Tommy Martin: FAI counted cost of boycotting Israel. Have they counted cost of playing?

Ireland's players have agency and they carry weight in this country. They are the same boys who made our hearts soar last November and that brings responsibility. They are entitled to make a collective decision, and they are entitled to be respected for it, but it is unavoidable that they will also partially own the consequences.

Whether or not it is justified, Ireland's players were always going to be questioned about their actions around the games against Israel. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Hey, Republic of Ireland players, you boycotted the wrong game!

Excuse the cheap shot, because if Thursday night’s defeat to Kosovo was good for anything, it was as a reminder of the innocent pain of watching an Ireland team toiling on the pitch rather than in press conferences answering questions about awkward political matters.