Job done, now for the French
Three victories for Brian Kerr's team and they will have secured automatic qualification. Alternatively, two wins and a draw might even be enough but will certainly achieve a play-off place.
So all that stands in the way of a third appearance on the stage of the greatest football show on earth are home games against France and Switzerland and an away trip to Cyprus. Easy, really.
It could all come down to a nerve-wracking showdown in Lansdowne Road on October 12 when the Swiss arrive for the final game. But, today, as the Irish players seek out sunnier climes after an extended stay in the North Atlantic, no-one is looking beyond September 7 and the visit of the French.
There appeared to be a split in the party line after Wednesday's game, when Brian Kerr and Roy Keane differed about Ireland's status for Le Crunch. The manager said his team would be underdogs but when the point was put to the player, he replied: "Underdogs? No, I don't think so. Not at Lansdowne Road? No."
It would be unwise to turn it into another burgeoning Irish football civil war. The truth is that both are right. Even though they have yet to impose themselves on the group, it's hard to shake off the notion that the French have big performances in them.
But Keane is correct to highlight the Lansdowne factor as one which can and should intimidate the opposition and lift the Irish team. As Keane says: "Hopefully come September the players will be a bit sharper and a bit fresher, as we need to be against France."
The French will obviously pose a much stiffer test, but one clear positive out of the Faroes was that Stephen Elliott served notice of his readiness to seize any opportunity that might come his way. After a slow first half, the young Sunderland striker impressed with his movement, workrate and intelligent use of the ball. And he was just a crossbar away from crowning his competitive debut with a goal which would otherwise surely have come his way had not Mikkelsen brought him down to concede the penalty.
"I think I should have scored," he said of his first half follow-up to Andy Reid's shot. "I was a bit off balance, but I just tried to put it out of my head and get on with the rest of the game, but the main thing was getting the three points.
"Hopefully I've made an impact but I still think there's a lot more to be done in the group, but if I keep doing my stuff with Sunderland next season then hopefully Brian will have the confidence to put me in again.
"I will just have to keep plugging away, but it's been a brilliant end to the season for me. It's been a dream-come-true season."
And next season, the 21 year old will find himself testing his skills against the best in the Premiership.
"Next season is going to be a difficult one after going up, but I'm looking forward to the challenge," he said.
In contrast to the neophyte, Kevin Kilbane is in line to equal Packie Bonner's record of 34 consecutive competitive games for Ireland.
Did he feel in the first half that the game was not going to go Ireland's way? "We were under pressure a couple of times, but I certainly felt we would win the game," he said, "but then we felt that on Saturday (against Israel) and it didn't go our way. But once Hartey got the goal, it just helped us to relax."
Reflecting on Ireland's top of the table standing, Kilbane said: "That's all we could have expected. I think people were disappointed after what happened at the weekend, but we got through it against the Faroes and it's all in our hands now.
"If we win the next three games, then that's us, but it's going to be tough and there are going to be some ups and downs along the way.
"But I'm very confident of qualification, and I'm sure the rest of the lads are too. We've enough ability and the players to do it."
And his take on Ireland's top dogs or underdogs billing against the French?
"I suppose they've a lot of quality players, but with us being at home, I will feel very confident."
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