Nominees announced for FAI men and women's players of the year
The nominees for the 35th
Football Association of Ireland
(FAI) International Awards have been announced ahead of an event on Friday, June 6th.
Robbie Brady,
Nathan Collins
and
Caoimhín Kelleher
have been nominated for men's player of the year, while Kyra Carusa, Anna Patten and Julie-Ann Russell have been nominated for the women's player of the year award.
Finn Azaz, Festy Ebosele and Jake O'Brien have been nominated for young men's player of the year, with Abbie Larkin, Jessie Stapleton and Tyler Toland nominated for the young women's award.
The winners will be presented with their trophies in the Aviva Stadium ahead of the friendly between Ireland and Senegal.
READ MORE
The performances taken into account are from June 2024 to May 2025.
The full list of awards are listed below:
Senior Men's International Player of the Year
Robbie Brady, Nathan Collins, Caoimhin Kelleher
Senior Women's International Player of the Year
Kyra Carusa, Anna Patten, Julie-Ann Russell
Young Men's International Player of the Year
Finn Azaz, Festy Ebosele, Jake O'Brien
Young Women's International Player of the Year
Abbie Larkin, Jessie Stapleton, Tyler Toland
International Goal of the Year
Robbie Brady v Finland, Evan Ferguson v Bulgaria, Julie-Ann Russell v France
Men's Under-21 International Player of the Year
Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty, Matt Healy, Andrew Moran
Men's Under-19 International Player of the Year
Jacob Devaney, Thomas Morely, Freddie Turley
Women's Under-19 International Player of the Year
Jess Fitzgerald, Katie Keane, Aoife Kelly
Men's Under-18 International Player of the Year
Kyle Fitzgerald, Luke O'Donnell, James Roche
Men's Under-17 International Player of the Year
Rory Finneran, Ramon Martos, Finn Sherlock
Women's Under-17 International Player of the Year
Anna Butler, Ella Kelly, Madison McGuane
Boys' Under-16 International Player of the Year
Joe Byrne, Tadgh Prizeman, Niall Sullivan
Girls' Under-16 International Player of the Year
Keelin Comiskey, Ciara Milton, Hailey Twomey
Boys' Under-15 International Player of the Year
Maxim Afonin, Josh O'Dwyer, Archie Quinn
Girls' Under-15 Schools International Player of the Year
Ava Hallinan (Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone), Ciara Milton (St Leo's College, Carlow), Hailey Twomey (Eureka Secondary School, Kells)
Boys' Under-18 Schools International Player of the Year
Adam Brennan (Hartstown Community School), Alan Kizenga (S. Mac Dara's Community School, Templeogue), Rhys Knight (Clonkeen College, Blackrock)
Football For All International Player of the Year
Josh Hennessy (Down Syndrome Futsal), Neil Hoey (Amputee), Heather Jameson (Cerebral Palsy)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
25 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Two fathers, two sons, two books and an album: the Begleys and the O'Connors collaborate
Dublin and Kerry's sporting ties are well documented, whether it's the rivalry of the counties on the pitch or the camaraderie that has bound their footballers together long after the final whistle at Croke Park. The musical ties that bind the two counties are less well known, but now their shared passion for music, song and dance is being highlighted with the launch of an album by two of the finest musicians in the tradition, Cormac Begley and Liam O'Connor , and with the publication of books by each of their fathers, Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich and Mick O'Connor . Cormac and Liam's album, Into the Loam , is a full-throated, visceral excavation of our tradition through the coalescence of concertina and fiddle. It's a collection that's intuitively familiar and gloriously groundbreaking, the musicians searching for new meaning in old forms. Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich, a box player and singer of renown, has written a rich personal account of his life in music, in culture and in the Irish language. Clann na Seanmhuintire , whose title he translates as Of My People (and which has editions in both Irish and English), is shot through with west Kerry wit, spit-polished and honed by Breanndán's richly textured bilingualism. READ MORE Mick O'Connor is a Dublin flute player and traditional-music historian whose life's work interviewing, recording, photographing and documenting the capital's vast musical tradition has culminated in the publication of In Safe Hands. The book reflects on the city's tapestry of influences and contributions to our musical tradition, beginning with the Gaelic Revival in 1893 and culminating in the formation of Na Píobairí Uilleann in 1968. Mick refers to it as his Satanic Verses, but it's in fact a lovingly nurtured portrait of the great, the good and the downright brilliant artists and characters who have shaped the tradition – and one that halts, perhaps wisely, at a juncture at enough of a remove from the present to allow for insightful appraisal. Mick O'Connor, whose life's work on Dublin's vast musical tradition has culminated in the publication of In Safe Hands Cormac Begley and Liam O'Connor borrowed the title Into the Loam from the late Tony MacMahon, who, upon hearing Cormac's playing some years ago, used the phrase to describe how he was delving deep beneath the surface of the music and making the tunes his own. 