FAI Cup draw: Holders Drogheda United to open defence against Crumlin United
Drogheda United will begin the defence of their FAI Cup title at home to Crumlin United when the second round takes place next month.
Drogheda claimed a second FAI Cup title last November with a 2-0 victory over Derry City at the Aviva Stadium. The Candystripes open this year's campaign away to Division One side Treaty City in Limerick.
St Patrick's Athletic, champions in 2023, host UCC, while 25-times champions Shamrock Rovers open at home to First Division side Wexford.
Bohemians face a trip across Dublin's northside to take on Killester Donnycarney of the Leinster Senior League, while Shelbourne travel to Limerick to take on Fairview Rangers.
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In the women's FAI Cup first round, holders Shelbourne will host Galway United in the pick of ties.
FAI Cup second round
Bangor Celtic v Cobh Ramblers
Bray Wanderers v Wayside Celtic
Castlebar Celtic v Longford Town
Cork City v Leicester Celtic
Drogheda United v Crumlin United
Dundalk v Sligo Rovers
Fairview Rangers v Shelbourne
Finn Harps v UCD
Galway United v Tolka Rovers
Kerry v Athlone Town
Killester Donnycarney v Bohemians
Salthill Devon v St Michael's
Shamrock Rovers v Wexford
St Patrick's Athletic v UCC
Treaty United v
Derry City
Waterford v St Moctha's
Ties will be played on the week ending July 20th
Women's FAI Cup first round
Athlone Town v Terence Rangers
Cork City v Peamount United
Newbridge Town v Whitehall Rangers
Shamrock Rovers v Waterford
Shelbourne v Galway United
Sligo Rovers v DLR Waves
Treaty United v Ferns United
Wexford v Bohemians
Ties will be played on the week ending June 29th
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The 42
43 minutes ago
- The 42
'This is a world class team and there were times when we made them look quite average'
HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON PRAISED his Irish players as he saw further progress in a 1-1 friendly draw against Senegal in Dublin. Ireland led at half-time through Kasey McAteer's goal, but were denied a win by Ismalia Sarr's late equaliser. 'Our collective defence was good', said the Irish manager. 'We must recognise this is a world class team, unbeaten now in 21 games, 19 in the Fifa rankings. And there were times when we were defending without the ball we made them look quite average. We are happy they didn't create too many goalscoring chances. Caoimh made one or two good saves but apart from that he didn't need to do much, that is pleasing. 'We needed to start on this, working on a shape that is now looking quite good. There are still a few areas, we have talked about needing to do some movements quicker, within the structure. 'To be able to play against such a strong attacking team, with so much individual quality, and not concede a lot of goalscoring chances.' Advertisement Hallgrimsson pointed to the low levels of confidence among his players when he first took the job, but says now they are climbing. 'I think it is growing', said Hallgrimsson when asked about confidence levels. 'The decisions at this level need to be quick. You need to be quick deciding what to do and act quickly. If you are too late you are always punished at this level. What I said about defence, being in structure, closing spaces: these things need to happen quicker. 'Once we repeat these things again and again it just gets it ahead and we showed that against a really good side again. We limited their chances of creating things against us and, let's be honest, we are not one of the best teams in the world, and this is how we need to play against teams that will dominate possession. 'And we need to wait for our chances and take them when they come. So in this situation confidence is growing and it is a similar setup in September, playing the stronger team at home and then flying away to Luxembourg, like Hungary at home and then away to Armenia. So it is good preparation for September. So that is confidence for me, to be able to play good teams without possession and doing that for longer periods of time. But again, conceding goals from crosses too many times and in this case we were too passive in the cross. We didn't attack the ball when the cross came and it has happened before. That is a slight confidence thing.' Hallgrimsson meanwhile praised his goalscorer Kasey McAteer, who showed Ireland have further depth among their right-sided attackers by scoring on his full Irish debut. ''If you have watched Kasey he has got a run for Leicester at the end of the season so you can see his progress in his club and he brought that now into the national team', said Hallgrimsson. 'That is always the answer you would like to have when you try out new players. 'It was his first start for Ireland, so a really good first start for him. No, he is a confident player on the ball. He has speed, good dribbling technique and if we can isolate him one-on-one that is his strength. 'He is just a clever footballer with a good footballing brain. Knows where to pass the ball etc.' The Irish boss was sanguine too about the lack of VAR, which would likely have inspected and potentially disallowed the Senegal goal for an offside. Cheikh Sabaly stood in an offisde position occluding Kelleher's view of a shot which the Irish goalkeeper saved brilliantly before Ismalia Sarr forced the rebound over the line. 'VAR probably would have given it offside, but we knew VAR was not in house and we cannot complain. The referees did a really good job today, they had a really good flow to the game. I was really happy with the referees.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Letters to the Editor: An excellent match in a top-class stadium
