Paul Fennessy

GIVEN THE recent run of results, you would be forgiven for thinking there has never been a worse era for the Irish national team.

But is that really the case?

Excluding games against Gibraltar, Ireland have lost 11 of their last 14 competitive matches.

In 2024 they have played six games, picking up one win, one draw and four losses.

They are due to play four more Nations League fixtures this year — two against Finland, and trips to England and Greece.

What are the best and worst eras of Irish football, purely based on results, is debatable.

It’s impossible to come up with a definitive way of measuring it.

Ireland usually play around 10 games a year. It has consistently been around that figure since the mid-1980s. In the 1960s and ’70s, it was generally closer to five games a year, and before then, international fixtures were even more sporadic — three or fewer in 12 months was often the norm. Or at least, that was the case for the Irish team, given that they rarely qualified for major tournaments in their history.

A look back through historical results provides some fascinating insights.

Ireland’s worst year in terms of losses was 2023 under Stephen Kenny when they suffered six defeats.

The Boys in Green must avoid defeat in at least three of their four upcoming fixtures to ensure they do not emulate this unwanted record, while three or more losses in matches with Finland (home and away), Greece (away) and England (away) would break it.

Conversely, you might be surprised to learn that Ireland’s most successful year for wins was 2011 under Giovanni Trapattoni when they secured nine victories.

Yet it is also worth noting that 2011 was the team’s joint-most active year in terms of games played. As with 2013, the team were involved in 14 international matches.

But if you were to look more in terms of consistency, you won’t be surprised to learn Ireland’s best period results-wise was in the Jack Charlton era.

That period almost feels like the antithesis of now — Ireland seemed almost unbeatable.

From 29 April 1987 to 26 May 1992, Charlton’s men played 49 games and lost only four, against Netherlands at Euro ’88, a 1990 World Cup qualifier with Spain, the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals to tournament hosts Italy and a 1992 friendly with Wales.

The 3-1 defeat Jack Charlton’s side suffered in a 1994 World Cup qualifier versus Spain was the team’s first competitive home defeat in eight years.

Excluding games versus Gibraltar, by the time they next play at the Aviva against Finland, the current Ireland team will have gone more than two years without a competitive home win.

It is also worth noting there were far fewer so-called minnows in the Jack Charlton era and before then — with the likes of Gibraltar not competing on the international stage until relatively recently.

Yet you could argue there have been worse periods for Irish football than the 2020s.

After beating Czechoslovakia in November 1967, Ireland would have to wait almost five years for their next win, which came against Iran in the Brazil Independence Cup in June 1972.

Older former players will complain that the starting XI was picked by a selection committee until September 1969 (when Mick Meagan took charge).

Only counting 12-month periods where the team played at least five games, there have been two years where they went unbeaten — 1989 and 1991.

And also incorporating the five games caveat, there are three years where they were winless for the whole 12 months — 1969, 1970 and 2020.

So are the 2020s worse than the late ’60s and early ’70s?

Or how about the 10 years between the start of 1939 and the end of 1948, where Ireland managed just two wins, albeit with the significant caveat that they played no official games between 1940 and 1945 because of World War II?

The other years they didn’t play at all following their first official match in 1924 were 1925, 1927 and 1933.

If you’re not overwhelmed by the many stats, we’ve compiled the full list of games below in 100 years of Ireland competing.

In addition, we’ve put together a separate list focusing purely on competitive games.

There are also some interesting findings in this context. Ireland’s worst-ever year for competitive losses was 2023 (6), with five losses in 1969 and 1970 as the runners-up.

Ireland must avoid defeat in one of their remaining four matches to not equal last year’s unwanted record.

By contrast, their best year was seven wins under Mick McCarthy in 2001, with five wins in 2011, 1993 and 1989 as the runners-up.

The Irish team have a reputation for draws, specifically 1-1 draws, so their most stereotypical year in that regard was 2009 under Giovanni Trapattoni (7). Six of those were competitive games and five ended 1-1, including a remarkable run of four in a row by that scoreline.

By contrast, the current side have only drawn 1-1 twice in their last 30 matches, the most recent of which was Stephen Kenny’s final game in charge versus New Zealand. After a poor start, Heimir Hallgrímsson might settle for a revival of this trend in his upcoming matches.

Again, it should be noted that these records are skewed in favour of modern times. Ireland never qualified for major tournaments before the Jack Charlton era and consequently, they rarely played more than three competitive games a year before the 1980s, and barely any pre-1950s.

If a particular year is missing below, Ireland didn’t play any games during those 12 months.

A brief history of Ireland’s matches by year:

