[caption id="attachment_69378" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="The Keane and Beckham families are close in Los Angeles."]
The FAI is now close to finalising arrangements for the Boys in Green prior to the Euro 2012 finals next June. On May 26 the Republic will play Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Then they will head off to Florence in Italy for warm weather training. After that they move to Hungary where a friendly is likely against the Maygars on June 3. Then the squad will move to in Gdynia near Gdansk which will be their base for the first round games against Croatia, Italy and Spain.
Trapp is likely to stand by the 26 players who played in the ten qualifying games and the two-legged play off against Estonia. The manager will get only one proper opportunity to assess new players, that will be in the friendly against the Czech Republic at the Aviva on Feb. 29 as the games against Bosnia-Herzegovania and Hungary will come too late for any newcomers to impress. James McClean of Sunderland could get a first cap against the Czechs, while there may also be an opportunity for James McCarthy of Wigan and Everton’s Donegal-born Seamus Coleman. Meanwhile Stephen Ireland is having a good season with Aston Villa, but the Corkman, who won six caps under Steve Staunton, says he has no interest in returning to international football. And at this stage it’s unlikely that Trapp would call Ireland up -- even if he was getting a hat-trick every Saturday for Villa.
Meanwhile that loyal Irish servant Kevin Kilbane has no hope of making the Euro 2012 squad. Kilbane, who made a record 66 consecutive competitive appearances between 1999 and 2011, lost his place at left back to Stephen Ward at the end of last year. He has been struggling with a back complaint and now requires surgery that will rule him out for the remainder of the season.
CAT RYAN SAYS IT OVER
Goalkeeper P.J. Ryan is the latest Kilkenny hurler to announce his retirement from the county squad. Ryan is following the lead set by James “Cha” Fitzpatrick and Eddie Brennan. The 34-year-old Fenian’s clubman, who joined the squad in 2002 and was originally understudy to James McGarry, won seven All-Ireland medals, nine Leinster championships, five National Leagues and one All Star in a glittering career. He played a few National League games last year before losing his place to impressive newcomer David Herity for the championship. Ryan said: ‘‘I arrived with nothing but hope, and I left with a pocketful of medals. I was blessed to be part of Kilkenny hurling during a golden era.’’
DUNNE, THIERRY
TO MEET AGAIN
Twenty six months ago Richard Dunne and Thierry Henry were pictured sitting down together on the pitch in Parc de Princes after Henry’s infamous hand ball gave France victory in their World Cup play-off against the Republic. Nobody knows exactly what Dunne said to Henry on that Parisian night in November 2009, but I suppose we all have to move on in our lives. It’s probably unpalatable, but the truth is that an Irish player would probably have done the same thing in a similar situation. Dunne and Henry will meet up again on Sunday when Arsenal play Aston Villa in the 4th round of the English FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium. Henry has been impressive since rejoining Arsenal and on Sunday he will be coming up against a growing Irish colony from Villa Park. In addition to Dunne, goalkeeper Shay Given is back after injury, then there is the mercurial Stephen Ireland plus Robbie Keane, who like Henry, is on loan from the MSL. But the big game on this FA Cup weekend is the meeting of Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on Saturday. It will be the first meeting between these great rivals since they drew 1-1 in the EPL on Oct. 15, during which Liverpool’s Luis Suarez racially abused United’s Patrice Evra.
‘90210’ FAN TO MOVE IN Robbie Keane’s two-month loan deal with Aston Villa means that the Keane family will have to put off moving into their new house in Hollywood for a while. Keane, wife Claudine and two-year old son Robert Jr. have been living at the Ritz Carlton hotel since he joined LA Galaxy, but Claudine says that they have now purchased a new house in Beverley Hills. The former Miss Ireland contestant said: ‘‘The zip code is 90210, which I find so surreal because I used to watch the show ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ when I was young. After much searching we decided this house was right for us because it’s so near Robert Jr’s new school in West Hollywood. We wanted to be close to everything going on in the city and this way Robert is also still close to the beach.’’ In a recent interview Claudine Keane also revealed that they spent Thanksgiving with the Beckhams. ‘‘They are so down to earth. David doesn’t realise how famous he is. That’s my honest opinion,’’ said Claudine.
DONEGAL DUO OUT
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness will have to plan without two of this top forward for the first few rounds of the National Football League. Captain Michael Murphy underwent surgery last week to rectify a Gilmore Groin injury which he aggravated in a recent challenge game against Roscommon. He could be out for most of the League campaign. Colm McFadden will also miss the first few Leagues games as he is struggling with a back injury.
Meanwhile Paddy Bradley is back in action with Derry after missing all of last year’s championship with a cruciate knee injury. His younger brother Eoin, who has also been out injured with a cruciate problem, hopes to be back in action by Easter. Cork forward Colm O’Neill is also back after his cruciate injury. Another player who expects to be back in time for the start of the National League is Mayo’s Andy Moran. He has made a full recovery after breaking his leg training with the Irish International Rules team last October. But the intercounty scene is over for Tommy Griffin. The Dingle clubman, who has been troubled with injuries in recent years, has decided to retire from the Kerry squad.
FITZPATRICK
TAPS O’LEART
Louth’s Peter Fitzpatrick, the only intercounty manager in the country, who is also a sitting T.D., has beefed up his backroom team for the year ahead. Former Donegal manager Brian McEniff has officially been confirmed as a senior selector with the Wee County this year. Last year the Bundoran hotelier gave advice to Fitzpatrick and the Louth players, but this year he has officially been brought on board as a selector. Also joining the Louth backroom team is former Dublin goalkeeper John O’Leary, who will be the goalkeeper and backs coach. O’Leary had a spell as Wicklow manager and has also managed the Dublin Ladies senior team.
Another former player moving into the management game is Grey Blayney. The former Down forward is taking over as manager of Antrim club St. Brigid’s.
EX-BOSS ‘WINNING’
CANCER BATTLE
Ger Loughnane, the former Clare and Galway hurling manager, says he is winning his battle against leukaemia. The 58-year-old was diagnosed with the disease last June, but after intensive treatment at St James’s Hospital in Dublin, he is close to full health once again. Loughnane says he is retiring from his job as principal of St. Aidan’s National School in Shannon, but then a lot of teachers and Gardaí are retiring under the “Croke Park” deal before the end of February as their pensions would be cut after that date. Loughnane has always been an outspoken analyst on television and in print and in a revealing interview with the Irish Daily Star where he was a former columnist; Loughnane said he didn’t turn to prayer when he was ill. Ger said: ‘‘While in hospital I was asked if I prayed. I said I never prayed so I couldn’t start after living my life over 50 years without it just because I got into a bit of trouble. What kind of person would I be if I did that? I would have been behaving like a complete coward if I started begging for mercy after showing no religious tendencies in over 50 years. I had total confidence in the doctors.’’ Loughnane says he hopes to back on RTE’s Sunday Game panel next summer.