'We wanted to record tunes we both resonated with,' Liam says. 'We wanted to explore different combinations of instruments, and we were trying to push a little further than our natural boundaries, in terms of being a bit more organic or rougher around the edges. To leave the earth in there, so that it wouldn't be as clean or crisp – exploring a different spectrum, I suppose.' They recorded the album in the studios at the Irish Traditional Music Archive , on Merrion Square in Dublin – Liam's professional home, as he has been the organisation's director since 2019. [ 'A beast of a musician': Video showing concertina master Cormac Begley goes viral Opens in new window ] 'It's trying to explore what's in the collective subconscious of what we inherited from our families, everyone we played with or met,' he says. 'There are countless experiences from Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy where you have a cacophony of noise, and we wanted to explore some of those experiences on the album and be a little braver in our approach together.' Into the Loam is about creation, not just recreating the music the duo inherited. 'I think it's important to develop your own style,' Cormac says. 'It's something my father always encouraged me to do, and the same for Liam. The goal is to try to find your own voice, your own style of playing, and I think we've dug into that, in terms of exploring the meaning of tunes. 'Every tune has a different emotional world, a grittiness and a way of describing it. The more you open up to that, and listen, and see what the potentials are in your instrument, the better the shared sounds that we create are. 'That's our way of thinking about it. A lot of the people we've listened to over the years who inspired us have done it in their own ways, and that's informed our approach, to step into that for ourselves musically.' To what degree has geography played a part in their tune selections? 'Geography comes up a lot,' Cormac says, 'and for me there's a west Kerry side, but I'm very strongly influenced by Clare music as well. More broadly, geography for me is an emotional geography. Different tunes tap into different feelings and experiences, and it's about trying to be as honest as you can with that.' Breanndán's delight in hearing what Cormac and Liam have created is palpable. 'I've never heard playing like it. It's completely individual,' he says. 'Two individuals coming together as one – and, by the same token, being individual in their playing as well. It's almost ón saol eile' – otherworldly – 'but still very true and very traditional. 'If tradition is alive it has to move – and it has moved to a place that's completely new and yet an-traidisiúnta ar fad', or very traditional altogether. 'It's of itself. It's going deeper into the world that they've come from.' Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich's memoir is Clann na Seanmhuintire Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich's musicianship has been a magnet for musicians and visitors to west Kerry for decades. His autobiography will be the first book to be published under his son's Airt imprint. Writing it played a central role in his recovery from the untimely death of his friend Danny Sheehy, the poet, when the boat they were in capsized off the Iberian coast in 2017. 'I found writing the book therapeutic,' Breanndán says. 'I got great encouragement from [the poet and academic] Tadhg Ó Dubhsláine and from [the book's editor] Tracey Ní Mhaonaigh. There were some – very few – bad memories, and I wanted to settle my score with them, but I found it very healing. 'I keep a diary every day, whether it's a bad or a good day. The road can be very lonely if you're travelling on your own, but if there's something bothering you, and you go to the trouble of writing it down, you've shared it with somebody and it's not stuck within you any more.' Breanndán Ó Beaglaoich might be regarded as someone with the most mellifluous Irish. Perhaps surprisingly, he says of writing the book, 'my fluency in both languages improved, because you have to work to find the right words. I've always loved Hiberno-English. I would hate to see us lose that or to lose all the canúintí ceoil [musical dialects] and canúintí cainte [spoken accent or turns of phrase].' Breanndán's memoir was launched at Listowel Writers Week . Mick O'Connor's book will be launched at the Teachers' Club in Dublin on June 27th. Both men will be at Vicar Street in Dublin for their sons' album launch on Friday, June 6th. It seems that the histories and tunes of both counties are destined for reinvigoration for generations to come. 'It's essentially about my community,' Mick O'Connor says. 'I remember showing visiting pipers from America around Dublin, seeing where all the different musical families lived but don't any more: the Rowsomes, the Potts and the Recks. 'Then we went on to Kerry – and the music was flying. There were no buildings, but they had passed the music on intact. It's great to think that the music has survived. 'Some things are lost, but I think it's in a much better place. Recently I was playing with my family and grandkids, and there were 13 of us up on stage, and all their friends are friends with the Mulligans and the Kellys and so on. 'That's a magnificent place to be: they'll be connected and friends for life now. You couldn't ask for better than that.'
