Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year

The full house signs on the approaches to Dalymount Park for tonight’s derby meeting of Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers sit comfortably with a domestic game that is once again allowing itself to embrace a guarded sense of optimism. 

Vincent Mullins is decking the front garden in maroon and white. He’s the last to do so on this particular stretch of Ardrahan road. There’s a heightened sense of excitement around these parts, what with Jonathan Glynn living next door and all.

This wasn’t just about the Republic of Ireland qualifying for the knockout stages of Euro 2016. This was about crossing a Rubicon.

Keiren Westwood’s body language said it all. With 70 minutes played at Turner’s Cross on Tuesday, and David Forde given the nod to replace Shay Given in goal, it looked like the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper’s chances of booking passage to France had come and gone without him even donning the gloves.

Robbie Keane has been included in Ireland’s squad of 23 for the European Championship finals despite a calf injury having ruled him out of the match against Belarus at Turner’s Cross.

It looks like it will be all-change upfront for Ireland in Turner’s Cross tomorrow night, with Shane Long — who opened the scoring against the Netherlands on Friday but also opened a pre-existing cut on his knee — set to be rested and wrapped in cotton-wool so nothing more serious befalls him between now and June 13.

All eyes will be on James McCarthy when, if all goes according to plan, the Everton midfielder joins the rest of the Irish squad for training at Turner’s Cross today.

Martin O’Neill has poured scorn on the suggestion he will have to guard against the boredom and grumbles that were supposedly rife among Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland squad in the lead-up and during Euro 2012.

Many people are of the opinion that international friendlies at this time of year are meaningless but I have never viewed them that way, writes Liam Brady

The big positives and worrying trends that came out of yesterday’s friendly...

Casting an eye over those battling to be on the plane for the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2016 adventure...

Edin Dzeko tried to be diplomatic, even if he didn’t try too hard to think. After the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker spent a few minutes talking about how Ireland’s many absent players wouldn’t negatively affect Martin O’Neill’s side, the 29-year-old was asked which opposition players had impressed him.

Darren Randolph could hardly have picked a better time to keep a clean sheet at Anfield.

Having upped sticks from Malahide, the Irish squad will get a first taste of their new Dublin base when they step out on Pitch Number One at the National Training Centre in Abbotstown this morning, to begin preparations for the European Championship double-header away to Gibraltar in Faro on Friday and at home to Georgia in the Aviva Stadium on the following Monday.

Darren Randolph is hoping game time with West Ham can help him add to his two Republic of Ireland caps in next month’s Euro 2016 double-header against Gibraltar and Georgia.

How the Irish fared...

When you’ve spent a career scrapping in every tier of English football, as Rene Gilmartin has, a promotion to the Premier League is treated with a healthy does of scepticism rather than elation.

It’s off, in ways we wouldn’t have expected under a manager of Martin O’Neill’s standing.

Martin O’Neill is trusting that his players will go the extra mile in keeping themselves sharp and focused in the long post-season run-up to the friendly against England on June 7 and, more crucially, the Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland on June 13.

Martin O’Neill won’t be immune to the reverberations of the ups and downs his Irish players are currently experiencing as the league season in England approaches his climax.

It was an eventful day for the Irish at The Den on Saturday as Derby continued to stumble towards a play-off spot after twice coming from two goals down to draw 3-3 at struggling Millwall. 

Two of Brentford’s Irish players were in flying form on Saturday but their best efforts were not enough to earn the Bees three desperately-needed points.

Martin O’Neill might have been presiding over the launch of the FAI’s popular Summer Soccer Schools for 2015 at the Aviva Stadium yesterday but he left nobody in any doubt that, in his role at the very top of the Irish football tree, there’s no percentage in treating players like little kids.

Jeff Hendrick should have been sent off for a “shocking challenge” before playing a central role in Derby’s last-gasp equaliser in their 1-1 draw against fellow playoff hopefuls Brentford on Saturday.

Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Poland last Sunday provided definitive proof that, just as we’d always suspected, the celebrated glass is indeed both half-full and half-empty at one and the same time.

Shay Given says a desire to avoid regrets convinced him to return to international football.

Our football analyst, Liam Brady, offers a reality check after the drama of a last-gasp equaliser against the Poles— why James McClean should replace Aiden McGeady and the doubts that still persist about James McCarthy.

Euro 2016 Qualifier Group D

Forget about Robbie Keane and Wes Hoolahan, the most pounding selection headache awaiting Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill will be choosing his goalkeeper.

“You’re getting spoiled with ‘keepers, lads,” quipped David Forde as he approached the media scrum on the sidelines at Gannon Park.

Martin O’Neill admits he has a number of selection decisions to make before he finalises his team to play Poland at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday.

Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter is the only newcomer in a provisional 34-man Irish squad for the Euro qualifier against Poland but Martin O’Neill has sprung something of a surprise by including injured Hull City winger Robbie Brady.

A weekend that started in celebration ultimately ended in frustration for Daryl Murphy.