Republic players give match fees to tsunami disaster fund

Republic of Ireland players in tonight’s friendly against Portugal have donated their €35,000 match fees to the Asian tsunami disaster fund and a cheque will be handed over to GOAL at half-time.

The players’ amount has also been matched by the FAI and will be presented by its officials to GOAL chief John O’Shea to fund aid projects in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The total cheque of €110,000 also includes the proceeds of a charity game in Dalymount Park last month between Oireachtas TDs and FAI officials and sports journalists.

Mr O’Shea tonight thanked the Republic of Ireland players for donating their match fees to charity.

He said: “Footballers can often live in an unreal world but they dipped into their pockets for this and I’m grateful and I commend them.”

Mr O’Shea visited the players at their Portmarnock training ground on Monday to thank them personally and explain where the money would be going.

Manager of the Oireachtas team, Jimmy Deenihan also played tribute to the Republic of Ireland players, which include Damien Duff and Robbie Keane, for responding to the tsunami disaster.

He said: “The catastrophe affected everybody and these lads are no different.”

The Dalymount Park charity game, which was kicked off by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on January 26, was won by the FAI/Media select which also included ex-internationals Pakie Bonner and Niall Quinn.

Oireachtas team captain Barry Andrews, whose father David is chairman of the Irish Red Cross, said: “The response from the general public to the Asian tsunami appeals was amazing and as public representatives we were delighted to do something ourselves.”