For more than half a century, I have been fortunate to have enjoyed many thrilling hurling and football games at the old 'park' and latterly SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, but last Tuesday evening's Uefa Women's Nations League match between Ireland and Slovenia has to rank right up there in terms of skill and enjoyment. The demographic of the crowd, which seemed to consist for the most part of groups of teenage girls, and even younger, served to create a vibrantly refreshing atmosphere of pure unadulterated excitement and an almost innocently empathetic sense of support for the Irish team. This contrasted sharply with the usual matchday win-at-all-cost atmosphere generated by largely adult male supporters. This is surely a huge tribute to the connection which the Irish ladies' team has established with these young girls, a segment of our population which has up to now, for the most part, been devoid of any sporting heroines to whom they can relate and seek to emulate in the future. On the field, Ireland produced a heart-warming display full of skill, determination, and spirit which, with a little luck, could have delivered the four goals necessary to top the table. It was gratifying for the home crowd that central to this display was the contribution of the Cork girls — from the silky skills and ball control of Denise O'Sullivan, to the industry of Megan Connolly, and the splendid match-winning goal scored by Saoirse Noonan. One of the standout moments of the evening for me was the sight of Megan Campbell emerging from the tunnel and throwing the ball a prodigious distance into the Slovenian penalty area. Ireland's Denise O'Sullivan with supporters after the Uefa Women's Nations League B match between the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile It evoked memories of another player from a different code and another era, an All-Ireland winning hurler with Cork in the 1940s, Billy 'Long Puck' Murphy, who was reputably capable of hitting the sliotar almost from one end of the park to the other. The performance by the team was testament to the work of coach Carla Ward and her backroom staff, and was also due in no small way to the outstanding display of skill, drive, and leadership of captain Katie McCabe — reminiscent in many respects of Cork's own Roy Keane. There was one other winner on the evening — namely the stadium itself, which looked resplendent in the evening sunshine, with the pitch in pristine condition and supporters afforded a superb view of the action on the field, regardless of where they were seated. Great credit is due to the Cork County Board and the GAA authorities for making Páirc Uí Chaoimh available for the staging of this and other similar matches. As always, we are all deeply indebted to the stewards, groundsmen, and the many volunteers without whose efforts it would not be possible to stage such matches. Long may SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh continue to offer us such thrilling sporting spectacles such as we all enjoyed on Tuesday evening. Tadhg Nash, Ovens, Co Cork We need a complete overhaul of animal rescue Regarding the article 'Ireland's animal welfare system is unfit for purpose and animals are suffering because of it' ( Irish Examiner, Tuesday, June 3): I have been involved with Animal welfare for many years, both here and in the UK. Smaller rescues are at breaking point. The abuse of animals is relentless. Pets are being surrendered as landlords will not allow them in their homes. This adds to the fact that the country went crazy during the pandemic. So many cross-breeds were bred for extortionate amounts of money, and a lot of these mixed breeds should never have been bred, causing unnecessary problems with eye problems, heart defects, biting issues — the list goes on. We need a complete overhaul of animal rescue. If an animal needs urgent care, we have no authority to go and seize the poor animal; we have to contact the ISPCA to see if they can send an inspector out. The gardaí are very reluctant to assist as they don't have the necessary training or facilities to deal with animal welfare. Puppy breeding needs to have far more legislation and big fines for those who don't comply. It takes far too long to get a cruelty case to court: An independent court system that deals with just these cases is needed, and imprisonment and a huge fine are needed. It is no good banning them from keeping animals; they just keep them somewhere else. The grants we apply for every year don't go far enough. Vet fees have increased dramatically, and rescues can only do so much. Thank you for your wonderful article thank you for highlighting this very important issue. Bridget Banham, Knockcroghery, Roscommon It's our duty to protect our oceans Ahead of World Oceans Day tomorrow, we urge all those who depend on our waters across industry, transport, tourism, and beyond to move past words and take real action to protect our most essential natural resource. At Brittany Ferries, we depend on the ocean and believe it's our duty to safeguard it. When everyone takes responsibility to reduce their environmental impact, the results can be significant. That's why we have introduced LNG-powered vessels, Salamanca and Santona, on our Rosslare to Spain routes. These ships are designed to cut sulphur and particulate matter to near zero while reducing emissions by up to 20%. The vessels are also equipped to run on transition fuels, such as biomethane and e-methane, which will play a key role in our energy security as Ireland works toward a net-zero society by 2050. While the arrival of these two new vessels will make a significant difference to our carbon footprint, the protection of our oceans relies on the co-operation of industry, society, and governments across the globe. Our waters are a natural resource under growing pressure from climate change, pollution, and loss of marine biodiversity. We must act urgently and together to combat this. Hugh Bruton, general manager, Ireland Brittany Ferries Limit on Defence Forces deployment abroad Watching the Oireachtas committee debate on the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2025 last week, one issue stood out to the casual observer. Leaving aside the larger and more emotive issue of the 'triple lock', the question was discussed about the benefits of raising the number of Defence Forces members allowed to serve abroad — in a lawful and recognised operation — from 12 to 50. The answer is relatively simple. A group of 50 can encompass the widely utilised and accepted military