2024: 6 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 4 losses (4 games remaining)
2023: 10 games – 3 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses.
2022: 10 games – 4 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses.
2021: 12 games – 4 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses.
2020: 8 games – 0 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses.
2019: 10 games – 5 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
2018: 9 games – 1 win, 4 draws, 4 losses.
2017: 11 games – 3 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses.
2016: 13 games – 6 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses.
2015: 9 games – 4 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
2014: 11 games – 4 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses.
2013: 14 games – 5 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses.
2012: 12 games – 4 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses.
2011: 14 games – 9 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
2010: 9 games – 4 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses.
2009: 12 games – 3 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses.
2008: 8 games – 3 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.
2007: 11 games – 4 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss.
2006: 7 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses.
2005: 9 games – 4 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.
2004: 13 games – 7 wins, 5 draws, 1 loss.
2003: 11 games – 7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
2002: 12 games – 5 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses.
2001: 10 games – 7 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss.
2000: 10 games – 4 wins 4 draws, 2 losses.
1999: 10 games – 5 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.
1998: 6 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
1997: 10 games – 3 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses.
1996: 11 games – 3 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses.
1995: 8 games – 2 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses.
1994: 12 games – 7 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses.
1993: 9 games – 6 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss.
1992: 10 games – 5 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses.
1991: 8 games – 3 wins, 5 draws.
1990: 13 games – 6 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss.
1989: 8 games – 5 wins, 3 draws.
1988: 10 games – 5 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.
1987: 8 games – 6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1986: 7 games – 2 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses.
1985: 9 games – 1 win, 4 draws, 4 losses.
1984: 7 games – 2 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses.
1983: 5 games – 3 wins, 2 losses.
1982: 7 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 5 losses.
1981: 6 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
1980: 8 games – 4 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
1979: 8 games – 3 wins, 5 losses.
1978: 6 games – 1 win, 4 draws, 1 loss.
1977: 5 games – 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses.
1976: 5 games – 2 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss.
1975: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 losses.
1974: 5 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses.
1973: 5 games – 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses.
1972: 6 games – 3 wins, 3 losses.
1971: 3 games – 3 losses.
1970: 6 games – 1 draw, 5 losses.
1969: 7 games – 2 draws, 5 losses.
1968: 3 games – 2 draws, 1 loss.
1967: 3 games – 1 wins, 2 losses.
1966: 6 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
1965: 4 games – 1 win, 3 losses.
1964: 6 games – 2 wins, 4 losses.
1963: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 draw.
1962: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1961: 4 games – 4 losses.
1960: 5 games – 3 wins, 2 losses.
1959: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 loss.
1958: 3 games – 2 draws, 1 loss.
1957: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1956: 3 games – 3 wins.
1955: 5 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses.
1954: 2 games – 2 wins.
1953: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 losses.
1952: 4 games – 1 draw, 3 losses.
1951: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 loss.
1950: 2 games – 1 draw, 1 loss.
1949: 8 games – 3 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses.
1948: 4 games – 4 losses.
1947: 2 games – 1 win, 1 loss.
1946: 3 games – 1 win, 2 losses.
1939: 3 games – 3 draws.
1938: 4 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1937: 4 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1936: 5 games – 3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1935: 3 games – 3 losses.
1934: 3 games – 1 draw, 2 losses.
1932: 1 game – 1 win.
1931: 2 games – 1 draw, 1 loss.
1930: 1 game – 1 win.
1929: 1 game – 1 win.
1928: 1 game – 1 win.
1926: 1 game – 1 loss.
1924: 4 games – 3 wins, 1 loss.

* Excludes unofficial matches and abandoned games.

A brief history of Ireland’s competitive matches by year:

2024: 2 games – 2 losses (4 remaining)
2023: 8 games – 2 wins, 6 losses.
2022: 6 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses.
2021: 8 games – 2 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses.
2020: 7 games – 3 draws, 4 losses.
2019: 8 games – 3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
2018: 4 games – 2 draws, 2 losses.
2017: 8 games – 2 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses.
2016: 8 games – 4 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses.
2015: 8 games – 4 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
2014: 4 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
2013: 7 games – 2 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses.
2012: 6 games – 2 wins, 4 losses.
2011: 8 games – 5 wins, 3 draws.
2010: 4 games – 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
2009: 9 games – 2 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss.
2008: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 draw.
2007: 8 games – 3 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
2006: 4 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses.
2005: 6 games – 2 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
2004: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 draws.
2003: 6 games – 3 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss.
2002: 6 games – 1 win, 2 draws, 3 losses.
2001: 9 games – 7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
2000: 3 games – 1 win, 2 draws.
1999: 7 games – 3 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
1998: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 loss.
1997: 9 games – 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses.
1996: 3 games – 2 wins, 1 draw.
1995: 8 games – 2 wins, 2 draws, 4 losses.
1994: 7 games – 4 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses.
1993: 8 games – 5 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss.
1992: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 draws.
1991: 4 games – 1 win, 3 draws.
1990: 7 games – 2 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss.
1989: 6 games – 5 wins, 1 draw.
1988: 5 games – 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses.
1987: 6 games – 4 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1986: 2 games – 2 draws.
1985: 5 games – 1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses.
1984: 3 games – 1 win, 2 losses.
1983: 5 games – 3 wins, 2 losses.
1982: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1981: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1980: 6 games – 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses.
1979: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 losses.
1978: 3 games – 3 draws.
1977: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1976: 1 game – 1 loss.
1975: 4 games – 2 wins, 2 losses.
1974: 2 games – 1 win, 1 draw.
1973: 2 games – 1 draw, 1 loss.
1972: 2 games – 1 win, 1 loss.
1971: 3 games – 3 losses.
1970: 3 games – 1 draw, 2 losses.
1969: 6 games – 1 draw, 5 losses.
1967: 3 games – 1 win, 2 losses.
1966: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1965: 3 games – 1 win, 2 losses.
1964: 2 games – 2 losses.
1963: 2 games – 1 win, 1 draw.
1962: 2 games – 1 win, 1 draw.
1961: 4 games – 4 losses.
1959: 2 games – 1 win, 1 loss.
1957: 3 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.
1956: 1 game – 1 win.
1954: 1 game – 1 win.
1953: 3 games – 1 win, 2 losses.
1949: 4 games – 1 win, 1 draw, 2 losses.
1948: 1 game – 1 loss.
1937: 2 games – 1 draw, 1 loss.
1934: 2 games – 1 draw, 1 loss.
1924: 2 games – 1 win, 1 loss.