Newcastle United midfielder Rory Finneran has received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad for their friendly against Grenada. The 18-year-old has joined Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad in Murcia, Spain for their training camp before they face Grenada on Saturday at the Estadio Nueva Condomina [17:00 BST].
I talked to him over a year ago. He expressed a desire to play for Ireland. He was injured then so we have been watching him. His development at Queens Park has been growing and it's a perfect time to bring him into the squad. Good player, good person, hard-working guy, creator of chances and scoring goals, so I'm looking forward to working with Harvey.
Liverpool have signed Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O'Sullivan on a permanent deal from North Carolina Courage. The midfielder had a year remaining on her contract with North Carolina but it is believed Liverpool have paid a club-record fee in the region of 300,000. The 31-year-old brings a wealth of experience having picked up 128 caps for her country since making her debut in 2011. She has represented clubs in the United States, Australia, Scotland and England, as well as her native Ireland.
Around him the galleries, which had grown to empathise with his too-often traumatic pursuit of a green jacket and by consequence, golf's Major Grand Slam, were in ecstasy. As his white Nike ball disappeared, McIlroy fell to his knees and buried his head in the same short cut that had, less than half-an-hour earlier, betrayed him when a putt to win the elusive US Masters in regulation slipped by, forcing a play-off with Justin Rose that he ultimately closed out with that birdie.
For Tommy Shields, the moment of magic was a blur. It was the dying seconds of Ireland's must-win match against Hungary on Sunday and he was high up in the third tier of Budapest's Puskás Aréna, roaring himself hoarse in the hope that the unexpected might, somehow, materialise. It did. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher launched the ball towards goal.
The Republic of Ireland have secured a second-place finish in Group F of the 2026 World Cup qualifications and a place in the playoffs, winning their last game of the campaign away to Hungary in a stunning fashion. It was imperative for the Irish to win this game, but they fell behind within three minutes as Daniel Lukacs put the hosts ahead. Troy Parrott equalized from the spot in the 15th minute, only to see his team go down again to Barnabas Varga's strike for Hungary in the 37th.
The peace and quiet of their base in the countryside, in a small, sleepy village 20km away from the bustle of the capital Budapest, was in stark contrast to the fighting talk from the Hungary camp as they are preparing for football's version of war when they collide with the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.
Campbell has been without a club since leaving London City Lionesses at the end of last season following their promotion to the WSL. The 32-year-old won 57 caps for Republic of Ireland after making her senior debut in August 2011 against Switzerland. Campbell, who could play left back or centre back, was a member of the Irish squad that qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup, but she missed the tournament through injury.