unit of a platoon of 33 persons, plus or minus, (+/-) who are operational and militarily ready for engagement, with the necessary support personnel — technical maintenance, signals (including drone operators), medical, and minimal admin element, to deploy an independent military unit — independent platoon, platoon plus, augmented platoon, the title is inconsequential — as part of a larger UN or EU mission. Any reader who has worked in the regular or reserve Defence Forces, Civil Defence, or Scouting Ireland will recognise the logical utility of this measure. This is not an esoteric question about how many angels will fit on the head of a pin, it is a meaningful military concern, for soldiers and their families. Tim O'Connell, Capt (retired), Ballinteer, Dublin 16 Dismal Hiqa response to nursing homes scandal Regarding the RTÉ Investigates special report on the nursing homes scandal, it took Hiqa 17 weeks before they carried out an inspection. Taking into account that many protective disclosures were made by concerned workers, Hiqa's response was dismal, damming, and immoral. I do not trust this agency or the Government that is pushing the private nursing home agenda to care for the wellbeing of a very vulnerable sector of our society. Citizens of Ireland, please let your public representatives know your feelings. It is in your own interest that you do. James Jackman, Castleknock, Dublin 15 We need to show compassion for the elderly I support fully the chairperson of Safeguarding Ireland in calling for an independent authority after Wednesday nights RTÉ Investigates documentary into alleged failings of care in two nursing homes. It was heartbreaking to hear two leading doctors in geriatric medicine describe the undercover footage they witnessed as shocking and disturbing. One doctor quite rightly posited the notion: 'What's the point of adding years to life if we cannot add life to years as well?' It's my contention that compassion, kindness, humanity, and empathy should be as much a recruitment standard for care workers, nurses, and doctors as their exam results. We hear a lot about compassion for the elderly. Isn't it time we showed some? John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Scandal caused by decades of government failure The RTÉ team who revealed the horrific happenings in two nursing homes are to be commended, but it made very disturbing viewing. However, equally disturbing was the fact that one of your editorial writers saw fit to highlight this latest national scandal with a heading 'State failing its citizens of all ages' ( Irish Examiner, June 5). And how right he or she was. Where will it all end? Practically every week another horrific national scandal emerges, and our do-nothing Government does not seem to care. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the people of Ireland have had to put up with more than one useless government over the past 20 years or so, and there is no indication whatsoever that governance in Ireland will improve in the immediate future. It is almost a certainty that it will become more difficult to get on the housing ladder, all areas of the health service will continue to disimprove, and nobody as usual will be held to account. Liam Burke, Dunmore, Co Kilkenny
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'Ireland teams were always been built big on set-pieces' - Smallbone lauds Hallgrímsson's emphasis
Will Smallbone won't be apologising if Ireland's bid to regain former glories relies on set-pieces. They came within eight minutes of scalping the 19th best team in the world until substitute rescued a 1-1 draw for Senegal in Friday's friendly. Ireland's goal came from a recycled corner finished by Kasey McAteer on the first start of his five games. Smallbone isn't a newcomer but hasn't been around since starting both games in Heimir Hallgrímsson's opening games at the helm. They were a pair of 2-0 defeats to England and Greece, whereas they've now gone on a run of three wins and this draw. One more friendly awaits in Luxembourg before the World Cup qualification group with Portugal, Hungary and Armenia consumes the calendar between September and November. 'I think the manager wants to create a winning habit and you see the way he talks about getting to the World Cup, it's obviously the aim for everyone,' said Southampton midfielder Smallbone. 'Winning is the only way we can get there. 'So it is about coming out on top in the games we maybe would have lost in the past by a goal; switching it the other way to win by a goal and put an emphasis on set-pieces. We've to ensure we're a threat whenever we get one.' Smallbone admits the regime differs to the one he made his breakthrough in under Stephen Kenny. He said: 'It's been different. Stephen brought a lot of the lads through from 21s and Heimir has a different sort of tactic if you like. 'I think if you look at Irish teams in the past, they've always been built very big on set-pieces and making the Aviva a really tough place to come to so I think that's what we've got to get back to. 'I was only in Heimir's first camp so that was very new for everyone so I missed the next three camps so to then come back in it was very similar messages but it all seems very clear and concise. 'That makes it easier as a player when you know exactly what the manager wants from you and you just have to go out and do your best to deliver it.' The 25-year-old is certain Ireland are on track to mount a competitive bid to reach next year's World Cup. 'The lads have done really well over the last few camps, it's good to see us winning games,' he noted. 'Performances have been really nice and maybe in the past we've got good performances but we need to make sure we're winning to get to these tournaments. 'A draw is disappointing but a top nation in Senegal so I think it is a step in the right direction. 'It's been tough for me. I've been out for a while and missed a lot of camps. It was frustrating looking on and watching so it's good to get a good chunk of minutes. 'I want to do everything I can to be involved in the squad in September and do my best to play as much as I can.'
