It was at very much at this time of the year — an early March Saturday — 87 years ago that Franklin D Roosevelt, as the 32nd president of the United States, gave in his inaugural address a warning. “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is ... fear itself.”

Irish fans will have access to an increased allocation of 2,200 tickets for the Republic's Euro 2020 play-off away to Slovakia.

The last time Ireland played in Slovakia was a Euro 2012 qualifier in Zilina in 2010.

There are obvious holes to be picked in the belief it is never a bad idea to watch a game of football.

Switzerland topped Ireland’s qualification group with an easy 6-1 win away to Gibraltar in their final match last night, with Cedric Itten scoring twice.

Yesterday, Denmark celebrated the two-year anniversary of the 5-1 win in Dublin which secured qualification to the World Cup in Russia.

The Republic of Ireland have lost the opening game of their UEFA Under-19 European Championship qualifiers 2-1 to Switzerland in Salzburg.

As it stands, the Republic of Ireland need to defeat Denmark by two clear goals to be absolutely certain of qualification to Euro 2020.

Rather than feeling bullish about another Dublin cake-walk next month, Denmark manager Åge Hareide is convinced Mick McCarthy will have Ireland better prepared than his predecessor Martin O’Neill.

After the 2-0 defeat to Switzerland in Geneva on Tuesday, Mick McCarthy has no hesitation in saying that Ireland were beaten by “the best team in the group”.

There was no quick getaway from their Swiss mission for the Republic of Ireland players.

Prior to Geneva, when did Ireland last start with 3-5-2?

Forty-five years after making my Ireland debut, 55 years after watching my country play for the first time, I’m struggling to think of a week when we produced back-to-back performances as poor as these.

The Republic of Ireland's hopes of qualifying for Euro 2020 were dealt a blow in Geneva last night as hosts Switzerland scored a well-deserved 2-0 victory.

This was a night of tension, drama, and intrigue.

At least the phoney war is over, the fable of Mick McCarthy clothed in Merlin the Magician garb belatedly binned.

Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy has said his change of system didn't excuse the poverty of his side's performance in the first half of their 2-0 loss to Switzerland.

A frustrating night for the Republic of Ireland ended in a first 2020 European Championship qualifying defeat on a raid-sodden Geneva pitch.

Ger McCarthy on the lessons learned from Ireland's 2-0 loss to Switzerland at the Stade de Genève.

Update: The Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 qualifier against Switzerland will go ahead after the referee carried out a pitch inspection at the Stade Geneve.

Barring one adventurous run in which he cut inside a couple of Georgian defenders into their penalty box, Matt Doherty made little impact during the stalemate in Tbilisi.

It’s hard to see how taking on Switzerland on their own patch could be anything other than a seriously daunting experience for Ireland but Enda Stevens will be only too happy to be back in the thick of things in Geneva tonight.

It’s not ‘do or die’ for Ireland tomorrow tonight – more like a case of ‘do but not die’.

For a country synonymous with watches, Switzerland’s team have developed an unusual aversion to sticking by the clock.

Aaron Connolly is very much in Mick McCarthy’s mind for a starting place in Geneva tomorrow night but if the Brighton bright spark is to be given the nod, the manager suggests he might need support up front.

Brighton’s Shane Duffy and Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick could yet be fit for Ireland’s game against Switzerland on Tuesday week.

Blackburn Rovers defenders Darragh Lenihan and Greg Cunningham have been called up for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 qualifiers this month.

A look at the Republic of Ireland's player performances against Bulgaria tonight.

John Egan will captain the Republic of Ireland for the first time tonight when Bulgaria visit the Aviva for an international friendly.

In a spirit of, as he put it,“nothing ventured, nothing gained”, Mick McCarthy has made the left-field decision to play Conor Hourihane atleft-back against Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium tonight.

As far as Mick McCarthy is concerned, the good news is that Georgia held Denmark 0-0. And the bad news is that Georgia held Denmark 0-0.

Call it ‘John Egan — The Sequel’. The week before last, we were talking to him at Sheffield United’s training ground and, considering his bloodlines, it was no surprise that much of the conversation revolved around the upcoming All-Ireland final.

David McGoldrick and Callum Robinson are out of Tuesday night’s friendly with Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium.

There were times when this would have felt just like old times for Glenn Whelan. And everyone watching.

Despite plenty of endeavour, Ireland’s attack lacked the requisite composure or finishing ability to adequately trouble their opponents for much of the 90 minutes.

It’s an old adage in football: if you can’t win a game, at least do your best not to lose it.

Callum Robinson has shaken off a slight thigh injury to start for the Republic of Ireland in this evening's crunch Euro 2020 qualifier against Switzerland.

In the run-up to big games, we easily pleased meeja types like nothing better than when rival managers and players have the fabled ‘pop’ at each other.

Of their 19 games since the start of 2018, Switzerland have lost five, tacked on by a penalty shoot-out loss to England in the Nations League finals last time out.

Garry Doyle halflength cut Saipan: The year was dominated by that single word. Chances are no-one in Irish football had ever heard of the place before but by the time 2002 was out, it was as infamous as the other distant battlefields young Irishmen had fought in — Ypres, Gallipoli, and the Somme.

Richard Dunne believes Mick McCarthy’s demand for his players to put the emphasis on applying rather than absorbing pressure — in contrast to what he saw as a fear of failure beginning to inhibit the team under the previous management regime — means Ireland are now in a better position to make home advantage tell against Switzerland tonight.

Seamus Coleman has warned the Republic of Ireland not to be taken in by the absence of Switzerland's talisman Xherdan Shaqiri as the sides go head-to-head in the battle for Euro 2020 qualification.

Mick McCarthy has described tomorrow night’s Euro 2020 meeting with Switzerland at the Aviva Stadium as Ireland's biggest game since his second coming as international manager.

Stephen Kenny and his Swiss friend Christophe Moulin have many things in common such as their coaching philosophy, a Pro Licence qualification from the Northern Ireland FA and even their year of birth.

Should Jeff Hendrick play against Switzerland tomorrow night, the game will mark his 50th cap for Ireland.

Unlike John Egan and Enda Stevens, who both made it to Croker on Sunday, Darren Randolph watched proceedings on television and, as one goalkeeper observing another, was much taken with the performance of the Dublin netminder Stephen Cluxton.

James McClean has warned Switzerland to write off the Republic of Ireland at their peril as the sides prepare to go head-to-head in the battle for Euro 2020 qualification.

Four players have withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad for Thursday's Euro 2020 qualifier against Switzerland due to fitness issues.

Mick McCarthy's men face Switzerland in a "huge" Euro2020 qualifier on September 5 before a friendly with Bulgaria five days later.