athletic); midfielders - Justin Ferizaj (Shamrock Rovers), Gavin Hodgkin (Shelbourne), Darius Lipsivc (St. Patrick’s Athletic), James McManus (Bohemians), Rocco Vata (Celtic); forwards - Trent Kone Doherty (Derry City), Liam Murray (Cork City), Caden McLoughlin (Villareal), Alex Nolan (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Mark O’Mahony (Cork City), Franco Umeh (Cork City), Kevin Zefi (Inter Milan).

Tickets for the three games can be purchased on Eventbrite.