The 42
5 hours ago
- The 42
'We've got to believe that we can beat anyone' - Ireland learn potential play-off opponents
IRELAND FACE INTO the Uefa Women's Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs after finishing second in Group B2. Carla Ward's side were chasing top spot, but didn't achieve the four-goal win needed to usurp Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening. They won 1-0 thanks to Saoirse Noonan's first-half goal. While Slovenia secured safe passage to League A, Ireland have another shot at promotion in the play-offs in October. Their opponents — a third-placed League A outfit — will be confirmed in a Friday's draw in Nyon [12pm Irish time]. One of Austria (18th in the world rankings), Iceland (13th), Belgium (20th) and Denmark (12th) will await in a two-legged tie. 'I think that whoever we get out of those, they're top nations,' said Ward. 'But, look, we're building, we're evolving. Advertisement 'I think you've seen from game one to game six now the improvement, gaming as we've continued, five wins from six. So, we've got to believe that we can go and beat anyone. 'Players that have played for me at club and country often laugh at me because I'm somebody that believes that we can do anything if we really want to. 'So, whoever we get is going to be difficult, but we'll be prepared. That's for sure.' Austria are the only side not competing at this summer's European Championships. Ireland (26th) are unseeded, so will play at home first in the two-legged play-offs. League A status would significantly boost their 2027 World Cup qualification hopes. The Girls In Green will be without Anna Patten for the first leg of the October play-off: the Aston Villa defender is suspended after receiving a second yellow card this evening. Several other players, including Katie McCabe and Denise O'Sullivan, are one booking away from a ban. Ireland return to action later this month with a pair of friendlies away to world number one-ranked side USA. McCabe will not travel after a hectic season, which she finished as a Champions League winner with Arsenal. 'A number' of players could be unavailable, Ward confirmed. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country. She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others. There's going to be conversations. It won't just be Katie that won't be travelling. There's probably going to be a number. 'It's a difficult one. I mean, you've seen with Millie Bright at England coming out, mental and physical fatigue is massive. I felt it at Villa. It's the reason I needed that break. It's a really tough place to be, and I think there's a lot of players close to that. They've played a lot of minutes, so we have to protect them. 'We have to protect them as people, and we'll support anybody that needs that break.'
The 42
5 hours ago
- The 42
'She was low on confidence' - Ward hails Ireland's Player of the Match Murphy
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND WNT manager Carla Ward has hailed the performance of Emily Murphy who was named the Player of the Match after their Nations League victory over Slovenia. Ireland's quest for automatic qualification to League A fell short in Páirc Uí Chaoimh but Murphy's impressive display was one of the many positives for the hosts to take forward to the play-offs in October. Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, and Austria await Ireland in the draw on Friday. Murphy, who scored the late winner against Türkiye last week, was prominent throughout and broke through for chances at goal while winning plenty of possession and breaking through tackles. She also played a part in Saoirse Noonan's goal as she provided the pass for Jessie Stapleton to send in the delivery for Noonan's header. But speaking after Ireland's 1-0 win, Ward said that Murphy was not playing with much confidence when she took over as the new manager back in January. 'She was low on confidence, had not played many minutes. We had an honest conversation with her after the first camp, that she might not be in the second camp, as we needed more from her. She's got better and better.' Similarly, Ireland's goal-scorer Saoirse Noonan had a breakthrough performance this evening. Her goal on 19 minutes proved to be the difference while her all-round display was equally effective before her withdrawal on 62 minutes for Amber Barrett. This was Noonan's first competitive start for Ireland, starring in front of a home crowd along with fellow Cork natives Megan Connolly and Denise O'Sullivan. 'I know she's been around a while,' Ward replied when asked about Noonan's performance. 'Her first competitive start for her country, which I reminded her of just before the game and said, 'Look, here's your moment.' I thought she was excellent. She held the ball up really, really well. Advertisement 'When she came on against Türkiye, she was excellent. And tonight, she's done exactly what we needed her to do. So, to get the goal on her home soil is pleasing.' Reflecting on Ireland's overall performance, Ward said she was satisfied that her team corrected the mistakes that marred last Friday's comeback 2-1 win in Istanbul. Ireland struggled to deal with Türkiye's counter-attack and fell behind just after half-time. She said Ireland adapted to being a 'mid-press team' against Slovenia which she wants to develop ahead of two important friendlies against the four-time World Cup winners USA in the summer before the Nations League play-offs in October. 'Probably the way I'd put it would be a Carla Ward team on the ball and an Irish mentality off the ball. That's what we need to build on. If we want to play in an exciting way going forward, we have to be better off the ball. 'And that was the start of it tonight. Now we go to the US and play the best in the world and try to continue that work but there is still a lot of work to do. 'There was an attitude and a mentality from the word go. 15 shots on goal which is huge. We've not struggled to create in this group but certainly maybe struggled to be clinical. But as I said I'm nothing but proud of the group tonight.' The Ireland team honour Louise Quinn after her final game tonight. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Louise Quinn made her final appearance in an Ireland shirt this evening, coming on for Abbie Larkin with 10 minutes to go. Ward praised the veteran defender for imparting inspirational words to the group on full-time which focused on the next generation and the importance of never taking the Irish jersey for granted. She added that she would like to have Quinn with the travelling group for their trip to America, but says Quinn has declined to go. 'I've been literally trying to convince her. 'She's been brilliant. Even in team meetings, she sparks conversation where maybe some of the younger ones don't. Her message at the end was so important, so important in terms of, now it's over to you guys.'
